14.3 Racial/Ethnic Matching in Therapists and Clients

Existing research demonstrates that clients report a moderately strong preference for meeting with therapists of the same race/ethnicity (Cabral & Smith, 2011). Given that the therapeutic relationship requires significant vulnerability, nuance, and trust, clients often report that they wish to have a provider who is more likely to understand their cultural context, their upbringing, the way the world sees them, and their daily lived experience. Although racial/ethnic matching of clients and therapists does not guarantee shared understanding, there is undoubtedly an increased likelihood of shared experience and, thus, shared understanding.

Among U.S. adults with mental disorders, BIPOC are only half as likely as White Americans to receive mental health treatment. Factors contributing to this disparity include a lack of access to care, mental health stigma, and distrust of the health care system. Once patients are connected to mental health care, those who are BIPOC are more likely to drop out before completing treatment (Green et al., 2020). However, drop rates are reduced when clients are matched to a therapist who shares their racial/ethnic identity (Sue, 1998). As the demographics of the United States change and BIPOC comprise an increasing percentage of the population, there is a growing need and demand for BIPOC-identifying therapists to better meet the needs of the country.