Stigma Of African American Women

Stigma of an African American Woman Many African American women experience prejudice because of the color of their skin, which can result in a feeling of hopelessness and shame. To comprehend African American lives of women social workers need to study the pain, embarrassment, challenges, rejection, and pursuit of individuality African American women have to go through on a daily basis. African American women in America have always had to struggle with offensive suppositions about who they are as well as negative characterization by the public (Harris, 2011). Therefore, it is important to educate the community on the type of prejudice African American women face in their own environment. For example, LaShonda, a 32-year-old female who wanted …show more content…
Building a relationship and engaging with LaShonda can make it easier to asses and determine her issues with engagement and help her overcome the issue. A therapist must get familiar with LaShonda’s institutes, colleagues, acquaintances, tenants, or anyone who is seeking to help her reach her goals. African American individuals are labeled as a minority group and many times are not receiving the right services or any service at all. It is imperative that LaShonda attends therapy to be able to engage with others. Research in African American engagement states that minority groups do not take advantage of psychological services offered to them (Davey & Watson, 2008). Research also state that African American individuals do not like to engage in psychological services because they already carry shame in their race and are afraid about what others will say about them engaging in psychological services (Davey & Watson, 2008). For example, many African American do not like to engage in a conversation of judgment factors, experience of prejudice, home distress, and income issues because they feel a White/Caucasian therapist would not be able to understand their struggle as an African American (Davey & Watson, 2008). If there is no trust between the client and the therapist it will be extremely hard to have the client engage. Since engaging in treatment is one of the biggest …show more content…
It is crucial to keep in mind that LaShonda is in a vulnerable position and needs compassion. Gerdes and Segel (2011); state that research was conducted and indicated that just like shaking the hand of someone and making eye contact can impact a first impression, it is also imperative to ask questions in a very genuine matter, rather than making it seem as an agenda. Having an agenda ready for LaShonda such as a questionnaire trying to understand the reasons why she is in therapy is crucial for successful treatment. LaShonda can create a list of strengths and weaknesses that can help her reflect on what she has to work on to get better and narrow down which are successful. Being aware of her culture is essential because as a therapist I do not want to go against her beliefs. As a social worker it is crucial to listen to her, repeat what she is saying, and show her empathy. To explain and recap what LaShonda just stated is essential to know and verify to make sure we are both on the same page. Most importantly, I will work with LaShonda to build trust and help her feel comfortable. I will also try to understand her past and see if she has been affected in any way from any abuse. If she refuses to open up I will build rapport with her so it could be easier to have her open up. However, I believe one of the main