Finding Homeplace: A Grounded Theory of a Womanist Affinity Group Intervention for Black Women

ABSTRACT

This constructivist grounded theory study explored a 3-year womanist affinity group for Black women across counseling programs at one university. The core category, homeplace, was identified as the foundation of the group process, with four categories: learning the hidden curriculum, expressing collective care, demonstrating womanish empowerment, and becoming the resistance. The affinity space aided identity and professional development, cultural reflection, and collective consciousness. Implications are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Womanism
• affinity groups
• Black women graduate students
• counselor education
• homeplace

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplementary Material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/01933922.2024.2345060.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Natoya Hill Haskins

Natoya Hill Haskins, PhD., LPC, NCC, is an Associate Professor in the Counselor Education program at the University of Virginia. Dr. Haskins has expertise in womanism in counseling, Black liberation clinical applications, integrative approaches to supporting Black clients. She also has developed community partnerships to support Black students and the workforce development of culturally competent school based mental health providers.

Shontell White

Shontell White is a doctoral candidate in the Counselor Education and Supervision program at the College of William and Mary. Her research interests include exploring the creation of Homeplace between Black women school counselors and Black girls, investigating Black joy in school settings, researching the impacts of affinity groups on the counseling graduate experience for Black woemn, and exploring the experiences of students of color in CACREP accredited counselor education and supervision programs at predominantly white institutions.

Leonissa Johnson

Leonissa Johnson, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Counselor Education at Clark Atlanta University. Her research examines the experiences of diverse students in behavioral health training programs. Additionally, Dr. Johnson investigates the experiences of school counselors and counselors-in-training as they identify needs, build relationships with, and develop interventions for multilingual students.

Janise Parker

Janise Parker, PhD., LP, NCSP, is an Associate Professor in the School Psychology program at William & Mary. Her professional experience has primarily centered around supporting Black communities through healing-centered programming and forstering school mental health providers’ delivery of culturally responsive and social justice-oriented services in schools and communities.

Laura Pignato

Laura Pignato is a clinican at Family Insight. Her areas of interests are social justice and cultural responsiveness in mental health. Her clinical expertise spans adolescents, adults, couples, and families.

Courtney Chester

Courtney Chester, LPC is a doctoral student in the CES doctoral program at Kent State University. She also holds positions as a senior lab assistant and is in an executive role at the Kappa Sigma Upsilon Chapter of Chi Sigma Iota. Courtney’s overall research focus is the intersection of plant-based nutrition and mental health.