Comparing and contrasting models of identity development in people of color with racial identity models for whites, in Chapter 12 they address the issue of White identity development and discuss how it may impact clients of color. These specialists point out that while the Racial/ Cultural Identity Development model in people of color proves beneficial in our work as therapists, more attention should be devoted toward the White therapist's racial identity. White racial identity development models describe the salience of identity for establishing relationships between the White therapist and the culturally different client, and some have now linked stages of identity with stages for appropriate training. A number of these models tell us much …show more content…
One important aspect relatively untouched in our main textbook is the racial identity development of helping professionals, especially the level of racial consciousness of the minority therapist and how it may impact that of the client of color. But it is equally important for counselors of color to consider their own racial consciousness and how it may interact with a client from their own group. A culturally competent counselor needs to be cognizant of and to understand how sociopolitical factors influence and shape identity. Identity development is not solely due to cultural differences but to how the differences are perceived in our society. The R/ CID framework reminds therapists of several important clinical imperatives like how within-group differences are very important to acknowledge in clients of color because not all members of a racial/ cultural group are the same. Depending on their levels of racial consciousness, the attitudes, beliefs, and orientations of clients of color may be quite different from one another. (Gone,
The Helms White Racial Identity Model, created by Dr. Janet Helms, has six stages which are now referred to as statuses. The statuses are, contact, disintegration, reintegration, pseudoindependence, immersion/emersion, and autonomy. The first status, contact, shows obliviousness to being unaware of racism. This status shows that an individual believes everyone has an equal chance to success and lacks understanding of discrimination and prejudice. The second status is the disintegration status meaning that there is conflict among an individual’s loyalty to their group and “humanistic ideals”. These people may try to avoid people of a different race, may attempt to be “color blind”, and may seek reassurance from other Whites that racism is not their fault. The next status is reintegration. If reintegration occurs, racial/ethnic minorities may be blamed for their problems.
Mills (2017) outlines the difficulty that some multiracial people have with others categorizing their identity for them and the resulting feeling of being forced to identify with one group over another, while not making room for the experience of multiracial identity in of itself. Moreover, this can be a marker of oppression and discrimination, which can then impact a person’s identity as their turmoil is internalized. Mock’s (2014) experience as a biracial Black and Native Hawaiian parallels this. During her time in California and Texas, Mock grew up in a community of black people of colour and was perceived as a black person, so her identity as a Native Hawaiian was erased and not externally visible. In contrast, when living in Hawaii, Mock was treated as an outsider and nonlocal because she presented as a black woman of colour. This goes to show that intersectional identity is more than what is presented on the outside and that all racial identities need to be recognized and affirmed. Moreover, social workers can utilize the art of meeting clients where they are by letting the client tell their story, learning about their experiences, and empowering, recognizing, and validating their multiracial identities (Harkey, Sortedahl, Crook, & Sminkey, 2017). Every client will construct and experience their racial identity in a
Unlike cultural competence, Anti- racism and the Anti-oppression framework has a clear focus, to directly address oppressive practices, and privilege in large institutions. In the “ More than being against it: Anti– racism and Anti –oppression in mental health services “ the authors Simon Corneau and Vicky Stergiopouls, identify seven strategies of the anti-racism and anti-oppression that should be employed when practicing direct service with clients. These seven strategies are "empowerment, education, alliance building, language, alternative, healing strategies, advocacy, social justice/activism, and fostering reflexivity” (Corneau & Stergiopoulos, 2012). The goal of using these seven strategies with clients is to engage the client in the process of care by recognizing the strengths and knowledge that the client brings to the relationship and honoring the idea that there is a racial feature of oppression that is inherent in the dynamics of the client clinician relationships. For example, the use of this practice in my current job with the Family Drug Courts could have a profound effect on the outcomes for both parents and children involved in the program. One example is the case of a 28-year-old mother of three that was separated from her children because of her drug addiction. This parent had an extensive history of trauma,
It is important for a counselor to be culturally competent. This is not always an easy task because there are a lot of different cultures with different values. The Racial/ Cultural Identity Development Model was created to help counselors understand their culturally diverse clients more. This model has five levels: conformity, dissonance, resistance and immersion, introspection, and integrative awareness. In this essay I am going to describe these levels and how it can impact the counseling process.
Want, V., Parham, T. A., Baker, R. C., & Sherman, M. (2004). African American Students’ Ratings of Caucasian and African American Counselors Varying in Racial Consciousness. : Educational Publishing Foundation.
