“Is that my agenda or is that serving the client?”: Perspectives of Social Justice-Oriented Counsellors on Working with Clients Who Express Oppressive Views
Abstract
Current North American public discourse is strongly influenced by widespread sociopolitical divide. Given that sociopolitical events seem to permeate conversations in the therapy room (Farber, 2018; MacLeod, 2013), it is essential that therapists are prepared to navigate conversations with clients who have beliefs different from their own. This qualitative study explored the experiences of Canadian social justice-oriented counsellors who have worked with clients with oppressive views. Seven counsellors were interviewed about their experiences of working with oppression in the therapy room. Through qualitative content analysis, informed by a phenomenological approach, five core themes emerged: effect of personal identities, determination of therapist’s responsibilities, strategies for working with oppressive views, influence of career contexts, and impact of response on client. This study’s findings provide a nuanced representation of what it is like to work with clients’ oppressive views and highlight a wide range of experiences among therapists navigating this ethically complex work.