Treating Diverse Clients
With Eating Disorders continued from page 20
RECOGNIZE ACCESS- TO-CARE BARRIERS FOR DIVERSE CLIENTS
Before we can begin building a therapeutic relationship with diverse clients , we must first consider potential barriers they may face accessing care . Cost and availability of health services often deter diverse clients from seeking specialty care . However , stigma , shame , and social stereotyping are also impediments to treatment for eating disorders in ethnic minority groups — and these impediments unfortunately can come from providers themselves .
For example , people of color with self-acknowledged eating and weight concerns are significantly less likely than white individuals to be assessed for an eating disorder or to have medical professionals explore related symptoms , despite similar rates of eating-disorder symptoms across ethnic groups . Research findings described by the National Association of Eating Disorders ( NEDA ) reflects this information (
https :// www . nationaleating disorders . org / people-color-and-eating-disorders ).
As far back as 2006 , concerns were raised about provider der bias , in a study that appeared in the December 2006 issue of Behavior Therapy on “ The Impact of Client Race on Clinician Detection of Eating Disorders .” As NEDA summarized , “ When presented with identical case studies demonstrating disordered eating symptoms in white , Latinx , and Black women , clinicians were asked to identify if each woman ’ s eating behavior was problematic . Less than half , 44 percent , identified the white woman ’ s behavior as problematic ; 41 percent identified the Latinx woman ’ s behavior as problematic ; and only 17 percent identified the Black woman ’ s behavior as problematic . The clinicians were also less likely to recommend professional help ” ( NEDA , 2021 , “ Women of Color and Eating Disorders ” section ).
CULTURAL IDEALS RELATED TO BEAUTY STANDARDS AND BODY IMAGE ARE STRESSORS , TOO
Is the statement “ Beauty is skin deep ” an attempt to help “ ugly ” or “ fat ” people be more accepting of themselves , or to encourage them not to focus on size , shape , and weight ? Does it work ?
Standards of beauty are constantly shifting and are influenced by both cultural and social norms and ideals . For many women of color , beauty encompasses how they may feel in and about their body , skin color , and hair . To achieve “ the beauty standards in question — such as lighter skin and straighter , less coiled hair ... women of color must expose themselves to an additional battery of chemicals that white women do not ,” reports Kendra Pierre – Louis in a 2017 Popular Science article (
https :// bit . ly / 3AQpTs4 ). “ The end result is that women of color have higher levels of beauty-related environmental chemicals in their body .”
For Black women , wanting to feel and look good extends beyond the traditional definition of body image . Many cultural icons serve as beauty standards for Black girls and women ; it may be inevitable that some compare themselves to others , which may reinforce attempts to obtain the desired “ look .” We all know someone who is constantly dieting or engaged in disordered eating patterns . The extent to which some Black women go to look “ good ” may include changing their hair or skin color or undergoing cosmetic surgical procedures to alter their body shape .
BE AWARE OF DIFFERENCES IN CLINICAL PRESENTATION
Eating disorders are not just about food ; rather , they are disorders of disconnection . When considering the differences in clinical presentation , it is important for LCMHCs to be mindful of the unique ways in which BIPOC individuals may experience ruptures in connection . Connections and disconnections occur in many aspects of an individual ’ s life . However , some factors ( sociocultural , interpersonal , psychological , and biological , etc .) may affect Black people , specifically women , in unique ways . For example , colorism — prejudice within a racial or ethnic group related to skin color and hair color — are sociocultural factors that can impact the way Black women view themselves , both within their own culture , and within the majority culture .
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The Advocate Magazine Spring 2021 American Mental Health Counselors Association ( AMHCA )
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