Research led by Dr. Tameka Grimes, a faculty member in Wake Forest University's Department of Counseling, was recently featured as the Article of the Week in ACES Counselor's Corner, published by the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES). The recognition highlights work that speaks directly to one of the most important skills counselors bring to their practice: the ability to talk openly with clients about race, ethnicity, and culture.

The article, Teaching Counselors-in-Training to Broach Race: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Black Counselor Educators' Experiences, appears in Counselor Education and Supervision, the flagship journal for counselor educators and supervisors. Dr. Grimes co-authored the study with Dr. Jacoby Loury and Dr. Laura Welfare.

"Broaching" refers to a counselor's intentional effort to raise and explore cultural factors, such as race and ethnicity, that may shape a client's experiences and concerns. When done well, broaching helps build trust and signals to clients that every part of who they are is welcome in the counseling relationship. Teaching this skill, however, is complex work for counselor educators.

To better understand that work, the research team explored the experiences of Black counselor educators as they teach counselors-in-training to broach race. Their findings offer insight into how educators approach this process and how counseling programs can integrate broaching instruction throughout the curriculum rather than treating it as a single lesson or course.

"I was thrilled to partner with Dr. Jacoby Loury and Dr. Laura Welfare to bring the perspectives of Black counselor educators into the conversation on broaching pedagogy. Our research highlights that teaching counselors-in-training to broach topics of race, ethnicity, and culture – a vital skill for building deep trust and authentic connections with clients – requires intention and care. My hope is that this work supports counselor educators navigating this process, while also showing how programs can weave this training throughout the counseling curriculum so that every student graduates feeling prepared and empowered."

For students preparing to enter the counseling profession, research like this shapes the training they receive. Clients come to counseling carrying the full context of their lives, including their cultural identities and experiences. Counselors who can confidently and respectfully open those conversations are better equipped to build strong therapeutic relationships and provide meaningful care.

At Wake Forest, faculty scholarship doesn't stay on the page. It informs how our counseling programs prepare students to serve diverse clients with skill, empathy, and cultural awareness.

Read the full article in the Counselor Education and Supervision section of the Wiley Online library.

Interested in joining a program where faculty are shaping the future of counselor education? Explore Wake Forest's online counseling programs.