Racial-Cultural Events in Group Therapy as Perceived by Group Therapists

ABSTRACT

This qualitative study explored the nature of the retrospective experiences of helpful and difficult racial-cultural events in group therapy as perceived by eight White group therapists and six group therapists of color who had a minimum of 5 years of experience working in a variety of group therapy settings. Racial-cultural events are incidents, interactions, or processes in a therapy group that are interpreted as related to or influenced by visible racial dimensions, and any stereotypes and assumptions pertaining to those dimensions. Participants completed demographic questionnaires and in-depth, semistructured telephone interviews. Interviews were audiotaped and transcribed, and then the transcriptions were analyzed using grounded theory, resulting in three main emergent themes: (a) helpful events, (b) mixed events, and (c) hindering events. Study findings provide insight into effective group therapy with multicultural populations and offer directions for future research.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Mira Zaharopoulos

Mira Zaharopoulos is an Adjunct Professor at Fordham University. She maintains a private psychotherapy practice in New York City. Eric C. Chen is an Associate Professor in the Counseling and Counseling Psychology Programs, Division of Psychological and Educational Services, at Fordham University at Lincoln Center in New York City.

Eric C. Chen

Mira Zaharopoulos is an Adjunct Professor at Fordham University. She maintains a private psychotherapy practice in New York City. Eric C. Chen is an Associate Professor in the Counseling and Counseling Psychology Programs, Division of Psychological and Educational Services, at Fordham University at Lincoln Center in New York City.