When working with White clients, a counselor of color is likely to operate in a situation of power reversal (Comas‐Diaz, 2012; Comas‐ Diaz & Jacobsen, 1995). When the counselor is White and the client is a person of color, the power relationship is congruent with
historical and sociopolitical racial roles and structures in our society.
The roles of colonizer–colonized, master–slave, and oppressor–
oppressed have defined relationships of who are leaders and
followers, who is superior and inferior, and who is given higher or lower status (Ratts & Pedersen, 2014). When the counselor is a
person of color, however, it fosters a role reversal, because the status of therapist denotes a person who possesses a set of expertise that surpasses that of the White client. In this case, the White client is in need of help, and the counselor of color is in a position to provide it (to diagnose, treat, advise, teach, and guide). Many White clients may find this dependent role very disturbing and manifest it in various ways. Some may, however, find the new relationship exotic or even a positive development. Counselors of color may also misuse the power reversal to harm or to deny appropriate help to their
White clients.
Situation 1: Challenging the Competency of Counselors of Color
Whether White clients are conscious of it or not, they may directly or indirectly engage in maneuvers that challenge the credibility of the counselor of color, question the counselor's competence, negate the counselor's insights and advice, and undermine the therapeutic process (Sue, 2010a). Such challenges are not necessarily conscious to the client or expressed overtly. They may be manifested through an excessive interest in seeking greater information about the
counselor's training and background, types of degree received, place of training, and number of years in clinical practice. Or, they may be expressed through a tendency to be hypercritical of even the smallest omissions, oversights, and mistakes of the counselor. Behind these resistant behaviors is a presumption that therapists of color are less qualified than White ones—that therapists of color achieved their
positions not through their own internal attributes (intelligence and abilities) or efforts (motivation and actions) but through external circumstance, such as attending lesser qualified schools or being recipients of affirmative action programs. A study exploring both White and African American therapists' experiences in working with White clients supports these observations. Ethnic minority therapists consistently reported being the recipient of greater hostility,
resistance, and mistrust in cross‐racial practice than their White counterparts (Davis & Gelsomino, 1994).
For counselors of color, there are no easy answers or solutions to dealing with challenges to their credibility. A decision to explore or confront a White client's resistance to the counselor of color depends on many internal and contextual factors: (a) the counselor of color's comfort with his or her racial/ethnic identity, (b) the clinical
significance of the behavior, (c) the timeliness of the intervention, (d) the strength of the relationship, and (e) the form in which the
intervention would take place. Regardless, several overarching
guidelines may prove helpful here. First and foremost, a challenge to one's competence is not a pleasant thing, especially if it is tinged with racial overtones, especially for new counselors. Although the
counselor may become upset with the client, become defensive, and allow the defensiveness to dictate actions in the therapeutic session, these reactions are counterproductive to helping the client. Second, before an effective intervention can take place, a counselor must recognize the resistance for what it is. This means an accurate diagnosis separating out behaviors such as questioning one's qualifications from other clinical motivations. Third, a decision to intervene must be dictated by timeliness: it should occur at an opportune time that will maximize the insight of the client. Last, as the therapist of color will need to address racial issues, he or she must feel comfortable with engaging in a difficult dialogue on race.
Situation 2: Needing to Prove Competence
The fact that some Whites may consciously and unconsciously
harbor beliefs that persons of color are less capable than Whites may affect counselors of color; the counselors may internalize these
beliefs and stereotypes about themselves and their own group. In such cases, counselors of color may be trapped in the need to prove
their competence and capabilities; unfortunately, this proof must come from White society, other White helping professionals, and even White clients. In the counseling session, this type of conflict may be played out in seeking affirmation from White clients and in the counselor abdicating their role as expert in the relationship.
Counselors of color may also have a disinclination to see clients of color because it may bring to mind their own internalized racism and create discomfort for them. In such instances, they may be paralyzed in discussing racial dynamics, experience extreme anxiety when racial issues arise, and allow their clients to take the lead in the sessions. Alternatively, some counselors may overcompensate by talking too much in an attempt to demonstrate to the client that they are knowledgeable and competent.
Situation 3: Transferring Racial Animosity toward White Clients This situation is likely to arise through a process of
countertransference, where the counselor of color transfers feelings of resentment, anger, and antagonism toward White society to the client. In general, the therapist of color is unable to separate out the experiences of racism, discrimination, and prejudice experienced through years of oppression from their feelings toward the client.
The White client may become a symbol of the inherent mistrust that exists in majority–minority interpersonal relationships; thus, the counselor/therapist may harbor negative feelings that infect and distort the counseling relationship. In most cases, these grudges do not operate at a conscious level, but they are likely to present
themselves in various forms: (a) dismissing or diluting the pain and suffering of the White client, (b) being unable to form a working alliance, (c) having difficulty in being empathetic to the client's plight, (d) being ultrasensitive to potential racial slights, (e)
distorting or misinterpreting the client's actions to include a racial motivation, and in rare cases (f) possessing an unconscious desire to harm rather than help the client. This is potentially a toxic situation and is best resolved early in clinical training.
