This study examined the reactions of White counselor trainees to hypothetical, provocative, cross-racial counseling and supervision dyads. It employed a qualitative methodology of inquiry to explore the underlying dynamics associated with cross-racial counseling and supervision dyads. Working with a sample of 8 White male and female counselor trainees, a focus group interview was conducted using vignettes that depicted racial issues in counseling and supervision situations. The focus group interview was transcribed, and themes and categories that captured the complexity of the trainees’ reactions to racially charged situations in counseling and supervision were identified. The implications of the study’s findings are discussed and direction is offered for future research in this area.

This exploratory study examined the relationship between racial identity attitudes and the use of ego defense mechanisms by White counselor trainees during cross-racial counseling and supervision dyads. The sample consisted of 145 White counselor trainees enrolled in both master's and doctoral programs at 2 small private universities located in the northeastern United States. Results indicated that White counselor trainees at less mature statuses of racial identity attitudes relied on more primitive ego defenses to manage the anxiety experienced during racially provocative counseling and supervision dyads. Implications for counseling and counselor training are discussed in the context of the study's findings.

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