Speaking Up: Experiences of Graduate Student Therapists of Color
Date of Award
8-2014
Document Type
Undergraduate Capstone Project
Degree Name
Psy.D.
Organizational Unit
Graduate School of Professional Psychology
First Advisor
Lavita Nadkarni
Second Advisor
John McNeil
Third Advisor
Sarah Lamm-White
Keywords
Racial minority therapists, Graduate student therapists, Race, Multicultural Training
Abstract
The focus of the current study was to explore the unique lived experiences of racial minority student therapists in a predominantly white doctoral-level psychology program. Graduate student therapists of color participated in either a focus group or individual interviews. The researcher used Consensual Qualitative Research, a categorical methodology that required additional raters or judges to make sense of the data. Results produced several domains, including solo status, therapist awareness, microaggressions, view of self-identity, therapeutic dyads, and supervision experience. The domains centered on how students view their identity as therapists of color, how their identity influences the therapeutic relationship, and how clinical supervision can be a powerful resource for students of color. Results also showed that students seemed to be in different stages of their racial-ethnic identity development as they had different levels of awareness of race. Based on the results, the researcher provided recommendations for training programs and supervisors, highlighting the importance of racial dialogue in addressing the needs of graduate student therapists of color.
Publication Statement
Copyright is held by the author. Permanently suppressed.
Extent
32 pages
Recommended Citation
McDougal, Gift, "Speaking Up: Experiences of Graduate Student Therapists of Color" (2014). Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects. 40.
https://digitalcommons.du.edu/capstone_masters/40