Page 301 - Microaggressions in Everyday Live Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation

Counselor/Therapist Credibility 275

everyone has laughed at racist jokes, to answer “ no ” would appear a deliberate
lie or by denying or refusing to answer would appear to be concealing the
truth. There are many layers to the challenge being presented to the social
worker. On the surface one can make a case that the Black client is trying to

find out whether the therapist has laughed at racist jokes, and at a deeper

level, some might argue it is an attempt to find out whether the person is a
racist. In actuality, the client, rightly or wrongly, already knows the answer
and assumes all Whites have racial biases. The true test here is one of trust-
worthiness: “ How honest and open are you about your racism, are you aware
of it, and will it interfere with our ability to work together? ” While the social
worker seems to have answered truthfully, he also conveys considerable
discomfort with the question (nonverbally) and defends himself by attempt-
ing to get the Black client to admit to also being equally guilty (laughing at
White jokes). In this case, trustworthiness suffers because the social worker
appears more motivated to preserve his own self - image and esteem by making
the client appear equally biased.

The Way Forward

Implications and Directions in Mental Health Practice:
Overcoming Microaggressions
Prior to our discussion of implications for mental health practice, it is
important to note that racial, gender, and sexual-orientation micro-
aggressions occur in almost all human encounters and interactions. I
have purposely used the clinical realm to illustrate how microaggressions
make their appearance in the counselor - client interaction, provoke mis-
trust toward majority group members from marginalized groups, impair
the quality and nature of relationships, and prevent target individuals
or groups from receiving needed services. The nature of intergroup and
interpersonal relations along racial, gender, and sexual - orientation lines
is played out in all types of relationships and encounters (counselor – client,
teacher – student, employer – employee, doctor – patient, neighbor – neigh-
bor, and among family members, coworkers, and students), and in nearly
every setting (mental health agencies, hospitals, businesses, industries,
other places of employment, classrooms, communities, municipalities, etc.).
Thus, many of the suggestions given below for mental health practitioners
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