On Race in a Therapeutic Setting: Should Counselling be Race Neutral?

This week on DCO Discourse, host Vijay speaks with Dr. Neta Gear, Executive Director of DCO and a longtime leader in the mental health field. Together, they dive into a challenging, but crucial conversation: race in therapeutic settings. Dr. Gear unpacks why therapy is rarely truly “race-neutral,” how systemic inequities shape mental health, and why representation among counselors matters for trust and outcomes. Drawing on her own experiences as an immigrant, mother, and practitioner, she also reflects on generational trauma, cultural mismatches in care, and what it takes to make Canada’s counseling field more inclusive and responsive.

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