In 1619 the first Africans were stolen from their homeland and forced into enslavement on these shores. From there, the attempted genocide of the Native American population, and the brutalization of African bodies grew into a multigenerational nightmare from which we have yet to heal. Despite the racist history of the United States, there has always been a concurrent history of resistance and pursuance of healing and justice comprised of people of all racial and ethnic groups. One present day manifestation of this is the naming and treatment of racial trauma.
Racial trauma occurs as a result of a range of violent acts. On one end of the continuum is physical violence, such as the police murders of George Floyd, Sandra Bland, Amir Locke and countless others. Racial trauma is exacerbated by the repeated exposure to these murders on various media outlets. On the other end are racial microagressions, the sometimes small, sometimes unintentional, often powerful slights, insults, and invalidations that Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) suffer daily. They are called “micro” not because of their impact, but because they are often hard for those who did not experience it to see, or sometimes they leave the victim questioning the motivation of the perpetrator.
Research shows that BIPOC individuals and families who experience such violence, and/or daily microagressions are likely to develop psychological symptoms such as depression, anxiety, hypervigilance, insomnia, and panic. As a result, some folks may attempt to self-medicate or engage in other self-destructive/avoidant attempts at coping, while others adapt healthier coping mechanisms, turning to religious institutions or family and community supports. But what about psychological help?
Since racism on every level, personal, institutional and structural negatively impacts BIPOC and White people, psychotherapy with a well-trained, compassionate psychologist can be a powerful vehicle for healing. However, due to psychology’s historic resistance to naming racial trauma outright, many psychologists are ill-equipped to work with it. Fortunately this is changing. There are increasing numbers of psychologists who have developed the knowledge, skills and self-awareness to understand racial trauma and how to treat it. Therefore, the person or family seeking help would be wise to screen their potential psychologist.
Here are some tips for doing so.
On the surface level one can examine a psychologist’s website. The photos published on a site often reflect the types of people a psychologist is most comfortable working with. If none of those photos look like you, or if none of the words on the site mention anything about “culture” “race” or any “ism”, you may want to keep searching.
The race of a psychologist is not indicative of whether or not they can treat racial trauma. The research shows that racial identity, how a therapist understands themselves and others as racial beings, rather than race is what matters. You will find BIPOC and White psychologists who are committed to anti-racism, as well as ones that are not.
Next you’ll want to have a conversation with your potential psychologist. To prepare, the American Psychological Association has published Race and Ethnicity Guidelines, which detail what psychologists are expected to know to be considered culturally competent. As you read, note what questions arise for you. Asking questions such as “How do you work with racial trauma?” “What type of training and experience do you have working with race and psychology?” “What types of anti-racist activities or organizations are you part of?” will help you get a feel of how they will work with you.
For more on racial trauma, I recommend the book “My Grandmother’s Hands” and other works by Resmaa Menakem.
Note: This piece was initially published in the New Jersey Psychological Association e-newsletter, though without the hyperlinks. Thanks to Dr. Sonya Lott and Hannah Likier for editorial assistance and accountability.
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