In this powerful and eye-opening episode, I chat with Dr. Yvon Guest - therapist, speaker, trainer, and contributor to Black Identities, White Therapy - about the often-overlooked experiences of mixed and multiracial clients in therapy.
Yvon shares her own journey into this work, the invisibility many clients feel in therapeutic spaces, and the impact of growing up in families and communities where identity is constantly questioned. From internalised racism to the pressure to choose a side, and the emotional exhaustion of navigating a world full of assumptions - this episode explores what therapists need to know, and how we can show up with cultural humility, not just competence.
Whether you’ve worked with mixed-race clients or not, this episode will leave you rethinking what it means to see someone in therapy.
We discuss:
- Why many mixed-race clients feel unseen in therapy
- The emotional toll of being constantly asked, “What are you?”
- Internalised racism and dissociation as survival strategies
- The difference between cultural competence and cultural humility
- How to create safer therapeutic spaces for clients of mixed heritage
- Yvon’s upcoming conference on therapy with mixed and multiracial clients
Note
Despite heroic efforts by our sound editor, some of the audio is patchy so this episode is best listened to when it's quiet, or preferably with headphones
Conference Info: Dr. Yvon Guest is hosting a one-day online conference, Working with Mixed and Multiracial Clients in Therapy, on 28th November 2025 via Onlinevents
Setting up in private practice? Download my free checklist HERE
Need ideas for how to get clients? Download my free handout 21 Ways for Counsellors to Attract New Clients HERE
You can also find me here:
The Good Enough Counsellors Facebook Group
Josephine Hughes on Facebook
Josephine Hughes on YouTube
My website: josephinehughes.com
Keywords multiracial therapy, identity, race, mixed race, therapy, mental health, racism, intersectionality, gender, mixed race, cultural humility, LGBTQ
The information contained in Good Enough Counsellors is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this podcast are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this podcast. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this podcast.
Josephine Hughes disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this podcast.
