A microaggression is a statement, action, or incident regarded as an instance of indirect, subtle, or unintentional discrimination against members of a marginalized group such as a racial or ethnic minority. These can at times be communicated verbally or nonverbally. As people of color, we all probably have at least one instance where we’ve encountered microaggressions. What happens when a microaggression comes from a mental health professional that is in place to help you? This can be tricky to address but is necessary.
When microaggressions occur in a counseling setting, it can lead to misunderstanding of your needs, misdiagnosis, and you not receiving the adequate treatment you need. Now more than ever, it is important for therapists to be culturally competent. As a person of color, you are the expert in what you are experiencing and go through. Your therapist is there to listen and walk you through those experiences and give you tools to navigate, not to discount your experience. When your viewpoint is not considered, it can lead to distress, distrust, frustration, and in extreme cases, leaving any form of therapy altogether.
Have you experienced one of the following in therapy?
- Color Blindness – Denying racial-cultural differences. Example: When a therapist says, “I think you are being too paranoid. We should emphasize similarities, not people’s differences.[1]”
- Over-identification – Denying or minimizing individual racial bias because of assumed similarity. Example: If your therapist says, “I know just what it is like to be discriminated against because of race because I’m apart of…”
- Minimization of Racial-Cultural Issues – minimizing or dismissing the importance of racial-cultural issues to a person of color. Example: If your therapist says, “I’m not sure we need to focus on race or culture to understand your depression.”
- Accused Hypersensitivity Regarding Racial or Cultural Issues – Assuming that a person of color is hypersensitive during discussions of racial or cultural issues. Example: If your therapist says, “Don’t be too sensitive about the racial stuff.”
- Meritocracy Myth – Ignoring the responsibility of individual perpetrators and sociopolitical systems for perpetuating racism. Example: If your therapist says, “If Black people just worked harder, they could be successful like other people.”
- Culturally Insensitive Treatment Considerations or Recommendations – Displaying cultural insensitivity in the context of understanding or treating clients’ concerns. Example: If your therapist says, “You should disengage or separate from your family of origin if they are causing you problems.”
- Idealization – Overestimating the desirable qualities and underestimating the limitations of a person on the basis of racial or the ethnic group membership. Example: If your therapist says, “I’m sure you can cope with this problem as a strong Black woman.”
How do you address Microaggressions in therapy?
Pause and think: Before anything, give yourself time to breathe and think about what you just heard. Then, decide if you want to respond now or wait to address it at a later session or maybe in an email to your therapist when you’ve had time to process. Verify and validate your experience and then determine the next course of action for yourself.
Ask questions: Ask your therapist questions as to why they said what they did or what they meant by the comment. You can also ask what their intentions were when that statement was made.
Explain how that comment came across: Deepening on what their answer is to the previous, let them know how their comment really came across and then let them know how it made you feel.
Allow room for dialogue: Sometimes it is easy to be dismissive and shut down the conversation all together. If you have decided to address the microaggression in the moment, make room for a conversation and space for that if you feel comfortable.
Decide when to walk away: It is not your responsibility to educate your therapist on why microaggressions are harmful or even to help them see the negative effects of their actions. If you believe the conversation is not going anywhere or if your therapist gets defensive or tries to gaslight you or continues to undermine your experience, end the conversation.
Don’t Be Afraid to Find Another Therapist
If your attempts to address the issue still go unresolved, consider getting a different therapist. Chances are you can find another person using our therapist finder guide or the list of blogs we have available on finding a therapist, to help you go in the right direction. Whatever you do, don’t give up on seeking out help for your mental health!
- Examples of Racial Microaggressions in Therapeutic Practice: https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.marrch.org/resource/resmgr/imported/Session-41-Simmons-Part3.pdf