Pluralistically

This is work is particularly important in the case of a pluralistic practitioner, where we must be able to work with the entirety of our clients. Harnessing awareness of our underlying biases that may prevent us from providing best and safest practice allows us to do this. When we can collaborate internally with congruence and understanding, we can meet the entirety of our clients with the entirety of ourselves.

Deconstructing our personal biases encourages us to draw on anthropological, philosophical and sociological ideas, combined with our counsellor knowledge to understand the world around us and our place within it as counsellors - a pluralistic approach to working pluralistically. 

We can use the same tools we use with clients, in a different way with our inner parts that hold bias. Utilising emotional regulation tools, IFS, inner child work, cultural competencies and considering and holding multiple truths.

The Framework

1. Take an IAT, or identify a bias you have. Do a little research about the origins of the bias and the context for your own (british society, media portrayal etc). Remember emotional regulation techniques for any difficult feelings that might come up (EFT, peer support, meditation).

2. Then increase your awareness, identify the feelings about, and the impacts of, this bias. What does it mean for your practice? Remember self compassion! (Supervision, journalling, peer discussion). 

3. This is deconstruction! We can take action to externally practice the internal development (join a group, attend a seminar, deconstruct your biases!). This will grow with practice, we start with ourselves, then it expands our world view and to others.

This is how we reduce potential for harm from implicit bias while finding expansive awareness and compassion for self and others!