Critical Race Theory as a Framework for Decentering Whiteness in Counseling

Conference Strand

Teaching, Training, and Supervision

Abstract

In this presentation, participants will discuss how to teach students and supervisees to ethically use Critical Race Theory as an approach to address race, racism, power, and privilege in counseling practices when working with historically marginalized populations. Participants will identify the key tenets of CRT, and ways to ethically incorporate CRT into counseling education and supervision for advocacy, activism, and multicultural competence.

Description

At the core of this presentation is introducing and utilizing Critical Race Theory (CRT). CRT is a theoretical and interpretive model that examines the appearance of race and racism across dominant cultural modes of expression. CRT attempts to understand how victims of systemic racism are affected by cultural perceptions of race and how they can represent themselves to counter prejudice. Counselors are aware of the ethical mandate to develop knowledge, awareness, and skills in multiculturalism and social justice advocacy. Additionally, with racial and social justice movements at the forefront of mental health due to the exposure of historical and current racial trauma experienced by Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), counselors are more aware of the need to take an active stance against systemic racism. Thus, sparking an increased interest in social justice and advocacy and an increased need for training in this area. With a clear call from scholars for professionals to engage in strategic social justice work that goes beyond traditional models and includes intentional advocacy engagement and system-level interventions to exact change, the question becomes, how will counselors develop the skills necessary to engage in this important work? In this presentation, the presenters discuss how to teach students and supervisees to ethically use Critical Race Theory as an approach to address race, racism, power, and privilege in counseling practices and systems that may work to silence the voices of historically marginalized populations. Additionally, participants will identify the key tenets of CRT, and ways to ethically incorporate CRT into counseling, clinical supervision, and counselor education curricula to effectively teach students and supervisees and promote strategic social justice, advocacy, activism, and change when working with historically marginalized populations.

Evidence

Racial and social justice have been at the forefront of mental health due to societal movements related to the racial assaults and injustices experienced by Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC). These acts have exposed historical and current racial trauma experienced within BIPOC communities. When faced with the horrific, graphically violent, and senseless deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, counselors, supervisors, and counselor educators found themselves asking "why is this happening?", and more importantly "what can we do?". This sparked an overwhelming need for strategic social justice and advocacy work if we desire to see a real change. Saad (2019) and DiAngelo (2018) both state that it is impossible to be an advocate without first doing the important work of self-examination and reflection.

At the core of this presentation is the introduction and utilization of Critical Race Theory (CRT; Bell, 1995, 2008), a theoretical and interpretive model that examines the appearance of race and racism across dominant cultural modes of expression. Counselor educators and supervisors are called to focus their approach to counseling in a holistic manner that is centered on the needs of the whole person (Gross & Weis, 2019). However, we cannot focus on the whole person without considering their intersecting identities and how their multicultural existence impacts their views, beliefs, and overall wellness. Thus, the necessity of developing culturally sensitive and humble students and supervisees in preparation for their work with historically marginalized populations.

Initially, racial and cultural diversity were identified as the "fourth force" that would “revolutionize mental health” (Lenes et al., 2020; Steward et al., 1998, p.13). However, as the profession evolved, there have been indications that the current approaches to teaching and requiring multicultural competency have not effectively met the sociocultural needs of underrepresented and underserved communities. Furthermore, scholars noted the need for counselors to effectively address the significance of race on the experiences of people connected or engaged in mental health including counselors, educators, and clients (Helms & Richardson, 1997; Smith et al., 2008). While the interest in social justice and advocacy has increased in counseling literature, there has been little change. Therefore, scholars across the profession have called for practitioners to engage in social justice work beyond traditional models and include intentional advocacy efforts, system-level interventions (Brinkman & Hirsch, 2020), studies centered on theory building, counselor awareness around social justice, and intentionally incorporate social justice into counselor training and practice (Na & Fietzer, 2020).

