Black American Couples' Perceptions of the Significance of Race and Racial Conversations in Therapy: A Qualitative Study

In this qualitative study, we used a phenomenological approach to explore five African American couples' perceptions of the significance of race and racial discussions in couple therapy. Analysis of dyadic interviews revealed two overarching themes: (1) race was an omnipresent and ubiquitous force that touched every aspect of Black American life, and (2) partnering with another Black person provided a shared cultural understanding of the impact of race and racism on the lived experience. Within this frame, subthemes emerged that pertained to the partner (e.g. "partner served as buffer") or to the therapist/therapeutic process (e.g. "self-censorship"). These findings demonstrate that some African American couples' view race as an inseparable part of their lives and can inform clinicians and researchers when considering interventions likely to be successful with this population.