Racial Microaggressions

Racial microaggressions are subtle forms of racial discrimination that negatively affect the psychological well-being, physical health, and counseling experiences of racially and ethnically marginalized groups (REMGs). This practice brief synthesizes contemporary research on the prevalence and impact of racial microaggressions in counseling contexts and reviews current approaches to their identification and assessment. This brief highlights culturally responsive and empirically informed intervention strategies, including broaching, rupture repair, microinterventions, trauma-informed care, and cultural humility. Ethical and advocacy considerations are also discussed, emphasizing counselors’ responsibilities to address both interpersonal and systemic forms of racial harm. Collectively, this brief provides counselors with practical guidance for recognizing, assessing, and responding to racial microaggressions while promoting equitable and affirming mental health care.