2 AS.200.340, Diversity in Psychology, Dr. Deborah Haskins, LCPC C. Marcus: Exploring Stereotypes and Microaggressions Marcus is a 40-year-old cisgender, heterosexual African American man who has been coping with anxiety and panic attacks since he was in his early 20s. He worked with a therapist previously for a few sessions but did not find this experience helpful. He reported that his previous therapist appeared uncomfortable and unsympathetic with his concerns about the challenges he faced at his workplace. As the intensity of his anxiety symptoms increased over the past year, he decided to seek help from another therapist. In his first session with this new therapist, Marcus disclosed that he felt overwhelmed by work-related pressures, and that he felt as though he was always looking over his shoulder to be sure that he could maintain his position. Marcus grew up in a low-income neighborhood where he struggled with traumatic events on a regular basis. He described his relationship with his parents and his older sister as close but reported that the family coped with stress related to long work hours for his parents, and with ongoing violence in their neighborhood and schools. Marcus would frequently hear shots being fired or learn about people being robbed. Marcus received scholarships to attend a high school far away from home, and subsequently to college, where he studied engineering. He described his experience of leaving home as “confusing and difficult,” as he missed his family and friends, and the predominantly White institutions he attended felt unfamiliar. Marcus’s focus and drive to excel academically brought new economic opportunities, and he was able to help his family financially. However, Marcus remained feeling “like an outsider” at school and later at work. He has also dreaded being around extended family since he left for college as several family members have commented that he acts as though he “is above them.” Marcus noted that he had experienced anxiety throughout his life, first due to the violence near his home, and later due to a lack of safety and belonging when living away from his family home. Marcus shared with the therapist that he continues to feel as though he constantly has to work harder than anyone in his workplace to maintain the managerial level position he has achieved. Marcus also told his therapist that his co-workers, none of whom are African American, assume that he has always been wealthy given his educational opportunities, and yet, on the other hand, project stereotypes about African American men as being lazy and aggressive. He struggles with others’ perceptions of him, feeling as if they “box” him into ideas about who he should be, rather than reflecting who he really is. Marcus indicates to the therapist that he does not want to be put in a “box” or category. His experience of being stereotyped and categorized has taken a significant toll on Marcus’s psychological well-being, as evidenced in his anxiety and panic attacks. Sometimes, he even wonders if his success is due to affirmative action rather than his own ability, and whether or not he can continue to be successful. Questions for Discussion: 1. What reactions and feelings come up for you as you read about Marcus and his therapist? How might these feelings influence the way you might interact with Marcus? 2 2. How does your current knowledge or understanding of African American men’s racial and social class experiences inform how you might conceptualize Marcus’s concerns? 3. Have you had the experience of feeling “boxed in” or categorized by others based on their understanding of people from racial or sociocultural backgrounds with whom you identify? 4. How have you tried to help clients cope with isolation related to stereotyping or discrimination? What types of resources outside of counseling or psychotherapy have been helpful to your clients in addressing stereotyping and discrimination? https://www.apa.org/about/policy/multicultural-guidelines.pdf
