WHITE PSYCHOTHERAPISTS AND BLACK CLIENTS: ON INVISIBLE RACISM AND THE RACE RELATIONS GAP IN PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

Abstract

That racism has perverse effects on the human psyche is well known, as well as it is known that the characterization of this experience is necessary to understand the psychological suffering in the care of the Black population. It remains, however, to verify what training and what practices mental health professionals have to deal with Black people, who make up 56% of the Brazilian population. The objective of this study was to obtain from white psychotherapists, through recorded semi-structured interviews, an account of their experience with and/or understanding of psychotherapy for Black clients. Seven professionals participated in the study. Applying the content analysis approach to the collected data, four categories emerged: (1) Education; (2) Modes of intervention related to the client's racial experiences; (3) Epistemological assumptions of psychology; and (4) Interracial therapeutic relationship, which illustrate how far White professionals are from Black realities. Racism was not considered a cause of psychic suffering for Blacks. The psychotherapists' difficulties were mainly due to the gaps in professional training. These findings can shed light on issues of education and training of psychotherapists in Brazil.