Situation 4: Viewing the Counselor of Color as a Super Minority Counselor
It may appear contradictory, but evidence exists, in the form of
counselor preference studies and clinical narratives, that some White clients actually prefer a therapist of color over a White one (Sue &
Sue, 2013). It has been found, for example, that some White college students indicate a preference for seeing a Black helping
professional. The reason behind such a preference flies in the face of traditional race relations and is difficult to explain. In our own work with White clients and in speaking to colleagues of color, however, several possibilities have arisen.
First, many White clients may possess an exaggerated sense of the therapist of color's qualifications, reasoning that to have achieved the status of therapist must have required a nearly superhuman effort against the forces of discrimination. The therapist's
accomplishments could have come only from high intelligence, outstanding abilities, and high motivation. Thus, the therapist of color is seen as immensely superior and likely to better help the client. Second, many clients, regardless of race, often feel rejected, invalidated, misunderstood, and put down, and suffer from pangs of inferiority and feelings of worthlessness. White clients may possess a mistaken notion that a therapist of color (who him‐ or herself has suffered from racism and stigmatization) may better be able to sympathize and empathize with them. Third, the therapist of color may be perceived as an expert on race relations, and some Whites may be consciously or unconsciously attempting to deal with their own racial attitudes. At times, the White client may be coping either with a conscious interracial relationship (e.g., dating a person of another race) or with more subtle unconscious personal dilemmas (e.g., White guilt and issues of privilege).
There is certainly a seductive quality to being perceived in such a favorable light, being viewed as an expert, and being accorded such high respect. This challenge is particularly difficult for therapists of color who in their daily lives outside of therapy sessions are not easily accorded the respect and dignity given to others. Yet, to allow the “super minority counselor” image to persist is to perpetuate a false illusion of the White client and to potentially harm therapeutic progress. In this situation, the White client may abdicate
responsibility for their own improvements and become overly
dependent on the counselor for answers to their problems.
Counselors of color need to have a good sense of themselves as racial, ethnic, and cultural beings and to not fall into the all‐omnipotent trap.
Situation 5: Dealing with Client Expressions of Racism It goes without saying that counselors/therapists of color often encounter racist, sexist, and heterosexist statements and reactions from their clients. Whereas many White lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people may remain invisible, people of color represent a visible racial/ethnic minority with distinguishable physical features. Counselors of color, through appearance, speech, or other characteristics, generate reactions.
These perceived differences may influence the development of a therapeutic relationship. As Asian American therapists, we've had clients make statements such as, “I like Chinese food” or “The Chinese are very smart and family‐oriented,” or exhibit some
discomfort when meeting us for the first time. In one study (Fuertes
& Gelso, 2000), male Hispanic counselors who spoke with a Spanish accent were rated lower in expertise by EuroAmerican students than those counselors without an accent. This phenomenon may also exist for therapists with other accents and may need to be discussed in therapy to allay anxiety in both the therapist and the client. One graduate student from Bosnia would discuss her accent and would let clients know that English was her second language. Although her command of English was good, this explanation helped establish a more collaborative relationship.
Acknowledging differences or investigating the reasons for client reactions is important, since they may affect the therapeutic process.
In one instance, an American Indian psychology intern working with a woman in her 40s noticed that upon learning she was American Indian, the client began to tell stories about her daughter being “part Native.” After one such story, the client asked, “What special power do you have?; My daughter has extra‐ordinary hearing.” Without missing a beat, the intern matter‐of‐factly responded to the question.
This led to a discussion of client concerns that she was being judged
for her “Whiteness” and also about what it meant to have a younger American Indian woman therapist.
White counselors facing an ethnic minority client often struggle with whether to ask, “How do you feel working with a White helping
professional?” This situation is also faced by counselors of color working with White clients. When differences between therapist and client are apparent (e.g., ethnicity, gender, ability, age) or revealed (e.g., religion, sexual orientation), acknowledging them is important (Zane & Ku, 2014). Culturally responsive counselors are encouraged to broach the topic of race, ethnicity, and culture during therapy (Day‐Vines et al., 2007). Broaching these issues can strengthen the working relationship. Both African American and White American students revealed a preference for openness and self‐disclosure when asked to imagine a counselor of a different ethnicity (Cashwell,
Shcherbakova, & Cashwell, 2003). Self‐disclosure, or the
acknowledgment of differences, may increase feelings of similarity between therapist and client and reduce concerns about differences.
The same applies when both therapist and client are persons of color but are from different racial or ethnic groups (Sanchez, del Prado, &
Davis, 2010).