White clinicians have remedial work to do in developing awareness of our racial identity and racial socialization; learning to talk about race, racism, and privilege; and identifying the ways in which white supremacy is embedded in our psyches. Deconstructing whiteness is an ongoing, non-linear journey of unlearning internalized racism and developing critical consciousness. When in mixed groups, white folks tend to rely on BIPOC folks to do the emotional labor and risk-taking associated with addressing these topics and to resist being honest and vulnerable for fear of offending or being perceived as racist. For this reason, this workshop is open only to white or white-identifying clinicians. While the theory and practice of psychotherapy centralizes whiteness, the particularity of whiteness remains an untold story in the field. Understanding whiteness can help white therapists and supervisors have genuine cross-racial conversations that include their own identities instead of discussing race in terms of “others.”

In this experiential seminar, white therapists are invited to challenge counterproductive ideologies of colorblindness, explore cultural humility, and increase awareness of their own racial identity and racial socialization. White clinicians will learn how to move from colluding with the harm perpetuated by the myth of colorblindness and a stance of “neutrality” to co-creating an environment in the therapy room in which identity, culture and race are unequivocally recognized as robust systemic contexts that impact all relationships, thus contributing to a more equitable mental health system for all.

During this event clinicians will: 

• Experience an exploration of their own white racial identity & racial socialization and the impact of identity and socialization on the practice of therapy and supervision.
• Utilize a dialogical process to co-create safe conversations about race, racial identity, privilege and racist assumptions and biases.
• Challenge hidden racist assumptions/biases with conscious awareness, empathy and confidence as they identify areas of growth in developing an anti-racist clinical and supervision practice.