Racial Identity
Racial Identity is defined as an individual’s sense of belonging to a racial group and the collective identity that emerges from shared social perceptions and experiences of that group. According to the American Counseling Association (ACA) and the Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies (MSJCC), this identity is not merely biological but is a psychological construct shaped by the interaction between an individual’s self-perception and the social, historical, and systemic influences of their environment. Counselors utilize racial identity development models to understand how a client’s level of awareness and internalization of their racial heritage—ranging from conformity to societal stereotypes to a sophisticated integration of their racial self—impacts their mental health, resilience, and the therapeutic relationship.
