Cultural humility and racial microaggressions in cross-racial clinical supervision: A moderated mediation model

Cultural humility is important in supervision; however, studies have primarily sampled White supervisees. Racially and ethnically minoritized trainees experience microaggressions during their training, yet cross-racial supervision is less often studied. We examined a moderated mediation model to test whether the supervisory working alliance mediated the relationship between frequency of racial microaggressions and satisfaction with supervision, and whether the impact of racial microaggressions on the supervisee and supervisor cultural humility moderated the relationship between racial microaggression frequency and the supervisory working alliance. In a sample of supervisees of color (N = 102; majority cisgender women, 86.2%, and heterosexual, 59.8%; 35.3% Black/African American, 28.4% Asian/Pacific Islander, 18.6% Hispanic/Latine) receiving clinical supervision from White supervisors, we found that racial microaggression frequency was negatively associated with satisfaction with supervision, and this relationship was fully accounted for by the supervisory working alliance. Racial microaggressions in supervision were found to be detrimental to the supervisory working alliance, which was then related to lower satisfaction with supervision. Further, racial microaggression impact and cultural humility moderated the relationship between racial microaggression frequency and the supervisory working alliance; this relationship was strongest when racial microaggression impact was high and cultural humility was average or high. The social bond hypothesis suggests we are more likely to allow ourselves to be vulnerable when we assess cultural humility to be high. We posit that the observed moderation effect may be due to supervisees experiencing greater shock when experiencing racial microaggressions from supervisors whom they perceived to be culturally humble. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Inaugural editorial for Journal of Counseling Psychology

The Journal of Counseling Psychology serves as the premier journal for critical and rigorous research within the field and beyond. In their inaugural editorial for Journa, Liu is joined by their associated editors and inaugural JCP fellows who have agreed to share authorship and their positionalities. In considering the Journal of Counseling Psychology for research, the editors encourage authors to reflect on these positionalities and how they might integrate their own into their publications. The editorial provides direction and some suggestions on submitted articles and research directions for JCP in the following areas: positionality and critical reflexivity; theoretical and conceptual advancement and clarity; body ideas, frameworks, and conceptualization; data clarity; and cultural validity of research instruments. The editors look forward to working with their communities as they transform their scholarship. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Defining racial allies: A qualitative investigation of White allyship from the perspective of people of color

While interdisciplinary scholars and activists urge White allies to engage in racial justice work led by the voices of Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), to date, most research on racial allyship has centered exclusively on the perspective of White allies themselves. Thus, the purpose of this study was to create a framework of racial allyship from the perspective of BIPOC. Utilizing constructivist grounded theory (Charmaz, 2014), focus groups were conducted to understand how BIPOC describe the knowledge, skills, and actions of White allies. Participants across eight focus groups described allyship as an ongoing interpersonal process that included a lifelong commitment to (a) building trust, (b) engaging in antiracist action, (c) critical awareness, (d) sociopolitical knowledge, (e) accountability, and (f) communicating and disseminating information. The findings of this study point to several avenues through which White counseling psychologists can incorporate racial allyship in their research, training, clinical, and advocacy work that align with our field's emphasis on social justice, multiculturalism, and prevention. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Intersectional forms of racism and sexual minority stress are associated with alcohol use among Latinx sexual minority men with greater Hispanic/Latinx cultural orientation

Background: Latinx sexual minorities with increased levels of acculturation report higher rates of alcohol use, and discrimination may impact this association. Yet, there is little research examining the concomitant impact of racism and sexual minority stress (i.e. intersectional discrimination) and the additive effect of acculturation on Latinx sexual minority men's risk for hazardous alcohol consumption.Objectives: This study investigated the role of perceived stressfulness of intersectional discrimination in the relation between acculturation (US cultural orientation/Hispanic cultural orientation) and alcohol use among Latinx sexual minority men.Methods: A structural equation model was utilized to test the indirect effect of discrimination between acculturation and alcohol use with a sample of 357 Latinx sexual minority men (M_age = 28.39) recruited via Amazon MTurk.Results: The indirect effect between the Hispanic cultural orientation to alcohol use through intersectional forms of discrimination was significant and positive (b = .19, SE = .03, p < .01). The indirect effect for the US cultural orientation to alcohol use through intersectional forms of discrimination was significant and negative (b = -.10, SE = .03, p < .01).Conclusion: Contrary to previous literature, Latinx sexual minority men with a higher Hispanic cultural orientation reported higher levels of intersectional forms of discrimination, which in turn was associated with increased alcohol use. Those with a higher US cultural orientation reported lower levels of intersectional forms of discrimination, which in turn was associated with decreased alcohol use. These findings may help identify mechanisms that exacerbate health disparities for Latinx sexual minority men.

