Healing Racial Traumas Through Therapy
The experience of marginalization can look like anything from encounters with subtle biases and microaggressions to moments of overt discrimination and the denial of one’s humanity. The frequency and depth of these experiences matter. They have the potential to negatively shape perceptions and feelings about oneself and one’s place in the world.
Organizations such as the World Health Organization, American Psychological Association, and the American Psychiatric Organization have highlighted the profound effects of trauma on mental well-being. Within this broad landscape, there's a specific kind of trauma that many of us can relate to: racial trauma.
These traumas, though sometimes quiet, resonate in daily life. It's like a subtle hum in the background – a consistent feeling of being slightly on guard, a weariness from the repeated need to navigate biases, or the sense of always wearing a mask. This results in a silent but unbridgeable distance from one's true self and potential.
For those who’ve experienced racial trauma, addressing these experiences requires a thoughtful approach to therapy, one that is both empathetic and constructive. Here are some recommendations to ensure that your therapeutic journey effectively addresses and aids in the healing of racial traumas:
Seek a Culturally Responsive Therapist:
When searching for a therapist, prioritize finding someone who practices culturally responsive therapy. This means they practice being attuned to unique cultural experiences, values, and nuances that shape the lives of diverse individuals. This approach gives you a higher chance of ensuring that the therapeutic space feels safe, understanding, and free from judgment. Even if the therapist’s personal experiences and cultural values may differ from your own, therapists who adopt a culturally-responsive approach are usually trained to and philosophically align with the stance of recognizing and respecting the humanity of the person in front of them.
Prioritize Trauma-Informed Therapy:
Racial trauma is a form of trauma, which means it’s best to look for a therapist trained in trauma-informed care. They'll approach your experiences with a non-pathologizing frame of understanding, recognizing the profound effects of trauma on mental, emotional, and physical well-being as well as on cognitive, emotional, and behavioural reactions. Trauma-informed therapists are trained to be respectful of potential triggers, hold space for intense emotional reactions, go at a unique pace that is safe for each person, and explore the root causes of symptoms.
Give Voice to Your Experiences:
Therapy is the space to vocalize even those experiences that might seem "minor" or "insignificant." If it lingers in your mind, it's worth discussing. Events that appear trivial on the surface can carry deep emotional weight. By vocalizing these experiences at a time that is right for you, you give yourself the opportunity to acknowledge their impact, allowing for deeper processing and healing.
Therapy can serve as a powerful source of support in navigating and healing from racial traumas. The key lies in finding the right therapeutic fit and allowing yourself the freedom to fully explore and understand your experiences.
Our team of therapists come from diverse backgrounds and are all trained to provide culturally-responsive and trauma-informed therapy. Please feel free to contact us to get matched with a suitable therapist, schedule a free 15-minute consultation directly with any of our therapists, or read more about each member of the team. We look forward to supporting you in your healing journey.