An exploration of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic counsellors' experiences of working with White clients

Counselling and Psychotherapy have been described in the past as White middle‐class professions. However, over recent years Britain has become a more multiracial society, with therapists increasingly likely to find themselves working with clients from different ethnic backgrounds to their own. However, investigating Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic ( BAME ) counsellors working with a White client is an under‐researched area in this country. This qualitative study investigated the experiences of BAME counsellors who had worked with White clients. Method Eight BAME participants took part in semi‐structured interviews which were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings There were three overarching themes: Training as colour blind; Experiencing client reactions; and Working with “race” in the counselling process. These form a narrative in which participants commonly described inadequate training around “race” and culture, then dealing with the experience of encountering issues of “race” as they present in the counselling room, and developing ways of managing and working with these issues. Discussion Participants clearly stated their need for further support both within training and in the way in which they manage difference in the counselling room. Implications for training organisations are discussed, including the recommendation that difference within training groups is identified, and that trainers take responsibility to raise issues and facilitate the learning within a safe environment. This is a small‐scale study and further research is needed, extending this to a wider geographical area, and using this to inform the development of more inclusive training programmes.