Counseling Black Americans with Cultural Competency

Description

This resource is provided as a first step for mental health professionals working with members of the Black community. The items included focus on proper steps to building conducive therapeutic relationships with clients in session, through explanation of good practices, and simultaneously acknowledge and practice cultural humility and competency in the process of doing so. 

Race and culture can be uncomfortable topics to broach in therapy - but that doesn't make them any less important. It's been found that combining good counseling practice with continuing education and engagement with Black culture results in the best outcome for counselor and client: a collaborative session. When a counselor has an idea of what a client has experienced, they're more responsive to the content being discussed. 

"When Black clients perceive their therapists as culturally attuned and responsive to their lived experiences, they report higher levels of trust, emotional investment, and active participation in treatment" (Potter et. al, 2026). Becoming more aware and sensitive to the issues Black people face means you can better assist them through therapy. Properly understanding Black issues in America and the stereotypes that pervade this community opens up room for discussion for clients to be truly heard when they so often aren’t. 

References

Paul, L., Chang, D. F., & Bitney, C. (2024). Psychotherapy in Black and White: An examination of how race is discussed in a sample of Black American clients and White American counselors. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 18(3), 230–238. 

Potter, M. R., Gaye, F., Rice, T. B., Sigel, A., Swaine, V. K., King, B., Joiner, T. E., & Lewis, E. M. (2026). Beyond the treatment manual: Examining factors influencing Black client engagement in psychotherapy. Psychotherapy, 63(2), 249–259. 

Scharff, A., Aajmain, S., Smith, A. E., & Boswell, J. F. (2024). Preliminary psychotherapist practices and perspectives on supporting Black clients after public anti-Black violence. Practice Innovations, 9(4), 336–352.