HOW CAN WE USE THIS
Alex Pieterse, and colleagues (2023) reviewed the literature on racism and racial trauma and the significant and negative impact they have on general health outcomes (https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2023-64375-001). They conclude that as opposed to avoiding the discussion of race and racism it is curative to embrace a client’s experiences and the influence they can have on their difficulties. While they acknowledge racism as a societal problem calling for public health and structural approaches, their work results in guidelines consistent with the principle of “first, do no harm” and the role therapeutic context and targeted strategies can play in the facilitation of healing. This includes clinicians’ being familiar with the evidence demonstrating the negative psychological and physical health effects that result from racism, and how racial identity influences explicit and implicit views of the world including their own. The authors acknowledge that clinicians may be hesitant to raise issues related to racism but emphasize the potential dangers of not broaching the subject. Avoidance limits the ability to process emotional interactions and interferes with the openness necessary to maintain a functioning working alliance. The expression of a sincere interest in hearing about and empathizing with a client’s experiences validates who they are and can provide a platform for processing emotions and building agency as a survivor as opposed to being a victim of racism and racial trauma.
