The African American Population And The Field Of Counseling

The African American population is underrepresented in the field of counseling (Williams Justice, 2010). Because African American men have a macho complex that they have to maintain, some see going to counseling as a sign of weakness. Blacks have a mistrust that’s associated with being oppressed by Whites. Black men have been opposed to opening up and letting a stranger into their lives. They would rather to speak with someone in their community such as family, friends, pastor, or teachers. It’s extremely important for a counselor to build rapport with clients of another race because it’s beneficial to the therapeutic process (Williams Justice). Black males in college have the opportunity to take advantage of counseling services on†¦show more content†¦Studies have focused on how minorities usually like to have a counselor with a similar background as them, which presents an obstacle for students at PWU’s (Speight Vera, 2005). As time evolves counselors are becoming more culturally competent and the numbers for minorities seeking therapy are increasing. Campus outreach programs have helped to bring students into the counseling centers. Because there’s a stigma attached to receiving counseling for Black males, if there are other services offered at a counseling center other than counseling (for instance, massage chairs), it can help bring in that demographic. Students need to feel like they have something they can gain from seeking counseling. If they don’t feel like they will get that with the selection of counselors on their campus, they would rather hold their problems in. â€Å"The idea that client preferences regarding the particular characteristics of counselors may critically influence such factors as whether the client seeks help, the duration of counseling, subsequent client evaluation of counseling, and certain aspects of the counseling interaction has long held currency in counseling theory and research (Strohmer, 2003).† Strohmer stated that half of the minority clientele dropout of counseling after the initial meeting in comparison to a third of the White clients. According to the Office of Minority Health more than half of the African American population have