Ontario survey finds many psychotherapists report minimal training on racial trauma

Many practising psychotherapists in Ontario, Canada, report receiving little or no formal education on racial trauma during their training, according to a cross-sectional, province-wide online survey published as an open-access article in Discover Mental Health. Racial trauma refers to the psychological harm caused by racism, and the study set out to examine whether psychotherapists feel adequately trained and prepared to support clients who have experienced it.

The researchers surveyed psychotherapists practising across Ontario about their perceptions of academic training related to racial trauma, as well as their self-reported knowledge and confidence in addressing it in clinical work. The results indicate substantial variability in training experiences, with many participants reporting minimal formal education on the topic. This gap persists despite growing attention to the psychological impacts of racism experienced by racialized communities, which the authors note are often inadequately addressed by the Western and Eurocentric frameworks that have shaped psychotherapy.

A key finding concerns the relationship between training and preparedness. The survey data showed associations between training exposure, perceived knowledge, and confidence, suggesting that psychotherapists with greater exposure to racial trauma content reported higher perceived preparedness to support affected clients. Because the study is cross-sectional and based on self-reported perceptions, these associations do not establish that additional training directly causes greater confidence; however, the pattern aligns with the authors’ argument that training is a promising target for improvement.

The authors conclude that the findings highlight the need for more intentional integration of anti-racist and culturally responsive approaches into psychotherapy training. In their view, enhancing education on racial trauma may improve clinicians’ capacity to provide effective and affirming care for racialized clients, a population whose experiences of racism-related psychological harm remain underrecognized in clinical training and practice.

The study’s scope carries important caveats for interpretation. The survey captured psychotherapists practising in a single Canadian province, so the findings may not generalize to other regions or jurisdictions. The measures relied on clinicians’ own reports of their training, knowledge, and confidence rather than objective assessments of competence or client outcomes. The published version reviewed here is an early-access, peer-reviewed accepted article carrying a permanent DOI, which the journal notes is subject to further edits before the final Version of Record replaces it. Within those limits, the survey offers empirical evidence that formal education on racial trauma is unevenly distributed among Ontario psychotherapists and that clinicians themselves perceive a link between such education and their preparedness to serve racialized clients.

Subject of Research: Psychotherapists' training, knowledge, and confidence in addressing racial trauma in Ontario, Canada

Article Title: Survey results on psychotherapists’ training knowledge and confidence in addressing racial trauma

Article References: Sharma, R., McQuain, S., Ninomiya, M. M., & Riemer, M. (2026). Survey results on psychotherapists’ training knowledge and confidence in addressing racial trauma. Discover Mental Health. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44192-026-00627-w

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1007/s44192-026-00627-w

Keywords: racial trauma, psychotherapy, psychotherapist training, Ontario survey, culturally responsive care, anti-racist practice, clinical education, mental health, Survey, results, psychotherapists, training