ABSTRACT
Some of the pitfalls in the structure of racist thinking can become re-enacted in our theorising, conversations, and professional discussions, leading to an impression of furthering our knowledge but closing off any prospect of a depth to understanding. In relation to White therapists, some of the main obstacles that have been described in the literature have to do with the unconscious guilt of the clinician working with predominantly Black patients, many of whom may have suffered the ravages of poverty, racism, and psychological deprivation. How to create a space in which one can remain emotionally involved and continue to think remains a challenge. Any therapeutic engagement with a racist state of mind will involve a careful assessment of the degree to which a benign presence or object relationship can be mobilised in the individual that could act as a counterweight to the malignant presence in the personality.
