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This study examined the relationships among African American clients' perceptions of their White counselors with respect to (a) perceived racial microaggressions in cross-racial counseling relationships, (b) the counseling working alliance, (c) their counselors' general and multicultural counseling competence, and (d) their counseling satisfaction. Findings revealed that greater perceived racial microaggressions by African American clients were predictive of a weaker therapeutic alliance with White therapists, which, in turn, predicted lower ratings of general and multicultural counseling competence. Greater perceived racial microaggressions also were predictive of lower counseling satisfaction ratings. In addition, African American clients' perceptions of racial microaggressions had a significant indirect effect on these clients' ratings of White counselors' general and multicultural counseling competence through the therapeutic working alliance.

For many decades, researchers and practitioners concerned about cultural issues in counseling have worked to identify factors that both hinder and promote treatment in cross-racial counseling contexts (Kim, Ng, & Ahn, 2005; Ponterotto, Fuertes, & Chen, 2000; Zane et al., 2005). Although some attention has been paid to multicultural counseling treatment outcomes with clients of color generally (e.g., Constantine, 2002), comparatively fewer studies have examined the processes associated with the treatment outcomes of specific groups of clients of color (e.g., Li & Kim, 2004; C. E. Thompson & Jenal, 1994). In particular, there is a dearth of empirically based writings focused on the therapeutic experiences of African Americans who seek counseling services. Although African Americans compose nearly 13% of the U.S. population, they tend...