Anti-racism practice

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶-𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸.

Systemic therapy practitioners recognize that an individual’s inside, or their emotions and thoughts, interact with their outside, their interactions with social systems and behavioural patterns.

Basically, nothing happens in a vacuum. What we think, how we act, who we interact with, and our experiences all inform one another.

This includes experiences with racial discrimination – they will have an impact.

When you move through the world dealing with discriminatory comments, systemically racist social systems, and even well-meaning microagressions, it will influence your choices, your relationships, and your emotional and mental state.

That’s why it’s vital for psychologists, therapists, counsellors, and other mental health practitioners to actively confront their own biases and work towards equality.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝘆, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆’𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝘃𝘂𝗹𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝘂𝗻𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

It’s the practitioner’s responsibility to reduce the inequality between themselves and their client as much as possible instead of adding to it by refusing to address our own prejudices.

We can start by making the conscious decision to hold ourselves accountable and to seek out research and resources that will help us stay racially-informed.

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