Multicultural Counseling Gendered Racial Microaggressions

A Workshop for Mental Health Professionals: Addressing Gendered Racial Microaggressions in Counseling

Part 1: Welcome Activity

Part 2: Definitions and Concepts

Part 3: Impact of Microaggressions on Mental Health

Part 4: The Gendered Racial Microaggressions Scale

Part 5: Strategies for Culturally Competent Counseling

Part 6: Conclusion

By: Katherine N Johnson

Part 1: Welcome Activity

To begin this session, we will start by exploring what you know!

Please write down what you know about the terms microaggression and gendered racial microaggression.
Please also write down an example of a microaggression. Whether it is from personal experience, something you saw someone else experience, or an experience you heard about.
After completing this activity, please rate your understanding of these concepts from 1 to 10.

Part 2: Definitions and Concepts

Objective: To begin, we will start by becoming familiar with important terminology.

Racial microaggressions: Brief, everyday exchanges, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile or denigrating messages to people of color.
Intersectionality: Describes how interlocking systems of oppression impact marginalized groups concerning diverse social identities such as race, gender, class, sexual orientation, ability, and religion
Gendered racial microaggressions: Subtle and everyday verbal, behavioral, and environmental expressions based upon the intersections of one’s race and gender.

Learning Section

Objective: This section is here so you can differentiate microaggressions experienced by Asian Americans, women, and Asian American women.

The 8 racial microaggression themes pertinent to Asian Americans:

Alien in own land
Ascription of Intelligence
Exoticization of AAW
Invalidation of interethnic differences
Denial of racial reality
Pathologizing cultural values or communication styles
Second class citizenship
Invisibility.

Gendered microaggressions pertinent to women:

Denigrating messages of sexual objectification
Sexist treatment
Invisibility.

Anticipated gendered racial microaggressions for Asian American women (AAW):

Submissiveness,
Sexual fetishism/exoticization
Restrictive and universal body image assumptions.

Part 3: Impact of Microaggressions on Mental Health

Objective: Now that we've built knowledge around microaggressions and gendered racial microaggressions. Now let's look at the negative impacts they have.

The Psychological Effects:

Anxiety, depression, impostor syndrome, identity conflict, racial trauma, lower self-esteem, and chronic stress

Note: Though microaggressions are subtle and can be easily overlooked, they were proven to have detrimental impacts on quality of life. As they can have negative effects on both physical and mental wellbeing

Part 4: The Gendered Racial Microaggressions Scale

Objective: Now that you know the impacts let me introduce you to a tool you could utilize.

What is the Gendered Racial Microaggression Scale?

It is a scale used to assess the subtle and everyday verbal, behavioral, and environmental expressions of gendered racial microaggressions experienced by Asian American women in the United States.

Key Dimensions of GRMS:

Ascribed Submissiveness (9 items)

Example: Stereotypes that Asian American women are passive, submissive, quiet, and obedient

Asian Fetishism (4 items)

Example: Hypersexualization and exoticization of Asian American women.

Assumption of Universal Appearance (4 items)

Example: Assumption that all Asian American women look the same

Media Invalidation (5 items)

Example: Misrepresentation, exclusion, or erasure of Asian American women in media and leadership roles.

Big Takeaway: Asian American women face unique challenges at the intersection of gender and race. As a counselor, this scale can be very beneficial in clinical settings as it is a credible and empirically tested measure of discrimination for AAW.

Exercise: Case Study

Objective: To put to the test your skills and knowledge thus far:)

Scenario: Crystal is a 23-year-old Asian American woman living in New York. In her most recent visit with a counselor, she shared feelings of self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and isolation at work. These emotions were prompted by hearing comments such as "I don't feel like you look like a typical manager," "Honestly, someone like you would be better in an assistant role," and "You are so small you dont give leadership qualities."

Now that you have read through the scenario answer these questions:

What types of gendered racial microaggressions is Crystal experiencing?
How might these experiences affect her mental health over time?

Part 5: Strategies for Culturally Competent Counseling

Objective: Here, I will introduce you to valuable strategies you can implement as a counselor. These strategies will grow your awareness, cultural competence, and ability to validate AAW experiences.

Individual Strategies:

Work on cultural humility and self-awareness

Goal: Identify possible stereotypes or biases you might hold about Asian American women. Dismantle any assumptions you hold and constantly work to deepen your understanding of others' experiences.

Learn to affirm and valid clients' experiences

Goal: Allow the client to fully explain and label their experiences. Look out for microaggressions, gendered racial microaggressions, and discrimination due to systematic oppression.

Counseling Strategies:

Utilize The Gendered Racial Microaggressions Scale

Goal: In counseling, use this tool to help identify what your client is experiencing. It will provide valuable insight to both you and the client on the intersexuality involved in their issue or concern.

Try Empowerment-Based Therapy

Goal: Encourage Asian American women to gain control over their lives and develop self-confidence. By working with the client to identify strengths, set reasonable goals, and build resilience.

Part 6: Conclusion

In closing, I hope you learned a lot of valuable information from this workshop. You should now be able to identify a microaggression vs a gendered racial microaggression. You should also understand the negative mental impacts microaggressions can have. Also, you have been given an innovative tool, "The Gendered Racial Microaggressions Scale," to integrate into your counseling sessions. As well as other culturally competent counseling strategies you can try out.

Before you leave, I have a quick question for you. Now, after completing the workshop, how would you rate your understanding of the concepts discussed from 1-10?

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