“We Were Loving Warriors!”: A Content Analysis of Black Women’s Resistance Within Psychological Science

Though findings are mixed, collective action engagement has been shown to be positively associated with greater academic success, social support, political efficacy, and well-being with racially marginalized individuals. Despite these findings, however, investigations of collective action engagement with Black American adult women within psychological science are scarce. Consistent with Black feminist thought, the construct of resistance may provide a necessary expansion to include all the ways that Black women actively work to transform their communities toward justice, beyond collective action. To ascertain the breadth and scope of psychological research related to Black women’s resistance (i.e., collective action engagement) to interpersonal discrimination and structural oppression, in this systematic review and content analysis we sought to identify participants’ and scholars’ definitions of resistance, as well as thematic dimensions and specific strategies of resistance. Additionally, we sought to determine the outcomes of resistance that have been assessed and the degree to which psychological health and well-being have been examined as an outcome of resistance within the literature. Findings from the analysis suggest the need for future examinations of the specific influence of Black American women’s collective action engagement and resistance to oppression on their well-being. Additionally, the findings of this review may have important implications for Black women’s well-being and as such, we discuss resistance work as a therapeutic intervention that can be encouraged by therapists, healers, community leaders, and educators.

Social Justice in Counseling Psychology: Then, Now, and Looking Forward

In this article, a diverse group of early, mid, and advanced career scholars call for counseling psychology to continue to evolve in our integration of social justice action in our field. In doing so, we first consider our history as proponents and enactors of social justice, highlighting the ways in which counseling psychologists have served as social justice leaders in psychology. We then discuss our field’s contemporary challenges to, and opportunities for, social justice progress as we work toward equity and justice. Finally, we offer recommendations for counseling psychologists individually and as a field to move forward in our social justice action. Given our longstanding social justice values and our unique training as counseling psychologists, if we aim with intentionality to use our skills toward systems change, counseling psychologists are poised to have a strong and proactive role as social change agents within psychology and society at large.

Peer sexual harassment predicts African American girls’ psychological distress and sexual experimentation

Peer sexual harassment (PSH) occurs frequently and across contexts during adolescence. The current study examined the relations among PSH in school, psychological distress, sexual experimentation, and sexual risk-taking in a sample of African American middle and high school girls. Results indicate that negative body appraisals mediated the relationship between PSH and psychological distress, suggesting that PSH is one way to operationalize interpersonal sexualization and sexual objectification. PSH was directly associated with sexual experimentation, but the association between PSH and sexual experimentation was not mediated by negative body appraisals. Neither PSH nor negative body appraisals were related to sexual risk-taking. This suggests that frequent exposure to high levels of sexualization and sexual objectification, in the form of PSH, is associated with more psychological distress and sexual experimentation, but not with sexual risk-taking, regardless of how girls feel about their bodies.

Posttraumatic Growth and Trauma in Flood Survivors: Contributions of Attitudes Toward God

Natural disasters, including floods, affect entire communities and often lead survivors to report symptoms of posttraumatic stress (PTS). Although the vast majority of disaster research focuses on negative emotional outcomes, individuals may simultaneously experience positive outcomes such as posttraumatic growth (PTG). This study examined the influence of attitudes toward God (i.e., positive attitudes toward God and disappointment/anger with God) on perceived PTG and PTS following the 2016 floods in Baton Rouge, Louisiana (N = 416). Hierarchical regressions revealed that flood exposure and attitudes toward God predicted perceived PTG and PTS. In addition, disappointment/anger with God helped to moderate the relationship between flood exposure and perceived PTG in flood survivors. Findings underscore the role that counselors can play in facilitating growth in disaster survivors and in processing spiritual topics with clients when relevant.

Discrimination and mental health in adult transracial adoptees: Can parents foster preparedness?

In response to the growing trend of White parents adopting children from different racial backgrounds, and heeding the call for more research on adoption-related issues, the present study examined the relationship between perceived racial discrimination and mental health of 206 adult transracial adoptees adopted by White parents. In addition, the study examined adoptive parent racial socialization as a buffering variable in the perceived discrimination-mental health link. We hypothesized that racial discrimination experiences would be related to greater psychological distress and poorer psychological well-being. Furthermore, we expected the relationships between perceived discrimination and mental health outcomes to be weaker for transracial adoptees who reported higher levels of parental racial socialization by their adoptive parents during their youth, but stronger for those reporting lower levels of parental racial socialization. Interestingly, our results showed that racial socialization functioned differently depending on the mental health outcome under investigation. Although, as expected, racial discrimination was positively associated with psychological distress and negatively related to psychological well-being, parental racial socialization only moderated the discrimination-distress link. Limitations and implications for research, practice, and policy are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

