Broaching Client Identities: Integrating a Critical Consciousness Lens in Counselling Practice

Abstract Cultural competence and, to a lesser extent, cultural safety for developing culturally responsive practice have been the dominant paradigms in the helping professions in Aotearoa New Zealand. This article focuses on a paradigm shift toward critical and structural consciousness in a masters-level counselling curriculum. Authors in this study undertook a qualitative inquiry in exploring counselling students’ experiences of a critically conscious curriculum, culminating in their application of the skill of broaching as a strategy for discussing client intersectional identities and structural and systemic issues. The students described experiences of discomfort, challenge, and transformative learning. Unique and nuanced challenges of learning broaching are delineated by the students. Findings suggest that learners must have complex understandings of critically conscious concepts and local dominant norms to effectively explore intersectional and marginalised identities with clients. Direction for educators and supervisors in ways to anticipate common challenges and to better train and supervise beginning counsellors in broaching are included.