To our beloved community,
The staff therapists at myTherapyNYC have all been shaken by the recent killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Tony McDade at the hands of the police officers, as well as the murder of Ahmaud Arbery by militant citizens. These are merely a few examples of the centuries of racialized oppression and violence that has been perpetrated by, and sanctioned by, the law enforcement institutions that we would expect to keep all of our citizens safe.
We are also heartened by the Black Lives Matter movement and the incredible number of people in New York City, across the United States, and around the world who are standing up for the change that is so long overdue. We realize that many of these people, too, are enduring violent attacks from police officers and unequivocally stand in solidarity with this incredible show of support for the Black community.
As a psychotherapy practice, myTherapyNYC is committed to anti-racism and to engaged allyship with people of all marginalized and oppressed communities. We are responding to these recent events with intentional discussions about how to integrate anti-racist perspectives into therapy and how to best support our clients who endure racism and oppression. We also understand that intergenerational trauma continues to have a deep impact on the Black community today. One of our goals as a psychotherapy practice is to start the prolonged healing process of the mental and emotional suffering of the Black community and its allies.
We are also actively exploring how we can be a resource to those who are doing the work to recognize and undo the deep and insidious forms of racism in themselves. White supremacy and racism are so intricately woven into our civic institutions, but also exist in our own minds. Even people who are committed allies to the Black community have inherited white supremacy in the forms of white privilege, internalized racism, and implicit bias.
We view all of these forms of racism as a mental health issue and, as mental health professionals, recognize we can play an important role in its treatment. This work can entail facing the difficult realities of your own privilege, waking up to the heartbreaking situations that so many people face, and having uncomfortable conversations with friends and family members. This is vulnerable work and we are committed to creating a curious and supportive atmosphere for our clients to explore their own relationship to white supremacy and racism.
Perhaps most importantly, we are also committed to doing this crucial work ourselves. To start, we are working on a plan to more formally train our staff in anti-racism informed therapy. We also have created a monthly supervision session centered on issues of oppression, so that our staff therapists have a place to continue this conversation about the intersections of racism and psychotherapy. We intend to do all that we can to best serve our community in response to these issues. Below, you will find a list of resources compiled by our staff of therapists. These are the books, articles, podcasts, websites, and organizations that we are turning to at this time. If you are looking for a place to start, you can start right here.
From all of us at myTherapyNYC, we hope that you stay safe and strong in this incredible time.
Anti Racism Resources
Organizations to support:
Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective
Articles:
How to Talk to Relatives Who Care More About Looting than Black Lives
75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice
Black Feminist Reading List, in Vogue, compiled by Kalima DeSuze, who is a social worker, teaches at Silberman School of Social Work, and runs a Brooklyn intersectional feminist bookshop called Cafe con Libros
The Death of George Floyd in Context
Five Anti-racism Responses ‘Good’ White American Women Give to Viral Posts
Books:
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies
Podcasts:
Videos:
Black Feminism & the Movement for Black Lives: Barbara Smith, Reina Gossett, Charlene Carruthers
How Studying Privilege Systems Can Strengthen Compassion
Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man
Authors/activists/accounts to follow:
Rachel Cargle – Writer who explores themes around race and feminism/womanhood
Ibram X. Kendi – Author of How to be an Antiracist, director of Antiracism Center
Layla F. Saad – Author of Me and White Supremacy
Other resources:
Two Webinars by Embrace Race for parents (The first geared toward parents raising children of color, the second for parents raising white children):
I [STILL] Can’t Breathe: Supporting Kids of Color Amid Racialized Violence
How Do I Make Sure I’m Not Raising the Next Amy Cooper?
Do you know of any other resources? Let us know in the comments below!
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1 comment
I am so proud and honored to be a part of this amazing practice that not only has conversations about our commitment to anti-racism and how to be an ally but continues to look for and engage in providing the appropriate resources. Thank you Joe for providing such an important blog with great information.