How do we define and understand the dynamics of race? In addition to family of origin and skin color, many factors influence racial identity, such as socio-economics, socio-cultural elements, parental perspectives, extended family dynamics, peer groups, and political climates. 

In general, we in America live in a white normative and mono-racially defined society, and do not recognize the complexity in the development of a racial, ethnic, and cultural identity. As a result, countless people feel alienated, insecure around issues of self-identification, and frustrated with others defining, appropriating, or ascribing their identities.

Therapy can help. Therapy can provide the resources and tools necessary to develop personal identity, embrace difference, think critically, and assertively protect against injustice.

To navigate these issues, we must become aware of our own beliefs related to race and begin to self-evaluate how racial understanding has been embedded within our psyche and cultural makeup, beyond the broader sociohistorical structures of racial meaning. It is imperative that we build an understanding of how race has been constructed in our country and how it has shaped our society, not to mention our own personal beliefs about our own and other’s racial identity.

Thus we dive into the journey of critical self-awareness, which is necessary to understand how social narratives of race inform our beliefs about ourselves, others, and the world around us, and subsequently how we interact with that world. Cultural attunement is essential in this framework. Therapy in this context illuminates racial identity through meaningful conversations about race and culture. Conducted in a responsible way, these discussions foster a framework that highlights individual values and needs that support a healthy racial self-identity, but also how to engage within the greater society.

For those individuals who have experienced racism, social disapproval, or invalidation of their racial identity, the resulting trauma can affect overall well-being. Treatments approaches such as Narrative Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) empower clients by viewing them as possessing essential knowledge and as the experts of their own lives. This view of client-as-expert can be central in helping people “externalize” negative societal narratives and replace them with a positive sense of self-identity. With this type of support clients can build the confidence to better understand and celebrate their racial, ethnic and cultural heritages.

-Denica Gordon-Mandel, M.A., MSW, LCSW, & Director, Women’s Wellness Program