A Community Autoethnography of Three Counselor Educators Teaching on Race

Abstract

Teaching topics like racism, diversity, and social justice have complex effects on counselor education faculty, including personal discomfort, exposure to student microaggressions, and negative student evaluations. We conducted an autoethnography-style inquiry into the collective experiences of three counselor educators who teach multicultural courses. We found areas of convergence in the identified burdens associated with teaching multicultural courses, as well as areas of divergence in experiences among Faculty of Color compared to White faculty. We also noted subthemes of psychoemotional impacts, teaching trap, and professional costs. We consider implications for future research and application within counselor education.