Who might work with whom? Deconstructing restraints of gender and culture

A research project founded in social constructionist and post-colonial theorising investigated the discursive positioning of Pakeha counsellors who acknowledge membership of the dominant cultural group in Aotearoa New Zealand and the possibilities for them to work against potential limitations on their practice effectiveness which may arise from this membership. The theoretical concepts of discourse, positioning theory, deconstruction and intersectionality inform an analysis which both facilitated and made possible a description of a transformational development in one participant’s practice which happened while she was participating in the research project. Discussion of this development offers support for an argument that a focus on the discursive context of counselling practice by a counsellor offers benefits for counsellor and client