Racism and its impact on psychotherapy

Abstract

It is necessary to deal with racial material in therapy as well as in the real world outside of therapy. When this is not done, patients terminate their treatment feeling that the therapist did not understand them as patients and individuals. Black therapists have heard this often from their black patients who have previously seen nonblack therapists. The author does not propose that all therapy of black patients be done by black therapists but that a definite concern for racial issues should prevail in any therapeutic encounter to which a black patient brings problems related to racial prejudice and/or discrimination.