White therapists are prone to engaging in racial microaggressions and if so, the therapist-patient relationship is weakened because clients of color view their white therapists as biased, prejudiced, or unlikely to understand them as racial/cultural beings. Unintentional and unconscious acts and nature of microagressions continue to be the biggest challenge to the majority of white meant health professionals who believe they are unbiased and nonracist. Mental health professionals are in a position of power and authority over their clients and therefore any harm done against their clients is either unknown of minimized. According to this study, microagressions oppress, harm, and place clients of color in the inevitable catch-22 position. Furthermore, these microagressions are likely to go unrecognized by white mental health professional who are unintentionally and unconsciously expressing bias. Consequently, clients of color, according to this study, are at an increased risk of not continuing in the counseling/therapy session when such microagressions occur. To further education and/or to create any change in the therapist-client relationship, white clinicians must address the question of what does it mean to be white and furthermore be fully aware and recognize how their own white racial identity and how it may intrude, either positively or negatively, on people of color. This, I think, is related to
It has been said that the physical variations in the human species have no meaning except the social one that humans put on them. Society has placed stigmas on race dating all the way back to the 1600s. Still in the 21st century the American society is still trying to work through racial boundaries. With such stigmas being placed on them, biracial individuals often self-identify or be identified by others differently, depending on the social context. A biracial individual’s racial identity development is contingent upon many factors, both internal and external. With the dramatic increase in the number of individuals with a bi or multiracial background it is important for us to recognize the complexity of the racial identity development of this culture. It is critical to understand the hardships as well as the advantages of being biracial, to help them avoid any negative behaviors which could yield lifelong consequences. The healthy development of one’s racial identity is imperative for a biracial child to be able to achieve and maintain a positive psychological and social adjustment throughout the lifespan.
In the United States, its population consists of variety of races, ethnic and mixed groups including White Americans. Although the U.S is considered as a modern day melting pot country, White Americans are still considered the majority. Not only are they the majority in population, but they are also best known as the privileged population as well. Considering the diversity in the U.S, each person typically goes through a process of shaping their identity including White Americans. This process consists of experiences and influences from an individual, group and universal level. To be more in-depth regarding white racial identity development, the goal is to create an identity that is consistent of an individual’s increasing critical conscience
“When Race Becomes Even More Complex: Toward Understanding the Landscape of Multiracial Identity and Experiences”
In a nutshell, communication and trust in the therapeutic relationship are critical to ensure successful therapeutic relationships. Acknowledging how language and cultural barriers may hinder the development of trust and the therapeutic relationship, the role of the therapist in preventing such factors, is indeed crucial. Therapists are to ensure that they use language sensitively as a tool to promote mutual respect based on understanding and acceptance of cultural differences. Moreover, therapist should aim to overcome racial microaggressions and cultural transferences through effective coping strategies.
In a nation whose population is growing increasingly diverse and where minority groups continue to grow, it is unsurprising that ethic identity may play an important role in the mental health of individuals in the U.S. Though the constructs of ethnic identity vary across studies, the general consensus is self-identification within a specific ethnic group (i.e. Hispanic, Asian, etc.), inclusion within this group, and display of appropriate group traits. As a component of one’s identity, ethnic identity may be related to important aspects of mental health such as self-esteem.
I interviewed an African American male (D. Simington) age thirty. This section of the paper will illustrate how certain factors played a significant part in developing his cultural identity. I began by asking him to define his ethnic/cultural/racial identity, he explained the following:
The model led to the development of an assessment instrument to measure the white racial identity. According to Helms, developing a healthy white identity requires transition through two phases, abandonment of racism, and definition of a non-racist white identity. The two phases are characterized by six distinct racial identity statuses that are equally distributed. They include autonomy, contact, disintegration, immersion/emersion, pseudo independence, and reintegration. I find this model detailed, informative and helpful in understanding the white racial identity (Derald Wing Sue,
The Racial/Cultural Identity Development model is a framework to help oppressed people make sense of who they are, their culture compared to the dominant culture (Sue & Sue, 2013). There are five stages of the Minority Development Model with the interaction of stages with the attitude and beliefs of self, other of the same minority, others of different minority and towards the dominant group: conformity, dissonance and appreciating, resistance and immersion, introspection, and integrative awareness (Sue & Sue, 2013).
“Identity development is the process through which individuals achieve a sense of who they are, what moral and political beliefs they embrace, the sort of occupation they wish to pursue, and their communities and culture” (Lightfoot, Cole & Cole, 2012, p.573). There are many paths of identity development, but the path that will be mostly focused on is ethnic identity. According to the text ethnic identity is the extent of identifying oneself as a part of a particular ethnic group, including the part of one’s feelings, perception and behavior that is due to being a member in that group. Identity formation is more complicated on minority ethnic groups than majority ethnic groups. It is because of their differences in customs, values and beliefs. Also ethnic-minority groups have two identities to form and join together; one based on their own cultural background and the other “based on that of the majority group.” (Lightfoot, Cole & Cole, 2012, p.578). In the text it mentions stages of ethnic-identity formation. Many researchers label the three stages differently but all follow the same basic content and the labels mentioned are specifically suggested by Jean Phinney (2008).