Racial Microaggressions Against African American Clients in Cross-Racial Counseling Relationships
Journal of Counseling Psychology 2007, Vol. 54, No. 1, 1–16
Copyright 2007 by the American Psychological Association 0022-0167/07/$12.00 DOI: 10.1037/0022-0167.54.1.1
Racial Microaggressions Against African American Clients in Cross-Racial Counseling Relationships
Madonna G. Constantine
Teachers College, Columbia University
This study examined the relationships among African American clients’ perceptions of their White counselors with respect to (a) perceived racial microaggressions in cross-racial counseling relationships, (b) the counseling working alliance, (c) their counselors’ general and multicultural counseling competence, and (d) their counseling satisfaction. Findings revealed that greater perceived racial microaggressions by African American clients were predictive of a weaker therapeutic alliance with White therapists, which, in turn, predicted lower ratings of general and multicultural counseling competence. Greater perceived racial microaggressions also were predictive of lower counseling satisfaction ratings. In addition, African American clients’ perceptions of racial microaggressions had a significant indirect effect on these clients’ ratings of White counselors’ general and multicultural counseling competence through the therapeutic working alliance. Keywords: racial microaggressions, African Americans, working alliance, multicultural counseling competence, counseling satisfaction
For many decades, researchers and practitioners concerned about cultural issues in counseling have worked to identify factors that both hinder and promote treatment in cross-racial counseling contexts (Kim, Ng, & Ahn, 2005; Ponterotto, Fuertes, & Chen, 2000; Zane et al., 2005). Although some attention has been paid to multicultural counseling treatment outcomes with clients of color generally (e.g., Constantine, 2002), comparatively fewer studies have examined the processes associated with the treatment outcomes of specific groups of clients of color (e.g., Li
Copyright 2007 by the American Psychological Association 0022-0167/07/$12.00 DOI: 10.1037/0022-0167.54.1.1
Racial Microaggressions Against African American Clients in Cross-Racial Counseling Relationships
Madonna G. Constantine
Teachers College, Columbia University
This study examined the relationships among African American clients’ perceptions of their White counselors with respect to (a) perceived racial microaggressions in cross-racial counseling relationships, (b) the counseling working alliance, (c) their counselors’ general and multicultural counseling competence, and (d) their counseling satisfaction. Findings revealed that greater perceived racial microaggressions by African American clients were predictive of a weaker therapeutic alliance with White therapists, which, in turn, predicted lower ratings of general and multicultural counseling competence. Greater perceived racial microaggressions also were predictive of lower counseling satisfaction ratings. In addition, African American clients’ perceptions of racial microaggressions had a significant indirect effect on these clients’ ratings of White counselors’ general and multicultural counseling competence through the therapeutic working alliance. Keywords: racial microaggressions, African Americans, working alliance, multicultural counseling competence, counseling satisfaction
For many decades, researchers and practitioners concerned about cultural issues in counseling have worked to identify factors that both hinder and promote treatment in cross-racial counseling contexts (Kim, Ng, & Ahn, 2005; Ponterotto, Fuertes, & Chen, 2000; Zane et al., 2005). Although some attention has been paid to multicultural counseling treatment outcomes with clients of color generally (e.g., Constantine, 2002), comparatively fewer studies have examined the processes associated with the treatment outcomes of specific groups of clients of color (e.g., Li
References: Received December 18, 2005 Revision received October 18, 2006 Accepted October 19, 2006