Therapist Identity & Positionality: When Who You Are Shapes How You Heal

Introduction: The Myth of Neutrality

When I was a new therapist, I was taught to “leave myself at the door.” 

Be objective. Stay neutral. Don’t let your identity interfere.

But here’s the truth no one told me: 

My identity was already in the room before I said a word.

Every therapist carries their story, their culture, their biases, and their presence into the work. 

Neutrality sounds noble, but in practice, it can erase the very humanity that helps clients feel seen.

Why Identity Matters

For women of color, therapist identity often becomes part of the healing dynamic itself. 

Our clients don’t just hear our words—they feel our visibility. 

They notice how we model authenticity, self-regulation, and cultural awareness.

Positionality simply means knowing your position in relation to power, privilege, and oppression and how those dynamics impact your client’s voice in the room.

If we don’t examine our own position, we risk replicating the same systems we claim to help dismantle.

The Mirror of Therapy

Every session is a mirror, reflecting both the client and the clinician.

• A therapist who fears conflict may unintentionally avoid a client’s anger.

• A therapist who hasn’t faced their own cultural shame may struggle to affirm a client’s pride.

• A therapist who overidentifies with clients of color may blur boundaries in the name of empathy.

Awareness doesn’t make you less professional. It makes you precisely attuned.

When clinicians integrate their humanity with their training, therapy becomes not just clinical but relationally transformative.

Positionality in Practice

1. Name It Acknowledge your visible and invisible identities. Race, gender, class, religion, and language.

2. Notice the Energy  How do those identities interact with your client’s? Who feels more power in the room?

3. Normalize the Conversation  Bring it into dialogue: “I’m aware that we may have different lived experiences. If anything I say doesn’t sit right, I want to hear that.”

4. Navigate With Humility Cultural humility isn’t about perfection. It’s about staying teachable.

For Therapists of Color

Many therapists of color carry dual burdens—representing our communities while serving them. 

We often feel pressure to prove professionalism in systems that question our expertise.

The reminder: "You belong in every clinical space you enter." 

Your lived experience is not a liability—it’s an instrument of empathy and insight.

When you honor your identity, you model authenticity for your clients.

And that modeling becomes part of their healing.

The Takeaway

Therapy is never identity-free. 

It’s identity-informed. 

And when clinicians lead with awareness instead of avoidance, the room shifts from correction to connection.

Healing happens when both therapist and client are allowed to be whole.