Anti-racist Statement
In 2020, the American Psychological Association (APA) has named racism as a public health pandemic. The APA’s ethical standards and multicultural guidelines for psychologists dictate that racism, the impact of racism, racial trauma and how one has been socialized by the social construction of race are important and appropriate topics to address in therapy as are messages one has received about gender, gender identity, sexuality, class, cultural identity, ethnicity, faith, religion, spirituality, country of origin, immigration status, one’s native/first language, body size, age, and ability status.
These aspects of your identity, socialization, and lived experience as a client are often regarded as important to unpack in therapy. In addition, internalized racism, aspects of racism including internalization of white culture as the norm/standard, white supremacy, anti-blackness, colorism, cultural assimilation, monoracism, as well as internalized sexism, homophobia, transphobia, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and xenophobia, may prove to be important and valuable topics to discuss and unpack in therapy.
Why am I making this statement?
I want to be transparent in my commitment to anti-racism, inclusivity, and equity. As a psychologist, per my professional guidelines, I actively serve as a social justice advocate. As such, part of my role is to actively challenge negative cultural biases or other biases towards marginalized populations that perpetuate oppression.
I value all facets of your identity and want to explicitly name that race, as well as gender, gender identity, sexuality, class, cultural identity, ethnicity, faith, spirituality, religion, nationality, immigration status, one’s first/native language, aging, and ability status are all important and important for us to name and explore in counseling.
What does this look like in therapy?
What we focus on in therapy is a choice. I will not be disappointed, feel disrespected or get my feelings hurt with whatever we focus on in therapy. This is about you.
You may be talking about an experience and it may be worthwhile to discuss how your racial identity impacted your experience?
In addition to talking about it, one effective means to address internalized messages about race, for example, is through Internally Family Systems (IFS) therapy. This modality of therapy helps us do a deep dive about messages you have received and how we have developed parts of ourselves in response to those messages. We can discuss ways this may contribute to clinical issues or relevant issues in your life, your upbringing, and any current issues or stressors.
The IFS model and also Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) are both effective approaches I offer in my practice to address the impact of any experiences of discrimination or trauma you have experienced due to your race, sexuality, gender, gender identity, immigration status, class, poverty, food insecurity, homelessness, cultural identity, ethnicity, faith/religion, nationality, language, age, or ability status among other types of traumas. These therapies also can help foster resilience.
As author James Baldwin states: “History is not the past. It is the present. We carry our history with us. We are our history.” I approach therapy with the mindset that trauma needs to be viewed from a historical, intergenerational, systemic, institutional, collective as well as personal lens. This means that it is relevant to look at not only your history and experiences in this lifetime, but your ancestors history, your family’s history, oppressive systems and institutions you and your family and/or ancestors have encountered and ways that your group membership in marginalized groups and/or privileged/dominant groups have impacted you.
What if I have not ever explored this before – where do I start?
I can share resources (e.g. books, websites, podcasts) with you to look at on your own or as a planned part of your treatment plan per your interest.
Identity is complex – How do you even approach this?
I approach your identity from the viewpoint of intersectionality, developed by scholar Dr. Kimberle Crenshaw. Everyone has memberships in various groups that may be in a marginalized group and/or may be in a dominant/privileged group. Because oppression shows up in the structures of our American society (e.g. in our legal and criminal justice systems, our housing markets, educational systems, immigration systems, and even in healthcare), if we approach this in therapy, we can discuss what aspects of your identity have various levels of power in American society, access to resources, and ways this has impacted you.
I also recognize that some aspects of identity are more visible than others. Being bi-racial, being multi-racial, being LGBTQI, being adopted, being neurodiverse, one’s immigration status, one’s faith/spirituality - are all examples of aspects of one’s identity that may be less visible yet still encompass being in a marginalized group. I also view that you are a unique individual and that just because you hold membership in a group that is privileged and/or marginalized does not that mean that your experiences are the same with all others in that group.
What if I’m White and uncomfortable talking about race or don’t understand how this is relevant?
White Americans often view themselves as raceless or not having a race. This is due to race socialization. However, White people do have a racial identity. It’s of course a choice to focus on this directly in therapy. I am here to support your journey to unpack the impact of White race socialization. I am not here to shame anyone. It is common for White people to not be used to talking about or thinking about what it means to be White and how your race has impacted your life. You may be surprised to learn that even the way you relate to yourself, your mental health and your worldview are impacted by your race socialization. For example, one specific treatment goal that can potentially contribute to your quality of life, your understanding of yourself in the world, the lens with which you process information, your ability to relate to others and increase humility is to further develop your white racial identity, which can be done in therapy, if you wish. If you would like to address this in your therapy, but have fears or concerns about doing so, we can discuss this and unpack it together.
My Commitment
I am actively examining my awareness of the impact of my own race socialization as a White American. I aim to approach all my clients with cultural humility based on the multicultural orientation model developed by psychologist Dr. Jesse Owen. I actively seek training and consultation to further my awareness of my own blind spots, and my own positionality with regards to privilege, race, class, sexuality, gender and power in my interactions with clients. I am committed to provide psychotherapy from an anti-racist framework in my practice. I welcome any questions, feedback, or concerns regarding this statement. If need be, we can set up non-billable time to discuss as needed.
This statement is solely the work of Daphne Fatter, Ph.D. PLLC and is copyrighted 2020. Please contact me if you would like to reproduce it, copy it, or use part of it for any reason.
Psychology Professional Organizations' Commitment to Anti-racism:
Texas Psychological Association: www.texaspsyc.org/page/DiversityStatement
EMDRIA: www.emdria.org/publications-resources/practice-resources/antiracism-resources/
IFS Institute: foundationifs.org/news/outlook/outlook-nov-2020#WeStand
* note: I'm a full member of these professional organizations and communities in addition to the American Psychological Association.