Race, Ethnicity, and Racism in Counseling Psychology

Introduction

The diverse nature of the world we live in provides both a source of inspiration and challenge. The challenging aspects of diversity are heightened within a counseling environment where the crossroads of identity and culture meet and intersect. To be successful in any counseling attempt, the psychic power of empathy must be employed in order to reach out and communicate with the one seeking help.

The concept of the self becomes very important in developing new behavioral habits that can be channeled in a constructive manner — one that aligns with greater societal needs and blends, in harmony, the internal ideals of the self. Race and ethnicity are important factors in understanding oneself and hold key information about how one can realize their true self within the presence and context of others.

The purpose of this essay is to explain the synthesis of both race and ethnicity into the self-defining mechanisms of patients and clients who seek healing and assistance in psychological counseling. To accomplish this, the essay first defines key terms that help frame the discussion. It also discusses the subjective nature of psychology and the self, and how understanding the limitations of both objectivity and material society can mislead individuals into false paradigms that do not promote healing or well-being. Ultimately, this essay argues that race and ethnicity — and the conflation of these ideas — are broadly misunderstood, and that placing too much emphasis on these defining terms tends to harm rather than help.

Defining Race and Ethnicity

The terms "race" and "ethnicity" are often conflated and not appropriately distinguished in ways that could better clarify their meaning. Race has been used as a means to stereotype and group individuals in certain ways. It is often employed as an intellectual shortcut and a catch-all explanation for social ills. The tendency in science and academia is to dissect things down to their smallest components while ignoring the bigger picture of how those components fit into a society or group. As a result, race and ethnicity have become conflated due to the subtle tendency to take intellectual shortcuts.

Race is not chosen by the individual; it is assigned at birth. Race is a biological condition. Racial features include skin color, hair color and type, skull shape, muscle formations, and other physical traits. The human race is regarded as the most general category, suggesting that all others are offshoots of this main trunk. Races do not have exact scientific definitions, and different cultures identify different races for different reasons. The problems associated with race are largely related to the challenge of defining it in simple terms — a difficulty in and of itself.

Ethnicity is different from race in that it categorizes people in a cultural manner. Ethnic groups share a common history and common roots that help members identify themselves through the customs and culture of those historic origins. Ethnicity is not biological on its face, but it provides insight into how different racial groups create and utilize culture for their own practical purposes.

The Impact of Religion

Religion is extremely impactful in shaping how individuals view themselves within the context of the greater collective. Religion is based on the idea of connecting to the source of existence — or, in some cases, to the absence of such a source. Religion drives many people and sets the course for cultural and societal norms. This spiritual connection is correlated with the ways in which race and ethnicity become intertwined, as varying forms of religious practice are expressed through the understanding and observance of faith traditions.

For many people, science and rational thought have provided a kind of religious connection in today's technology-based world. The temptation to rely solely on cold reason is nonetheless dangerous, because it ignores the subjective interpretation of the interpreter and the impact of that interpretation on the event being analyzed. Regardless of a counselor's personal religious beliefs, a firm understanding of how these forces shape both culture and the individual helps reveal important attributes relevant to understanding the relationship between race, ethnicity, and psychological well-being.