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In their article “Sexual Orientation Change Efforts: Health Associations, Sexual Identity Labeling, and Reports of Change by Engagement Status”, Rosik and colleagues find that adults who continue to attempt to “reduce, change, and/or eliminate” their same-sex attractions through a variety of strategies report greater depression and less flourishing than adults who have never tried to change their same-sex attractions or who have done so in the past. These results add to the now robust research base demonstrating associations between attempts to change same-sex attraction and negative mental health outcomes. Puzzlingly, the authors minimize and distort their findings. We describe a major conceptual and methodological problem with Rosik et al.’s paper and call attention to political factors that may explain the paper’s conceptually and ethically fraught frame.

After several decades of slow progress, researchers are beginning to make advances in linking constructs based on the multicultural competencies tradition-especially those focused on qualities of the therapist-to therapy outcomes. The multicultural orientation framework was developed in response to several trends within the multicultural competencies tradition, with a particular emphasis on integrating the multicultural competencies tradition into research on psychotherapy process. We provide a narrative review of studies that include one of the three constructs (i.e., cultural humility, cultural opportunities, and cultural comfort) articulated by the multicultural orientation framework. Results indicate initial evidence linking multicultural orientation constructs to therapy outcomes (e.g., perceived improvement, racial/ethnic disparities in termination, and therapy alliance). Results also supported the social bond and social oil hypotheses from theorizing on humility. Implications for future research and therapy practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record

Este estudio exploratorio examino experiencias de Latina/os con microagresiones, y considero si esta discriminacion se manifiesta en maneras diferentes basadas en genero, grupo etnico, o natividad con 311 Latina/o Americanas/os. Analisis descriptivas de experiencias con microagresiones fueron examinadas con un analisis multivariado de varianza y una serie de pruebas-T. Los resultados mostraron diferencias significantes en experiencias con microagresiones: las mujeres pasaron mas microagresiones en el lugar de trabajo y escolar; Dominicanas/os auto-identificados fueron mas probable de tener experiencias de ser exotizadas/os; y puertorriquenos mas probables de ser tratados como ciudadanos de segunda clase o criminales. Los resultados tambien mostraron que jovenes Latinas/os, y esos con bajos niveles de educacion, fueron mas probables de tener experiencias de micro-invalidacion. Aunque los resultados apoyan estudios previos que indican que minorias raciales y etnicas tienen experiencias de micoagresiones, el estudio presente extiende esta literatura academica mostrando el papel que tiene las diferencias dentro del grupo en las experiencias de Latina/o-Americanas/os con microagresiones. Se discuten las implicaciones para la investigacion y la literatura academica de microagresiones.

Research on the experiences of faculty of color in predominantly White institutions (PWIs) suggests that they often experience the campus climate as invalidating, alienating, and hostile. Few studies, however, have actually focused on the classroom experiences of faculty of color when difficult racial dialogues occur. Using Consensually Qualitative Research, eight faculty of color were interviewed about their experiences in the classroom when racially tinged topics arose. Three major findings emerged. First, difficult racial dialogues were frequently instigated by the presence of racial microaggressions delivered toward students of color or the professor. Dialogues on race were made more difficult when the classrooms were diverse, when heated emotions arose, when there was a strong fear of self-disclosure, and when racial perspectives differed. Second, all faculty experienced an internal struggle between balancing their own values and beliefs with an attempt to remain objective. This conflict was often described as exhausting and energy-depleting. Third, faculty of color described both successful and unsuccessful strategies in facilitating difficult dialogues on race that arose in the course of their teaching. These findings have major implications for how PWIs can develop new programs, policies, and practices that will aid and support colleagues of color.

Using consensual qualitative research, the perceptions and reactions of White faculty to classroom dialogues on race were explored. Difficult racial dialogues were characterized by intense emotions in both professors and their students, most notable anxiety, that interfered with the ability to successfully facilitate a learning experience for participants. Among the major obstacles that interfered with teaching competence were fears of revealing personal biases and prejudices, losing classroom control, inability to understand or recognize the causes or dynamics of difficult dialogues, and lack of knowledge and skills to properly intervene. A number of potentially effective teaching strategies were identified: (a) acknowledging emotions and feelings, (b) self-disclosing personal challenges and fears, (c) actively engaging the classroom exchanges, and (d) creating a safe space for racial dialogues.

Racial microaggression themes were identified using a focus-group analysis of self-identified Black participants. Six categories of demeaning and invalidating messages reflected beliefs of White supremacy that were unintentionally conveyed by perpetrators. Implications for counselors and the counseling process are discussed.

Previous research suggests that microaggressions, or subtle and covert manifestations of bias, are commonplace in the life experience of people of color, women, and sexual minorities. However, there is a dearth of research focusing on microaggressions toward people from religious minority groups. Using a qualitative approach and directed content analysis with Muslim American participants (N=10), six themes emerged: 1) Endorsing Religious Stereotypes of Muslims as Terrorists, 2) Pathology of the Muslim Religion, 3) Assumption of Religious Homogeneity, 4) Exoticization, 5) Islamophobic and Mocking Language, and 6) Alien in Own Land. Implications for Muslim mental health are discussed.

To assist educators in detecting the occurrence, understanding the dynamics, and effectively facilitating a difficult dialogue on race, we conducted a qualitative study to systematically examine the perceptions, interpretations, and reactions of 14 White trainees in counseling psychology graduate classes. In our focus groups, we identified 3 major domains: (a) global perspectives associated with race and racial dialogue, (b) specific reactions to racial disclosures, and (c) classroom strategies or conditions that proved helpful and unhelpful in facilitating dialogues. Participants appeared to have difficulty understanding how and why difficult dialogues on race occur. In addition, preexisting attitudes/beliefs/feelings seemed to serve as major barriers to discussing race honestly and openly. They reported powerful feelings of anxiety, helplessness, and fear of being misunderstood that evoked defensive maneuvers to avoid race topics. Implications for education and training are discussed.

A qualitative study supports the observation that difficult dialogues on race and racism are often triggered by racial microaggressions that make their appearance in classroom encounters or educational activities and materials. Difficult dialogues are filled with strong powerful emotions that may prove problematic to both students and teachers. When poorly handled by teachers, difficult dialogues can assail the personal integrity of students of color while reinforcing biased worldviews of White students. The success or failure of facilitating difficult dialogues on race is intimately linked to the characteristics and actions of instructors and their ability to recognize racial microaggressions. Implications regarding specific education and training recommendations are presented.