Defense Date

3-28-2025

Graduation Date

Fall 8-8-2026

Availability

Immediate Access

Submission Type

dissertation

Degree Name

PhD

Department

Clinical Psychology

School

McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts

Committee Chair

Russ Walsh

Committee Member

Elizabeth Fein

Committee Member

Jennie Schulze

Keywords

international, psychology trainees, narratives

Abstract

The focus of this dissertation project is on the community of trainee clinicians of color, who have been consistently overlooked in the literature on mental health. This dissertation employed narrative analysis as a methodological framework to explore the experiences of international trainee clinicians of color as they navigated the complex landscape of mental health training in the United States. In an increasingly globalized world, the voices and perspectives of these individuals offered critical insights into the challenges, triumphs, and unique pathways that shaped their professional development. Much of the literature on diversity and inclusion tends to individualize the challenging experiences, especially of discrimination, faced by students of color; however, this project, through the lenses of decolonial and critical race theories, aimed at bringing the focus also to the structural and systemic factors that disrupted and influenced the narratives of international trainees of color. Seven participants (who identified as people of color and international) from various mental health training programs across the country, were interviewed and their experiences were analyzed through the method outlined by Josselson and Hammack (2019). Their narratives illuminated the multifaceted challenges they encountered navigating academic life, visa complexities, financial strains, and cultural adjustments. Themes emerged around experiences with microaggressions, feelings of isolation, and the limitations of diversity initiatives within their programs, alongside reflections on supervisory relationships and the impact of their intersecting identities. Despite these hurdles, their resilience, support systems, and aspirations for contributing to mental health in diverse contexts were evident. The findings of this study not only contribute to the expanding body of knowledge in multicultural mental health training but also hold implications for the development of inclusive and culturally sensitive practices within the field. This research ultimately underscores the significance of diverse perspectives of international trainees in shaping the future landscape of mental health care and education in the U.S.

Language

English

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