A Phenomenological Exploration of Black Men’s Racial and Gender Preferences for Therapists
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6432386 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Demetrius Cofield (0000-0003-3998-9576), Donetta Shelby, Jordan Shannon (0000-0002-2585-4761) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 29 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 191-211 |
| Publication date | 2025-06-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of African American Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1559-1646 • E-ISSN: 1936-4741 |
| Publisher | Springer Science+Business Media (PUBLISHER • DE) |
| DOI | 10.1007/s12111-025-09703-x |
| OpenAlex | W4411738552 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 46 |
The silent mental health struggles and low mental health counseling utilization of Black men have been a scholarly focus for over thirty years. Many factors have been identified as barriers to treatment or influential in Black men’s decisions to seek help for their mental health, but little attention has been given to their preferences for therapists. Guided by Critical Race Theory and Black Critical Theory, we used interpretive phenomenology to explore and understand factors contributing to Black men’s racial and gender preferences for therapists. The following themes were identified: Cultural Relevance, Black Manhood, and Complex Comfort. Implications for mental health professional, particularly counselors and counselor educators, are discussed
Interpretative phenomenological analysis · Psychotherapist · Qualitative research · Sociology · Anthropology · Counseling Practices and Supervision · Gender Roles and Identity Studies · Gender Studies · Psychology · Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications
Racial/ethnic matching of clients and therapists in mental health services
“Boys don't cry”
The alliance in adult psychotherapy
Gender differences in preferences for psychological treatment, coping strategies, and triggers to help‐seeking
Toward a Critical Race Theory of Education
Client-therapist dyads and therapy outcome
Depression in African American men
Effect of Client-Therapist Gender Match on the Therapeutic Relationship
Racial discrimination, personal growth initiative, and African American men’s depressive symptomatology
Use of Professional and Informal Support by Black Men With Mental Disorders
Is it Okay Not to be Okay?”
The relationship between clients' preferences of therapists' sex and mental health support seeking
African American Men’s Beliefs About Mental Illness, Perceptions of Stigma, and Help-Seeking Barriers
Experiences of Black Men
Be Real Black for Me
A study of help-seeking behaviors for African American men
Influences on Counselor Race Preferences
Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
A Phenomenological Investigation of African American Counselor Education Students' Challenging Experiences
Ambivalence to action
Critical Race Theory and Counselor Education Pedagogy
An Exploratory Study of Attitudes Toward Psychological Help Seeking Among African American Men
A Meta-Study of Black Male Mental Health and Well-Being
Africentric Cultural Values, Psychological Help-Seeking Attitudes, and Self-Concealment in African American College Students
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |