The hurdles are high: Women of color leaders in counseling psychology.

Abstract

Counseling psychologists value cultural diversity and, as a field, include many Women of Color (WoC) in leadership spaces. However, researchers have yet to explore the experiences of WoC leaders within the Society of Counseling Psychology (SCP; Division 17 of the American Psychological Association). Specifically, we sought to identify how WoC leaders engage culturally relevant leadership styles and what barriers (if any) WoC leaders experience within leadership in SCP. We utilized a semistructured interview protocol with 10 WoC who have held and/or currently hold a leadership position within SCP. We sought to construct a narrative of the development of leadership spaces for WoC, understand the culturally relevant leadership styles of WoC leaders and the barriers to engaging their leadership styles in SCP, and create recommendations for SCP to broaden and deepen leadership pathways for WoC. We coded the data using the Consensual Qualitative Research method and identified two major thematic sections: Becoming a WoC Leader (with themes of Identity, Role of Sponsorship, Mentorship from WoC Leaders, and Hurdles of Service Leadership) and Leadership Styles of WoC (with themes of Self-Awareness in Leadership, Intentionality, and Engaging Critical Conversations). We conclude with recommendations from the leaders and implications for SCP and leadership spaces broadly. Public Significance StatementWomen of Color leaders in Counseling Psychology engage culturally relevant leadership styles that center reflexive self-awareness, intentionality toward justice-oriented aims, and engaged critical conversations that spark organizational change. Although WoC leaders experience unique leadership challenges rooted in the complexities of their racial-gendered experiences, the blending of their personal and professional identities into leadership roles offers unique and transformative strengths in leadership spaces as demonstrated in the Society of Counseling Psychology.

Student Affiliates of Seventeen (SAS) 2020 Report: Transitioning to Leadership in a Historic Year

“…In addition to increasing student membership, this pillar also reflects our focus on strengthening the professional identity of counseling psychologists in training. Presidential initiatives of SCP's President Singh, to which SAS contributed, focused on realizing an SCP membership body that more accurately reflects society, as well as aspiring to become a profession liberated from anti-Blackness and other forms of racism (Hargons et al, 2017Hunter et al, 2020, antagonism toward transgender and nonbinary people (Knutson et al, 2020;, anti-immigrant bigotry and discrimination against those who are undocumented (Chung, 2013;D17CounselingPsych, 2019c), and other interlocking forms of oppression (Singh, 2020). We discuss these in our overview of SAS's advocacy and organizational development efforts.…”

The Lived Experiences of Women of Color Leaders in Human Services: Professional Challenges and Implications for the Field

“…Women of color, particularly Black women, in leadership positions experience a glass ceiling as they attempt to establish themselves as leaders in various fields (McKinsey & Company, 2020, 2021Valerio, 2022). Despite existing opportunities and instances where women of color have prevailed in the field of human services, there are often limited options for advancement in leadership positions within agencies and organizations (Dyson, 2013;Hunter et al, 2020). For women of color, their gendered identities as women, coupled with their racial positionality, exponentially minoritizes them in ways that create additional institutional barriers (Crenshaw, 1989).…”

“…Within the field of human services, emerging research has highlighted servant leadership as a leadership approach effective in human service settings (Garman et al, 2003;Hyde, 2004;Regan, 2016). Although servant leadership has been cited as an ideal leadership style within the human services field, women of color who engage in servant leadership continue to face significant barriers in their leadership roles such as gendered-racial microaggression, prioritization of traditional or mainstream leadership styles, increased service load, reduced supervisory support, lower wages, and other equity gaps (Hunter et al, 2020;McKinsey & Company, 2021;Valerio, 2022). These barriers may affect their mental and physical well-being, as well as their career trajectories.…”

“…Women of Color Leaders Limited research has empirically explored women of color leaders in the Human Services field (Dyson, 2013;Hunter et al, 2020). Such dearth of research is problematic because the lived experiences of women of color often differ in meaningful ways that challenge the field's alignment with existing NOHS standards.…”

“…Women of color in leadership positions often seek out these roles because they possess both a desire to solve long-standing social problems and unique perspectives to create effective solutions based on their first-hand experiences with those social problems (Dyson, 2013). Research on the experience of women of color in related fields suggest that women of color face significant and ongoing challenges in gaining leadership roles and at times being effective once in leadership roles due to multifaceted barriers such as having increased workloads, a lack of support, and intersecting issues of structural racism and sexism (Blessett, 2018;Hunter et al, 2020;Rideau, 2019;Sanchez-Hucles & Davis, 2010;Thomas, 2019).…”