Teaching Counselors-in-Training to Broach Race: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Black Counselor Educators’ Experiences

Although broaching race in counseling is recommended across curricula, little research has examined how counselor educators prepare counselors-in-training to broach. This qualitative study used interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to explore the lived experiences of nine Black counselor educators in CACREP-accredited counseling programs. We conducted semistructured interviews and analyzed the data using a seven-step process, discovering five themes. Five group experiential themes emerged: (a) Degree of Multiculturalism in Counseling Program, (b) Defining Broaching, (c) Centering Clients’ Culture, (d) Intentionally Discussing Race, and (e) Feeling Tension with Students. Findings highlight pedagogical approaches, relational tensions, and structural contexts that shape how Black counselor educators prepare counselors-in-training to broach race with clients, with implications for counselor education and practice.