Research digest

Issues of ‘race’ in psychoanalytic psychotherapy: whose problem is it anyway?

Helen Morgan

British Journal of Psychotherapy, Wiley-Blackwell, December 2007, Volume 24 (1): 34–49

The author argues in this paper that, because of racism, there is an asymmetrical power relationship between black and white which saturates all aspects of society. Whilst this dynamic also permeates psychoanalytic training organizations the problem is frequently ignored or denied. This colour-blind position fails to see or acknowledge difference and hence the white individual is able to avoid the shame involved in owning any racist thought. For the black trainee an important aspect of their identity and experience is not allowed expression, making the training experience a difficult one. However, the paper argues that the inability to acknowledge and think about racism has implications, not only for potential black applicants and patients, but also for the professional organizations and their predominantly white members as this cordial form of racism prevents thought and does damage to both white and black.

Process and outcome of therapy in ethnically similar and dissimilar therapeutic dyads

Farkhondeh Farsimadan, Riccardo Draghi-Lorenz & Jason Ellis

Psychotherapy Research, Routledge, September 2007, Volume 17 (5): 567–75

This study examined the effects of ethnic matching on two process variables – working alliance and perceived therapist credibility – and therapy outcome in 100 ethnic minority clients evenly split between matched and nonmatched therapeutic dyads. All clients and therapists belonged to ethnic minorities in London (South Asian, Black African, Black Caribbean, and Middle Eastern). Clients in the matched dyads had expressed a preference for matching. Outcome and process variables were all significantly better in matched than in nonmatched dyads, and the process variables mediated the relationship between ethnic matching and outcome. Age, gender, and length of therapy did not predict