Counseling students’ responsibility attributions: Race/ethnicity and trauma narratives

Abstract

How counseling students conceptualize clients’ presenting concerns, and determine the solutions to those concerns, can negatively impact the effectiveness of the counseling process. Attribution bias damages therapeutic relationships especially when treating racial/ethnic diverse clients or clients with a history of trauma. This study assessed counseling students’ attributions of problem cause and solution for diverse clients and clients with trauma narratives through hypothetical client vignettes. A total of 217 counseling students from counseling programs around the United States participated in the study. Two separate two-way factorial ANOVA’s (CRF-32) were conducted to determine effects of client race/ethnicity and the addition of a trauma narrative on counseling students’ responsibility attributions of problem cause and solution. The interaction between race/ethnicity and trauma narrative was not significant for problem cause or problem solution. The main effect of race/ethnicity was not significant for problem cause or solution. The main effect of trauma narrative was significant for problem cause but was not significant for problem solution. These findings suggest that information from a trauma narrative influences counseling students’ views on their clients’ presenting concerns by increasing their consideration for external factors while mitigating personal blame on the client.

Appendix

Client Vignette

John is a 32-year-old (White/Latino/African American) heterosexual male seeking therapy for anxiety and depression symptoms he has been experiencing over the last 6 months. John tells you that he has been experiencing these symptoms for longer than 6 months, but over the last 6 months, the severity of the symptoms increased to the point John felt he needed to seek help through counseling. John does not currently endorse any suicidal ideation but there have been times in his life where he thought about “not having to go on anymore.” John reported that over the last 6 months he has been isolating in his house with little motivation to engage in tasks that he normally finds enjoyment in. John explains that he was fired from his job 6 months ago due to his anger and irritability, which led to conflicts with his co-workers and supervisor. He currently remains unemployed.

John reported that he struggles with his emotions quickly changing from sad, to happy, to angry, to irritable without understanding the reason for the changes. John explained that for most of his life, he remembers becoming easily angered with family, friends, and colleagues. John stated that he hasn’t been able to keep a job for longer than a year and he is no longer interested in going out and finding a new job. Additionally, John explained that his co-workers at his most recent job “were not treating him fairly,” and he was fired because nobody cared about him as an employee. John also explained that he feels he was fired because he is (White/Latino/African American) and his co-workers were discriminating against him.

John reported that he regularly experiences shortness of breath, racing thoughts, sweating, and feelings of losing control. John states that his symptoms have been a part of his life for “as long as he can remember” and limited his ability to build a strong support group of friends. Additionally, John explains that he has little friends because “nobody understands me” and because he is (White/Latino/African American). John stated he tends to spend a majority of time by himself because his symptoms are less severe when alone. John reported that he has never been in an intimate relationship and that he doesn’t have any interest in finding a significant other.

John stated that he doesn’t abuse any substances and he isn’t taking any medication. John explained that he has always considered himself a healthy guy, but recently he has been putting on weight due to inactivity from not leaving his house. John reports that he showers infrequently and stays at home in bed for most of the day. He attributes this to feeling “low.” When John was working he was able to take care of himself, but now that he is unemployed, he has been relying on his parents to support him financially. John states that his parents are becoming increasingly impatient with his unemployment and are threatening to stop their financial support. Therefore, the combination of stressors in John’s life has led him to you for treatment.

Trauma Narrative

John disclosed that when he was 8 years old, he was the victim of sexual abuse from his uncle. He states the abuse involved both sexual penetration and repeated fondling or inappropriate touching. John explained the abuse continued for 2 years until he was 10 years old. During the time of the abuse, John states that he always felt “unsafe” and “powerless” to do anything about what was happening. He states that he reported the sexual abuse to his parents, but they refused to believe him and decided not to report it to the authorities because his lies “would devastate the family.” John states that since nobody would believe him; he remained silent about the abuse. Additionally, John’s parents refused to let him speak with a therapist about the abuse because they were afraid he would say something that would lead to an investigation. Therefore, John reports he has never sought out therapy until now.

John states that two years after the abuse started, his family moved out of state away from his uncle, and that’s when the abuse finally stopped. John explained that he didn’t have to interact with his uncle after moving away, but he still has intrusive memories of the abuse. He stated that he still thinks about the abuse and has difficulty being alone in rooms with older men because it triggers his anxiety and racing thoughts. Additionally, John explained that he has night terrors where he dreams about the event happening and he wakes up covered in sweat with his heart racing. He states that he becomes angry randomly without being able to understand where it’s coming from, and often feels guilt and shame after an outburst of anger.