The multicultural orientation framework: A narrative review

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

Leadership Development in Counseling Psychology: Voices of Leadership Academy Alumni

In 2012, the Society of Counseling Psychology instituted the Leadership Academy (LA) to develop a pipeline of diverse leaders within the Society and the field of psychology. The present study aimed to: (a) better understand the retrospective perceived impact of the training on LA alumni, and (b) provide data about how LA alumni view their leadership development within the context of counseling psychology values. Fourteen LA alumni responded to a series of open-ended survey questions, and we examined the data through qualitative content analysis. Results yielded seven thematic categories: (a) Influences of the LA on Leadership Development and Leadership Skills, (b) Supports to Leadership Development, (c) Barriers to Leadership Development, (d) Greater Awareness of Diversity and Social Identities, (e) Growth Areas of the LA, (f) Personal Definition of Leadership, and (g) Leadership Attainment. Implications for leadership training programs are discussed.

The Feminist Identity Composite

The Feminist Identity Composite is a commonly used measure of feminist identity development. However, psychometric examinations of this measure with samples of diverse women are lacking. The current study presents the first investigation, to our knowledge, to examine the factor structure of the Feminist Identity Composite with two subsamples of sexual minority women ( N = 402). We used exploratory factor analysis (EFA), partial confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and CFA and found both the EFA and subsequent partial CFA ( n = 201) indicated a six-factor solution, which was upheld in the final CFA ( n = 201). The results generally corroborated four (Passive Acceptance, Embeddedness/Emanation, Synthesis, Active Commitment) of the five original subscales reported in previous studies with predominately heterosexual (or sexual orientation not reported) undergraduate women. However, the subscale Revelation was further delineated into two subscales labeled Societal Revelation and Contact Revelation. Convergent validity of the obtained Feminist Identity Composite subscale scores was largely supported by correlations in expected directions with measures of perceived sexism and heterosexism. We encourage future researchers to investigate the structural and convergent validity of the Feminist Identity Composite with other diverse samples of women.

The influence of multiple oppressions on women of color's experiences with insidious trauma

In this study, we examined the relations between multiple forms of oppressive experiences (i.e., racism, sexism, and sexual objectification) and trauma symptoms among Women of Color (WOC). In addition, self-esteem was explored as a partial mediating variable in these links, and ethnic identity strength was proposed to buffer the negative relationship between multiple forms of oppression and self-esteem, and the positive relationship between oppressive experiences and trauma symptoms. Results suggested that self-esteem partially mediated the positive relationship between racist experiences and trauma symptoms, such that racism was related to lower self-esteem, which was then related to more trauma symptoms. Sexism and sexual objectification were directly linked with trauma symptoms. Moreover, average and high levels of ethnic identity strength buffered the positive link between racism and trauma symptoms. Consistent with an additive intersectionality framework, results demonstrate the importance of attending to multiple forms of oppression as they relate to trauma symptoms among WOC. (PsycINFO Database Record

The moral foundations hypothesis does not replicate well in Black samples

The current study examined the generalizability of the moral foundations hypothesis (Graham, Haidt, & Nosek, 2009), which predicts that conservatism will be positively related to the binding foundations (i.e., virtues of ingroup/loyalty, authority/respect, and purity/sanctity). Religiosity has been consistently linked with the binding foundations in predominately White samples, but Black people in the United States are both more religious and more liberal than White people. In a sample of college students (N = 693; 58.3% Black, 41.7% White), examination of measurement invariance suggested metric, but not scalar invariance. The relationship between conservatism and the binding foundations-specifically, respect/authority and purity/sanctity-was weaker in Black people than in White people. These results were replicated in a second sample (N = 490; 63.5% Black, 36.5% White) using a 4-item measure of conservatism rather than a single item. Once again examination of measurement invariance suggested metric but not scalar invariance, and conservatism was more weakly related to the binding foundations in Black people than it was in White people. Implications for future theory and research are discussed.

