Psychologists of color are not immune to experiences of racism, and Black psychologists in Western contexts must routinely confront racism in their everyday lives. Anti-Black racism is experienced in multiple forms, which includes individual acts of racism (both overt and covert) and institutional racism, whereby racist outcomes are observed in the workplace despite putative race-neutral policies. This presentation will help participants better understand challenges facing Black psychologists, in terms of racial stressors and psychological correlates, and how they can be supported in their roles. Using real life examples, this presentation will discuss racism in clinical and academic settings. It will describe the common sequalae of ongoing racism, e.g. racial stress and trauma, which often meets clinical criteria for PTSD. Also discussed will be the shortcomings of workplace supports that may actually exacerbate racial stress and trauma when they fail to help navigate or resolve racism on the job (e.g., HR, human rights officers, ombudsmen, etc). The presentation will discuss how to deal with microaggressions in different contexts, based on one’s relationship to the perpetrator. It will conclude with a discussion of functional coping strategies, routes to empowerment, and the Imperative of self-care.
Dr. Monnica T. Williams is a board-certified clinical psychologist and Canada Research Chair in Mental Health Disparities at the University of Ottawa. Her work focuses on mental health in communities of color, psychopathology research, and interventions to reduce racism. Dr. Williams has published over 150 scientific articles, primarily on obsessive-compulsive disorder, trauma, and cultural issues. Dr. Williams has served on the board of directors of several organizations, including the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) - Main Line chapter, NAMI Louisville, the Delaware Valley Association of Black Psychologists, the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines, and currently the Source Research Foundation. She was the Diversity Delegate to the APA State Leadership Conference for the Kentucky Psychological Association two years in a row. She is currently a member of the International OCD Foundation (Scientific Advisory Board, Diversity Council), Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (Academic Training & Education Standards Committee), the Canadian Psychological Association (Accreditation Panel), and the American Psychological Association (APA). Her work has been featured in major media outlets, including CTV, CNN and the New York Times.
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