Self-Identifying Minoritized Doctoral Students’ Experiences of Epistemic Injustice in Counselor Education and Supervision

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine and understand how epistemic injustice (EI) is experienced by minoritized doctoral students in Counselor Education and Supervision programs. The primary researcher performed a phenomenological study examining the experiences of EI for minoritized CES students (n = 8). There were three female participants with an average age of 31, two male participants with an average age of 31, and three nonbinary/trans participants with the average age of 33. Five participants were BIPOC, one being an international student, and six participants were LGBTQPA+. Five participants held Ph.Ds. at time of their interview, having graduated within the previous 2 years, while the remaining three participants were currently pursuing their doctorate at time of interview. All eight participants graduated from CACREP masters programs, and seven participants held professional licenses or certifications in counseling. Through a semi-structured interview and a reflexive journal, the primary researcher sought to increase understanding of how these CES students experienced and navigated this phenomenon. From the data, the research team identified the following five superordinate themes: Self-Doubt, Invalidation, Proving Competence, Emotional Responses, and Epistemic Injustice Refuge. In addition, the research team identified 17 themes and 16 subthemes through consensual coding of the data. The results of this study will provide a deeper understanding of epistemic injustice within CES programs, how it affects minoritized doctoral students, and provide educators with ways to prevent or manage this phenomenon.