Finding Our Voice: An Ethnographic Study of the Experiences of Black Millennial Therapists

Literature on experiences of the millennial African-American family therapists is minimal and sporadic. Recommendations for therapists working with African-American clients have been identified throughout theliterature; however, there is no research on the experiences of African-American millennial family therapists. According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, from 2018-2028 employment of Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs) is projected to grow 22 % due to an increasing need for treatment to address client needs. My applied clinical project is an ethnography of lived experiences of African-American millennialtherapists. This study is critical as the increase of African-American millennial therapists entering the field of family therapy warrants an examination of their experiences. This qualitative study focused on understanding the experiences of African-American millennial family therapists through conducting in-depth semi-structured interviews with six African-American therapists born between 1981-1994. Anethnographic methodology was utilized as the structure for data collection and analysis. Three dominant themes emerged that illuminated the participants\u27 experiences and gave meaning to their stories, with eight sub-themes. The findings are discussed in light of the current literature about African-Americans therapists\u27 involvement in family therapy, and millennials in particular. Findings demonstrate that participants reported feeling a lack of connection with non-Black family therapists and that in order for African-American millennials to feel more comfortable with entering the field of family therapy, more acceptance of cultural differences and provision of more opportunities and fairness for African-American millennials is needed. Implications of the findings are discussed for the field of family therapy and future research