Information via accrediting organization American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.
There are approximately 7 million people in the United States who identify as mixed-race, with half of these being under the age of 18, and it is estimated that the mixed-race population in the U.S. will reach 21% by 2050. Yet, multiracial individuals and families remain marginalized and overlooked by mainstream U.S. society. As a result, the unique issues and struggles they face are often poorly understood by professionals, co-workers, friends and extended family, making it difficult to successfully manage challenges when they arise.
All families, regardless of race, encounter challenges and stressors, but there are a variety of unique racially-based issues and struggles that tend to confront multiracial families. To assess if your family may be grappling with any of these, consider the list of questions below.
Racial devaluation occurs when negative attitudes and behaviors are expressed toward any of the racial groups represented in the family. This may occur directly when family members make denigrating racial comments, or indirectly through behaviors where lighter or “whiter looking” children are treated more favorably than darker children. How might you or other family members express racial devaluation? How often does this happen? What effects might this have on the family, especially on children?
Many mixed-race kids experience racial scorn and rejection from peers. Such experiences are painful but with appropriate guidance and affirmation children can cope successfully. If and when your children encounter racial rejection from peers, do they talk to you about these experiences? Do your children have the coping skills and resources to manage these experiences with confidence?
If you recognize any of these signs in your family, consulting with a marriage and family therapist is highly recommended. Family therapists are trained to understand, restructure, and heal family relationships. A family therapist may spend some time meeting alone with parents or just with kids, but at all times they are working for the benefit of both the whole family and for each individual member.
Seeking the services of a family therapist is similar to finding the right pair of shoes: sometimes you have to try several pairs before you find the right fit. The most important thing is to feel comfortable with your therapist and sense she or he is a person you can grow to trust. It is useful to select a therapist who is comfortable and willing to discuss race openly and directly. One of the best ways to test this out is to bring up the topic of race and observe how comfortably the therapist responds.
This text was written by Tracey A. Laszloffy, PhD.
Clinical Updates for Therapists
Peruse the most current research findings and therapeutic implications for prevalent clinical problems in the practice of MFT. Topics included in this volume are as follows: Bipolar Disorders in Children and Adolescents, Child Abuse and Neglect, Children of Alcoholics, Dissociative Identity Disorder, Families Living with HIV Disease, Genomics and Medical Family Therapy, Grief After the Death of a Child, Marital Distress, Multiracial Families, Online Infidelity, Phobias, Rape Trauma Syndrome in Intimate Relationships, Reducing Divorce Conflicts, Same-Sex Couples, Sexual Addiction and Compulsivity, Stepfamilies, Suicide in the Elderly and Transgender.
Information via accrediting organization American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.