Perfectionism and longitudinal patterns of stress for STEM majors: Implications for academic performance

Complementary hypotheses suggest that perfectionism may (a) cause later stress (stress generation) and (b) moderate the effects of stress on subsequent outcomes (stress enhancement). The present study tested these hypotheses with a sample of 432 first-time college freshmen pursuing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) majors. Students completed baseline perfectionism scales and repeated measures for perceived academic stress at monthly intervals 3 times in the fall semester and 3 times in the spring semester. Course grade data from institutional records were used to calculate first-year STEM grade point average (GPA) as the distal outcome in analyses. Gender, high school GPA, SAT math scores, and university were covariates. Latent profile analyses supported adaptive, maladaptive, and nonperfectionist classes and latent class growth mixture models identified distinctly low, moderate, and high patterns of academic stress over the year. Latent transition analyses indicated that maladaptive perfectionists were likely to experience moderate or high stress (none transitioned to low stress), and adaptive perfectionists were likely to have low or moderate stress (only 4% transitioned to high stress). Women were substantially more likely than male maladaptive perfectionists to experience high stress. Low-stressed adaptive perfectionists followed by moderately stressed maladaptive perfectionists had relatively higher GPAs than other groups. Subgroups of perfectionists who transitioned to the next higher stress level had substantially lower GPAs than other groups. Overall, results were consistent with stress-generation and stress-enhancement hypotheses regarding perfectionists. Findings suggested implications for prevention and intervention with perfectionistic STEM students that should be implemented early in their college experience.

Multiple Oppressions and the Mental Health of Sexual Minority Latina/o Individuals

This study investigated the additive and interactive relations of two forms of external oppression (racist discrimination and heterosexist discrimination) and internalized oppression (internalized racism and internalized heterosexism) with psychological distress, life satisfaction, and self-esteem in a sample of 173 sexual minority Latina/o adults. A combination of external and internalized oppressions was associated uniquely with psychological distress whereas the two internalized oppressions were linked uniquely with life satisfaction and self-esteem. The Racist discrimination × Internalized racism, Racist discrimination × Internalized heterosexism, and Heterosexist discrimination × Internalized racism interactions each accounted for unique variance in self-esteem. Specifically, low internalized racism protected self-esteem at low levels of racist discrimination, low internalized heterosexism protected self-esteem at high levels of racist discrimination, and low internalized racism protected self-esteem at high levels of heterosexist discrimination. Thus, multiple forms of oppression contribute additively and interactively to mental health in this population.

Universal-diverse orientation in Asian international students: confirmatory factor analysis of the Miville-Guzman universality-diversity scale, short form

Despite apparent relevance to Asian international students, universal-diverse orientation (UDO) has not been psychometrically validated with this population. The current study investigated the most researched UDO measure, the Miville-Guzman Universality-Diversity Scale, Short Form (M-GUDS-S; Fuertes, Miville, Mohr, Sedlacek, & Gretchen, 2000), with 333 Asian international college students. The M-GUDS-S evidenced good reliability and convergent validity, and analyses confirmed a three-factor structure, supporting expanded use of the scale.

Navigating the borderlands: the roles of minority stressors, bicultural self-efficacy, and cognitive flexibility in the mental health of bisexual individuals

The present study examined the relations of minority stressors (i.e., experiences of prejudice, expectations of stigma, internalized biphobia, outness/concealment of bisexuality) as well as posited mental health promoters (i.e., bicultural self-efficacy, cognitive flexibility) with psychological distress and well-being in a sample of 411 bisexual people. Most of the minority stress variables were related positively with psychological distress and negatively with well-being, whereas the mental health-promoting variables were related negatively with psychological distress and positively with well-being. Results also indicated that expectations of stigma mediated the associations of antibisexual prejudice with greater distress and lower well-being, internalized biphobia was related directly with greater distress and lower well-being, and outness was linked with some costs and benefits. Moderated mediation analyses offered some evidence consistent with cognitive flexibility (but not bicultural self-efficacy) as a moderator. Specifically, within the mediation models, cognitive flexibility moderated the unique direct relation of antibisexual prejudice with psychological well-being, the relation of antibisexual prejudice with expectations of stigma, and the indirect relations of antibisexual prejudice with distress and well-being through the mediating role of expectations of stigma. These moderations were consistent with the expected buffering role of cognitive flexibility, but they also revealed that some of this buffering effect is exhausted in the context of high prejudice. Limitations of the study as well as implications for future research and practice with bisexual populations are discussed.

