Inclusion & Mental Health
Counseling and Psychological Services (CaPS) supports inclusion in mental health. Read our statement below.
Inclusion & Mental Health Statement
Counseling and Psychological Services (CaPS) recognizes that the fields of psychiatry, psychology, social work, and counseling have historically caused harm to individuals and communities. At CaPS, we are committed to addressing these challenges in our clinical work by engaging in practices that prioritize respect, dignity, and the well-being of all individuals. We firmly believe that therapeutic practice should create the conditions for personal growth and healing, while removing barriers to flourishing. We acknowledge the importance of examining our biases and striving for improvement in our approach to care.
Our commitment to providing support extends beyond clinical practice and into our interactions with colleagues, campus partners, and the broader community. We are aware of the challenges many students face in their daily lives and the emotional toll they may carry. We are here to support you in navigating these challenges, offering comfort and assistance as needed. To our students especially, CaPS is here to support you.
CaPS understands that statements of support are only a part of the process. We are dedicated to being active participants in meaningful progress, not simply offering words of solidarity. We are committed to providing care to all students who are impacted by adversity and hardship. We are also committed to facilitating conversations within our Tartan community that promote awareness and create an environment where every individual feels safe and supported
Identity-Based Resources
While the resources provided below are identity-based, we recognize that the intersectionality of identity is nuanced and multidimensional, and that you will find yourself represented in more than one category.
Finding a Culturally Responsive Therapist
Ideally, therapy is a place where one can feel safe and understood. Despite this therapeutic ideal, the fields of psychology and mental health treatment have been slow to address issues of institutionalized racism and systemic oppression. Understandably, this leaves many black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) uncertain and hesitant to seek therapy and counseling. However, many BIPOC individuals report that working with a culturally responsive counselor can be truly beneficial and healing.
How to Start Your Search
- Research professional organizations and memberships that can provide referrals to qualified culturally responsive therapists in your area. The allows you to select specific filters to identify a therapist that fits your needs.
- Check out therapists' websites and/or social media. Consider how they talk about their approach to therapy and whether they speak to issues of social justice and inclusivity within their work.
- Most importantly, ask questions. While this might feel uncomfortable given the professional nature of the relationship, you must feel comfortable with your therapist. If the therapist is unwilling or unable to answer your questions, we suggested that you consider discontinuing meeting with this individual.
Questions to Consider Asking a Therapist
This is not an exhaustive list of questions that a culturally sensitive therapist should be able to address with their clients, it is a good place to start.
- How would you describe your experience treating clients who share my [insert your racial/cultural identity here i.e.“Indigenous”] identity?
- What is your/your practice’s experience incorporating a racial equity/anti-racist lens into your treatment?
- How would you describe your knowledge of safety risks and considerations related to my [insert your racial/cultural identity here i.e. “Black”] identity?
- What training/evidence-based treatment do you/your practice have for issues that may arise related to [insert your racial/cultural identity, i.e. “Asian”] health and wellness?
- Can you share with me your/your practice’s training/evidence-based treatment for issues that may arise from trauma related to [insert “anti” and your racial/cultural identity, i.e. “anti-Black”] oppression, racism and/or racial violence?
- What kind of resources/training do you/your practice have available to remain up-to-date with [insert your racial/cultural identity, i.e. “Asian”] issues both locally and nationally so that I can avoid having to educate my provider?
- What is your/your practice’s position on the mental health impact of navigating oppression, racism and racial violence?
- What is your/your practice’s position on the impact of generational trauma as it relates to racism/racial violence?
- How would you describe your knowledge of stereotypes and/or common misconceptions of my [insert your racial/cultural identity, i.e. “Latinx”] identity — things that you might say in a session that could result in trauma/microaggression?
Questions Related to LGBTQIA Inclusion
- How would you describe your experience treating clients who share my [insert your LGBTQIA identity, i.e. “trans/non-binary”] identity?
- What training/evidence-based treatment do you/your practice have for issues that may arise related to [insert your LGBTQIA identity, i.e. “queer”] health and wellness?
