“Our lives don’t matter”: an exploration of the experiences of Black trainee counselling psychologists studying on a doctoral course in the UK

Black individuals continue to be underrepresented in counselling psychology (CoP) training in the U.K., despite documented and anecdotal evidence supporting the importance of having a diverse mental health workforce in the country. There is a scarcity of empirical research seeking to gain a better understanding of the experiences of Black CoP trainees and systemic disparities within the field. This paper presents qualitative research which explored the experiences of Black trainee CoPs enrolled in doctoral courses in the UK. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), eight semi-structured interviews were conducted. Findings yielded four superordinate themes, each with two-four sub-themes: a) Identity, b) Black and in training, c) The challenge of balancing various professional and personal demands, d) Recommendations and suggestions to improve access and representation of Black individuals within the CoP field. Implications for CoP practice, training and the profession are discussed.