Therefore, the presenters aim to help participants shift from cognition to understanding, from reflections to action, and from a moment to a movement by offering strategies to strategically implement anti-racist pedagogy into counseling, clinical supervision, and counselor education curricula. Using a CRT framework, the presenters hope to provide participants with the necessary tools to empower their students and supervisees to gain insight and achieve self-awareness. Through this presentation, the presenters will engage the participants in their shift from passive to active change agents and advocates for their colleagues, students, and the profession in the work with BIPOC communities.

References

Bell, D. (1995). Who’s afraid of critical race theory? University of Illinois Law Review, 4, 893–910.

Bell, D. (2008). Race, racism and American law (6th ed.). Aspen.

Brinkman, B. G., & Hirsch, K. (2020). From proposal to action: Supporting student advocacy during graduate counseling training. Journal for Social Action in Counseling & Psychology, 11(1), 51-66. https://doi.org/10.33043/JSACP.11.1.51-66

DiAngelo, R. (2018). White fragility: Why it's so hard for white people to talk about racism. Beacon Press.

Gross, G., & Weiss, E. L. (2019). A call to the helping disciplines to deconstruct diversity and race: An essay on the social constructions of the “other.” International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling., 41(1), 86–103. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10447-018-9344-0

Helms, J. E., & Richardson, T. Q. (1997). How "multiculturalism" obscures race and culture as differential aspects of counseling competency. In D. Pope-Davis & H. Coleman (Eds.), Multicultural counseling competencies: Assessment, education, and training and supervision (pp. 60-79). Sage.

Lenes, E., Swank, J. M., Hart, K. A., Machado, M. M., Darilus, S., Ardelt, M., Smith‐Adcock, S., Rockwood Lane, M., & Puig, A. (2020). Color‐conscious multicultural mindfulness training in the counseling field. Journal of Counseling & Development, 98(2), 147-158. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcad.12309

Na, G., & Fietzer, A. W. (2020). A national survey of social justice engagement among professional counselors. Journal of Counseling & Development, 98(3), 319-330. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcad.12326

Saad, L. F. (2019). Me and white supremacy: Combat racism, change the world, and become a good ancestor. Sourcebooks, Inc.

Smith, L., Constantine, M. G., Graham, S. V., & Dize, C. B. (2008). The territory ahead for multicultural competence: The" spinning" of racism. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 39(3), 337-345. https://doi.org/10.1037/0735-7028.39.3.337

Steward, R. J., Morales, P. C., Bartell, P. A., Miller, M., & Weeks, D. (1998). The multiculturally responsive versus the multiculturally reactive: a study of perceptions of counselor trainees. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 26(1), 13–27. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-1912.1998.tb00180.x

Format

Individual Presentations

Biographical Sketch

Dr. Tanisha Sapp, EdD, LPC, CST, NCC, ACS is an Assistant Professor in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at Liberty University. She is a licensed professional counselor in the State of Georgia, an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist, a National Certified Counselor (NCC), and an Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS). Additionally, Dr. Sapp is the owner of Tanisha Sapp, LLC where she provides professional development training, clinical supervision services, and individual and couples sex therapy. Her areas of research and interest include: professional counselor identity, Anti-Racism counseling and counselor education, DEISJB counseling and counselor education, BIPOC sexual health and wellness, and professional advocacy in leadership.

Dr. Devona Stalnaker-Shofner, EdD, LPC, NCC is an Associate Professor at Antioch University Seattle. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the State of Georgia, as well as a National Certified Counselor (NCC). Dr. Stalnaker-Shofner has been in professional practice as a counselor for twenty years, and her experience includes providing individual, group, and marriage and family counseling to clients presenting with treatment concerns such as depression, anxiety, trauma, sexual abuse, domestic violence, self-mutilation/injury, as well as substance use, addiction, and recovery.

Location

Room 159

Start Date

3-7-2024 9:00 AM

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Mar 7th, 9:00 AM

Critical Race Theory as a Framework for Decentering Whiteness in Counseling

Room 159

In this presentation, participants will discuss how to teach students and supervisees to ethically use Critical Race Theory as an approach to address race, racism, power, and privilege in counseling practices when working with historically marginalized populations. Participants will identify the key tenets of CRT, and ways to ethically incorporate CRT into counseling education and supervision for advocacy, activism, and multicultural competence.