Anti-Racist, Anti-Oppressive, and Intersectional Approaches to Therapy

What Is an Anti-Racist, Anti-Oppressive, and Intersectional Approach in Psychotherapy?

Therapists who use anti-racist, intersectional, and anti-oppressive approaches recognize that people’s lives are shaped by factors such as race, class, gender, ethnicity, ability, neurodivergence, sexual orientation, and more. 

For those who have experienced marginalization or oppression, acknowledgment that their challenges are not only personal—they are also shaped by larger social forces—is an important part of the process. The impact of external experiences—such as injustice or discrimination—is explored and understood.

Individuals seeking therapy may worry that their experience will be misunderstood, minimized, or dismissed by a therapist. It is vital that a therapist provides a safe, healing space for all clients, regardless of identity or any other factor shaping their lived experience.

Why Is an Anti-Racist, Anti-Oppressive, and Intersectional Approach Relevant in Psychotherapy?

People who experience racism, classism, ableism, or other forms of discrimination are often left to carry the burden of addressing these issues themselves. This can happen in therapy as well.

An anti-racist, anti-oppressive, and intersectional approach values the role of culture and social context in a person’s life. It also creates space to openly explore all parts of one’s experience.

You may want to work with a therapist who shares aspects of your lived experience, such as race, immigration history, or LGBTQ2SIA+ identity. Alternatively, it may feel reassuring to work with a therapist who actively reflects on their own identity, social position, privileges, and the limits of their understanding in their work.

What Can I Expect in Therapy from an Anti-Racist, Anti-Oppressive, and Intersectional Approach?

Therapists working with an informed, intersectional lens will aim to understand your personal concerns and any unique barriers linked with your identity, and will:

• Work collaboratively with you to support your wellbeing across all parts of your identity
• Show curiosity and compassion toward your experiences and challenges
• Explore how your different identities interact and shape your experiences in various contexts
• Recognize that many challenges have multiple, layered causes
• Actively question systems of power and privilege, including whiteness
• Understand the ongoing stress that can come from interacting with dominant social groups
• Reflect on their own identity, social position, privileges, biases, and assumptions
• Stay committed to ongoing learning and self-education
• Challenge historical biases in psychotherapy that have pathologized people of colour and queer, trans, and nonbinary individuals