It is inevitable that race and multi-ethnicity will influence the counseling dynamics between a client and a counselor. A specialist of color will face a wide range of issues when dealing with both white clients and clients of color. In the former setting, a client might question the competency of counselors of color, and thus, they need to prove their overall competence. A professional might transfer his or her race-based hostility towards a member of the majority group. In the case of both parties being people of color, they might over-identify with each other. There are always possibilities of clashes of values and styles.
The first setting involves a counselor of color and a White client. The most evident potential problem is dealing with a client’s expressions of racism. As a member of a minority group, a counselor might become offended or even discriminated by the client. This is the most extreme scenario, where an expert needs to take full control and plan preliminary steps for either terminating or continuing the therapy. Another barrier is in perceiving the counselor of color as a super minority therapist, which means that a White client might think that the professional is specialized in working for a specific group.
It is important to explain to the member of the majority group that there is no such targeted segmentation. The counselor might transfer his or her racial animosity towards White clients, which means that the former will induce hostility and act unprofessionally. In this case, there is a need for re-training and reconsideration of values. A counselor of color might need to prove his or her competence. It can go along with another barrier, which is challenging the competency of counselors of color. In other words, a White client can see the counselor of color as incompetent and insufficiently trained due to stereotypes or prejudices.
The second setting involves a counselor of color and a client of color, where different barriers might exist. One of the most evident issues is that a professional can over-identify with the client due to commonalities. This is most likely to occur between members of similar ethnicity and group. In addition, there is the potential for problems, such as encountering clashes in cultural values. These challenges are common between members of two different minority groups. The conflicts can take place due to preferential divergence of counseling and communication styles. A counselor might be coming from a culturally extraverted group, whereas the client is from an introverted and hierarchal one.
The following barrier is one of the most extreme ones, where both parties might express or receive racial animosity. Such an attitude can form a hostile environment, which might be highly unproductive and even destructive for both. The last apparent issue is dealing with the racial identity status of the counselor or client. Any form of stereotyping or prejudice can impose racial identity. The main reason is that the counseling process needs to revolve around two specific individuals, where one has a particular problem, and the other assists in resolving it.
In conclusion, there is a different set of challenges that might emerge between a counselor of color and a white client or client of color. In the first case, a client might question the competence of an expert. In addition, both parties might exchange hostility towards each other based on race, such as animosity. The counselor might also be perceived as someone specializing in minority groups. In the case of both parties being people of color, there is a barrier of over-identification. They can also have a clash of cultural values and counseling styles.