- What is your position on so-called “conversion therapy” — attempts to change a client’s sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression?
- What kind of resources/training do you/your practice have available to remain up-to-date with [insert your LGBTQ identity, i.e. “bisexual”] issues so that I can avoid having to educate my provider?
- How would you describe your experience using gender-neutral pronouns?
- How would you describe your knowledge of safety risks and considerations related to my [insert your LGBTQIA identity, i.e. “queer”] identity?
- What training/evidence-based treatment do you/your practice have for trauma from rejection around my [insert your LGBTQIA identity, i.e. “bisexual”] identity?
- What is your/your practice’s position on the mental health impact of navigating anti-LGBTQIA bias and discrimination?
- How would you describe your knowledge of stereotypes and/or common misconceptions of my [insert your LGBTQIA identity, i.e. “lesbian”] identity — things that you might say in a session that could result in trauma/microaggression?
Questions Using an Intercultural Lens
Intersectionality, as coined by scholar and writer , is a lens through which we seek to understand how multiple forms of oppression/inequality may combine to create unique obstacles and trauma.
- How do you define intersectionality and how do you plan to utilize an intersectional lens in my treatment?
- How can you help me navigate trauma related to the oppression I have and continue to face related to my [insert your QTBIPOC identity, i.e. “Black trans woman”] identity—understanding there are multiple systems of oppression impacting my mental health concurrently?
- What is your/your practice’s position on the mental health impact of navigating multiple systems of oppression?
- What is your racial/ethnic and cultural background? How does that impact your work as a therapist?
- What is your experience when it comes to working with ________ (i.e. specific racial/ethnic backgrounds, immigrant populations, LGBTQIA, etc.)?
- How do you work with clients who have experienced racism, discrimination, or immigration-related concerns?
- What does it mean to you to provide culturally competent care? What training have you had on this topic?
- What is your comfort level when it comes to talking about topics such as white privilege, racism, discrimination or systemic oppression?
Understanding Racial Trauma
Racial trauma, or race-based stress, refers to the mental and emotional injury caused by encounters with racial bias and ethnic discrimination, racism and hate crimes. These include threats of harm and injury, humiliating and shaming events, and witnessing harm to other BIPOC individuals due to racism. Racial trauma can result from one or innumerable experiences of racism such as workplace discrimination or hate crimes, or it can be the result of repeated occurrences, such as racial profiling and microaggressions.
Although Black and African Americans encounter racial discrimination at a higher rate than other ethnoracial groups, Indiginous and people of color significantly suffer from race-based stress as well. Intersectional oppression such as racial, gender, sexual orientation, and xenophobic microaggressions contribute to the cumulative effects of racial trauma. Racism and ethnoviolence can be life threatening to BIPOC, due to their exposure to racial microaggressions, vicarious traumatization, and the invisibility of racial trauma’s historical roots. Cumulative racial trauma can leave both visible and invisible scars that impact the way individuals show up in social spaces, academic performance, relationships, intimacy and overall well-being.
Unfortunately, racial trauma carries psychological and physiological effects. Exposure to racial trauma both directly and indirectly, through media outlets, have implications for psychological health and well-being. Some indicators of racial trauma can include hypervigilance to threat; flashbacks; nightmares; avoidance; suspiciousness; and somatic expressions such as headaches and heart palpitations, among others, and are similar to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. This can also result in heightened levels of anxiety, depression, imposter syndrome, internalized racism, devaluation of self, issues of self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-worth.
Healing racial trauma is challenging because racial wounds occur within a sociopolitical context and on a continuing basis - i.e, this is not an individual problem to be pathologized, but a collective problem that is the result of deeply embedded, oppressive forces that facilitate persistent implicit and explicit racism. Furthermore, the current definitions of trauma, traumatic stress, and trauma treatment are embedded in European perspectives. Consequently, many trauma and PTSD treatments tend to lack cultural relevance for most BIPOC. Without a clear and descriptive language to describe this experience, those who suffer cannot coherently convey their pain, let alone heal.