Counseling Research as Caring

Lessons from Group Contemplative Practice

Abstract

This study models counseling research as a social action process highlighting multicultural counselor identity. Seven co-researcher/participants engaged in a community-based reflexive contemplative practice group which aimed at dismantling the power imbalance that normally exists between researchers and participants, and to remain cognizant of the insidious nature of white supremacy.  The data collected represents the content and process reflections on participating in this group which invited contemplation about identity on many different levels. Several themes emerged from data as implications for counseling research. Considering research as caring on clinical practice and future research is also discussed.