What do allies do?: Providing culturally responsive counseling to communities of color

Abstract

In the United States, the field of counseling has not kept pace with the changing ethnic demographics of larger society. As such, communities of color in the U.S. require the support of counselor allies. Allies are people from dominant socio-political groups who seek to end oppression. This study used grounded theory to examine the experience of six counselors who were identified as allies to communities of color. Based on the results of this study, we argue that allies possess self-awareness, personal knowledge of and connection to communities of color, and the skills of rapport building and engaging in critical conversations. They also participate in action on behalf of their students. Implications of these findings for counselor who seek to be allies to communities of color are provided.