The Protective Power of Collective Action for Sexual Minority Women of Color

We utilize an additive intersectionality framework in the present study to examine the relations among perceived racism, sexism, and heterosexism and the psychological distress of self-identified sexual minority women of color. Participants ( N = 134) aged 19 to 75 recruited through electronic mailing lists, discussion groups, and virtual communities aimed toward sexual minority women of color completed online surveys. When each form of discrimination was examined in a single multiple regression analysis, only perceived heterosexism explained significant and positive variance in psychological distress. In addition, collective action was tested as a moderator of the effects of racism, sexism, and heterosexism on psychological distress; specifically, the potential attenuating roles of three forms of collective action (race and ethnicity, feminist, and sexual minority) in the respective racism → distress, sexism → distress, and heterosexism → distress links were investigated. Sexual minority collective action buffered the heterosexist experiences → psychological distress link. More specifically, in the context of lower collective action, perceived heterosexism positively predicted distress; however, perceived heterosexism did not predict psychological distress at higher levels of collective action. No other significant interaction effects were found. Our results suggest that discrimination experiences continue to be important to assess in research and practice with marginalized individuals. Also, encouraging clients to engage in collective action could represent a useful intervention tool for counselors.

Perceived Sexist Events and Psychological Distress of Sexual Minority Women of Color

Scholars have argued that much of the sexism literature has not acknowledged diversity among women, and they have called for more attention to the intersectionality of the multiple marginalized identities of sexual minority women of color (WOC) in particular. With a sample of 182 sexual minority WOC, we examined (a) the links between perceived lifetime and recent sexist events and psychological distress and (b) the potential moderating role in these relations of womanism (a perspective of feminism that recognizes the roles of both gender and race/ethnicity in the lives of WOC). Findings from our Internet survey indicated that lifetime and recent sexism were related significantly and positively to psychological distress. Womanism was also associated positively with both forms of sexism and psychological distress. In partial support of study hypotheses, womanism moderated the relationship between perceived lifetime sexist events, but not recent sexist events, and psychological distress. More specifically, the link between lifetime sexist events and psychological distress was significant and positive for sexual minority WOC with lower levels of womanism and not significant for those with higher levels of womanism. With regard to practice implications, assessing and exploring sexist events, placing these experiences in a larger sociocultural context of oppression, connecting with the legacy of social activism of marginalized groups, and encouraging supportive networks may diminish distress.

Transgender individuals' workplace experiences: the applicability of sexual minority measures and models

The present study explored whether 3 existing measures of workplace constructs germane to the experiences of sexual minority people could be modified to improve their applicability with transgender individuals. To this end, the Workplace Heterosexist Experiences Questionnaire (WHEQ; C. R. Waldo, 1999); the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered Climate Inventory (LGBTCI; B. J. Liddle, D. A. Luzzo, A. L. Hauenstein, & K. Schuck, 2004); and the Workplace Sexual Identity Management Measure (WSIMM; M. Z. Anderson, J. M. Croteau, Y. B. Chung, & T. M. DiStefano, 2001) were modified to explicitly address the experiences of transgender individuals. Data from a sample of 263 transgender individuals were used to evaluate the psychometric properties of the modified measures. Analyses of the structures of the modified measures (Transgender Forms [TF]) suggested an alternative 2-factor structure for the WHEQ-TF, but provided support for the previously observed unidimensional structure for the LGBTCI-TF, and a slightly modified 3-factor structure for the WSIMM-TF. Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficients for scale or subscale items across the 3 measures were acceptable. Criterion-related validity was evident in theoretically consistent patterns of correlations between scores on the 3 modified measures and scores on indicators of job satisfaction and outness. These data provide preliminary support for transgender-specific versions of measures of 3 key constructs in the sexual minority vocational behavior research.

LGB of Color and White Individuals’ Perceptions of Heterosexist Stigma, Internalized Homophobia, and Outness: Comparisons of Levels and Links

Conceptual discussions about LGB people of color suggest that, compared with White LGB individuals, LGB people of color may be exposed to greater levels of heterosexist stigma and its deleterious correlates (greater risk) or may be more resilient to such stigma (resilience). This study tested tenets of these two perspectives with a sample of 178 LGB persons, about 50% of whom identified as White and 50% as people of color. Findings suggested similarities between LGB people of color and White LGB individuals in levels of perceived heterosexist stigma, internalized homophobia, and comfort with disclosure of sexual orientation and in relations of heterosexist stigma with sexual orientation disclosure variables. But, compared with data for White LGB participants, data for LGB people of color suggested lower levels of outness and a weaker relation between perceived heterosexist stigma and internalized homophobia. Implications of these findings for further research and practice are discussed.

Conducting Research With LGB People of Color: Methodological Challenges and Strategies

Methodological barriers have been highlighted as a primary reason for the limited research with lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people of color. Thus, strategies for anticipating and addressing potential methodological barriers are needed. To address this need, this article discusses potential challenges associated with conducting research with LGB people of color and describes specific strategies for addressing these challenges. Each step of the research process—from development of research questions to interpretation and dissemination of results—is discussed. This discussion concludes with a summary of recommended strategies for advancing the quality and quantity of future scholarship with LGB people of color.