Treating African American Clients in Therapy: A Primer for Clinical Practice

Although slavery began over 400 years ago and some would say it is over, its legacy is still intact in the form of racism. This generational trauma has resulted in African American clients having unique psychological and sociocultural needs. In order to serve this population effectively, clinicians must begin to intentionally understand their clients’ world and historical makeup and treat them from a culturally alert framework. To do so, clinicians must first acknowledge their own biases that exist and address them. In this training we will discuss the impacts of African American history on clinical mental health, identify clinician biases, and provide a culturally alert framework to practice within when working with African American clients.

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Examine their own ideas, beliefs, and biases (explicit/implicit) regarding the African American experience as it relates to the clinical relationship.

• Identify two effects of incarceration on families and communities.

• Identify culturally responsible clinical strategies that can assist in establishing a stronger therapeutic alliance, developing effective interventions, and promoting resilience among African American clients.

This webinar is held on Thursday, May 20, 2021, from 1–3 pm EDT. This facilitated webinar is available to NSPN members through NSPN's partnership with NBCC. Documentation of one clock hour of continuing education is available for registrants who attend the full webinar. Please see the NSPN Support Center to access registration details for this webinar.