African American

Celebrating Black Sisterhood

The Power of Healing in Community

Forming strong connections with others is not only integral to our development as humans, it’s connected to our very survival. For Black women, this is... Read more

Reclaiming Black Imagination

The PRIDE Approach to Healing

A new approach embraces the somatic wisdom and indigenous knowledge of BIPOC clients. Read more

If we do not examine and honor the root of the suffering, such as colonization and dehumanization, we will continue to experience the same suffering over and... Read more

The Adultification of Black Youth

When Trauma Goes Unseen

At best, self-harm and suicide among Black children are misunderstood. At worst, they’re willfully ignored. Read more

A Puncturing of the Soul

Facing Racial Trauma and Internalized Devaluation

If clinicians continue to assert that "trauma is trauma," the uniqueness treating racial trauma will remain on the margins of what we extol as best practice. Read more

Healing the Invisible Wounds of Racial Trauma in Therapy

A Conversation with Kenneth V. Hardy

Networker discusses racially-sensitive, trauma-informed interventions and strategies with Dr. Kenneth V. Hardy. Read more

Treating Systemic Trauma in the African American Community

A Conversation with Dr. Jennifer Payne

Join Networker’s Anna Lock and Jennifer Payne, Ph.D, LCSW, author, research scientist, and clinician as they discuss how Dr. Payne works to culturally tailor... Read more

The Healing Power of Community

A Conversation with Shawna Murray-Browne

Networker talks with Shawna Murray-Browne about ways to bridge racial barriers in and outside of the therapy room. Read more

Point of View September 15, 2021

Unhealed Bodies

Looking at Ancestral Trauma

Resmaa Menakem, author of "My Grandmother’s Hands," discusses racialized trauma and a body-based path to healing. Read more

When you do the work that we do, it’s important to find ways to take care of yourself. You can’t always carve out lots of time to devote to self-care, but... Read more

In Consultation July 15, 2021

The Threat Response of Appease

Do You Know It When You See It?

How can therapists address historical trauma and the common threat response of appeasement? Read more

The Black Youth Suicide Epidemic

Confronting Misconceptions and Inequities

Self-harm is not a culturally specific phenomenon, but it’s often misunderstood and overlooked in Black children by a society that forces them to grow up... Read more

Asking Clients About Racial Stress and Trauma

How to Broach the Topic Appropriately

Talking to clients of color about race and experiences of racial trauma is critical. But many white clinicians struggle with how to open these discussions. Read more

When it comes to addressing systemic racism and injustice, “therapy’s not enough,” says trauma expert Mary Jo Barrett. But that doesn’t mean therapists... Read more

VIDEO: Understanding Grief as an Antidote to Trauma

Gabor Maté on Making Sense of Troubling Times

These days, many of us are feeling increasingly anxious and upset. But how do we know whether we're experiencing trauma, or just grieving? And how can we... Read more

Symposium Highlight August 5, 2020

VIDEO: Making Talking About Race Your Work

A Therapist's Call to Action

Too many Black people are living in a wall-less prison, says therapist Ken Hardy, where they're constantly calibrating their lives based on the expectations of... Read more

VIDEO: Moving from Passive Allyship to Action

Three Things Therapists Can Do Right Now

The recent protests against racial injustice and police brutality have left many therapists wondering what they can do to be active forces for change in the... Read more

VIDEO: Creating a Safe Space to Talk about Racial Trauma

Self-Exploration, Soft Introductions, and Leaving a Door Open

How can white clinicians create a safe space in therapy for clients of color to talk about racial trauma? And if clients don't bring it up, should the... Read more

A Black Therapist in America

Speaking Out Against Learned Voicelessness

Black people know all too well that their daily experience of racism doesn’t matter unless it interferes with the lives of the white mainstream. As a result... Read more

The Therapy Beat June 30, 2020

The movement to offer more free therapy and expand access to treatment gains momentum. Read more

VIDEO: Gabor Maté on Making Sense of Our Pain

Finding a Pathway to Compassion for Ourselves and Others

What can we do to do to address the overwhelming anxiety in our lives right now? What can we do to be kinder to ourselves, to be in a better position to effect... Read more

Lisa Savage and Kim Knight

For people of color, the murder of George Floyd reignites centuries of collective grief and trauma. Here, the two founders of Clinicians of Color share some of... Read more

More than ever, therapists can use their role as helping professionals to contribute to positive change in their communities. Here are three important ways we... Read more

VIDEO: How Can White Therapists Be Better Allies?

Deepening the Conversation around Race-Based Trauma

What does it mean to be an ally to people of color⁠? What steps can therapists take to heal race-based trauma and deepen the conversation around racial... Read more

My name is Anita Mathilda Abram Mandley. That’s me peeking out from the lower left-hand corner of the picture. I’m with my great grandfather, great-great... Read more

Saving My Younger Self

Black Therapists Rock Member Profile

Therapists who grew up in the communities of color they serve often have the social capital and particular wisdom to better understand clients’ core needs... Read more

More Than One Way to Heal

Black Therapists Rock Member Profile

It can be tricky doing therapy in communities where the field’s reputation is mixed, and people often feel more comfortable turning to the church for help... Read more

Symposium Highlight July 24, 2019

VIDEO: The Assaulted Sense of Self

Voicelessness in Black America

How much has the therapy profession confronted race in America? At what point do therapists need to join the conversation? And how might they do so? In... Read more

VIDEO: Talking Race in Psychotherapy

Deran Young’s Call for Action

Deran Young of Black Therapists Rock talks to Psychotherapy Networker’s Lauren Dockett about what the field can do to fight professional isolation and... Read more

What Basketball Taught Me About Therapy

Learning to Stay in the Game with Challenging Clients

Basketball has taught me many lessons. I learned about trust, relationships, and teamwork. I learned the power to regulate feelings. It would shape my... Read more