We are celebrating BIPOC Mental Health Month in July by highlighting our RESI recipients. Originally named National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, BIPOC Mental Health Month is a time to spotlight Black, Indigenous, and People of Color’s (BIPOC) unique experiences. These experiences cover a wide range of rich, colorful cultural resources that can be called on for resiliency, but also historical disenfranchisement, discrimination, and systemic oppression that causes not only individual traumatic experiences but collective trauma for all who participate in the larger U.S. society based on colonialism.
RESI stands for Racial Equity Support Initiative and refers to an EMDRIA Foundation program working to increase diversity in EMDR therapy. The RESI program is for EMDRIA members seeking EMDR Certification and Consultant status. The program aims to address systemic discrepancies by increasing access to leadership in the EMDR field (EMDR Certification and Consultant status) for individuals identifying as BIPOC. RESI recipients have applied for and received financial assistance to cover some of the costs to reach their goals of becoming an EMDRIA Certified Therapist or Consultant. You can learn more about the program and how to apply or donate here. The EMDRIA Foundation has awarded 44 applicants support, and 74 EMDR Consultants are participating in the program.
We know that in therapy, our clients’ identity matters and that clients do best when their identity is encouraged and considered within the therapy relationship. Similarly, at EMDRIA, our members’ identity matters, and our goal is that EMDRIA members’ identities are considered, celebrated, and encouraged to be fully expressed and understood.
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We asked RESI recipients to share 2-minute video clips responding to one or both of the following questions.
“What would you like to share about how your identity has informed, strengthened, and/or challenged you personally and professionally?”
“What can EMDR therapists do to advocate and be an ally for BIPOC mental health?”
*** Trillion Small, PhD, LMFT-S
*For closed captioning, play the video you wish and click on the ‘CC’ icon in the lower right-hand corner.
*Note: It’s not too late! If any other RESI recipients want to include their response, please email Susanna at skaufman@emdria.org to learn more.
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Resources:
American Bar Association. Human Rights: Native Americans: A crisis in health equity. https://www.americanbar.org/groups/crsj/publications/human_rights_magazine_home/the-state-of-healthcare-in-the-united-states/native-american-crisis-in-health-equity/
American Counseling Association. BIPOC Mental Health Month. https://www.counseling.org/knowledge-center/mental-health-resources/bipoc-month
Anti-racism Daily. Unpack “This Land is Your Land.” https://the-ard.com/2021/01/25/unpack-this-land-anti-racism-daily/
Archer, D. (2020, Fall). Racial trauma, neurons, and EMDR: The path towards antiracist psychotherapy. Go With That Magazine. Open access: www.emdria.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/GWT.2020.Vol_.25.Issue_.3.RacialTrauma.ALL_.pdf
Archer, D. (2021). Anti-Racist Psychotherapy: Confronting Systemic Racism and Healing Racial Trauma. Montreal, QC: Each One Teach One Publications.
Ashley, W., & Lipscomb, A. (2020, Fall). Addressing racialized trauma utilizing EMDR and antiracist psychotherapy practices. Go With That Magazine. Open access: www.emdria.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/GWT.2020.Vol_.25.Issue_.3.RacialTrauma.ALL_.pdf
Clearly Clinical. (2022). Lifting Black Voices: Therapy, Trust, and Racial Trauma (Ep. 95). Podcast featuring La Shanda Sugg, LPC, Dr. Tiffany Crayton, LPC-S, and LJ Lumpkin, LMFT. https://courses.clearlyclinical.com/courses/free-ceu-racial-trauma-therapy
EMDRIA. Antiracism Resources. www.emdria.org/publications-resources/practice-resources/antiracism-resources/
EMDRIA. Black History, Racial Trauma, and EMDR. Focal Point Blog. https://www.emdria.org/public-resources/black-history-month/
EMDRIA. Diversity and Cultural Competence Association Policy.
EMDRIA. EMDRIA Members Respond: How Can EMDR Therapists Increase Safety for BIPOC Clients? Focal Point Blog. https://www.emdria.org/public-resources/bipoc-mental-health/
EMDRIA. EMDRIA Members Respond: How Can the Field of EMDR Therapy Increase Access of Care for BIPOC Individuals? Focal Point Blog. https://www.emdria.org/public-resources/emdria-members-respond-how-can-the-field-of-emdr-therapy-increase-access-of-care-for-bipoc-individuals/
EMDRIA. EMDR and Diversity, Community, and Culture Online Community.
EMDRIA. EMDR therapy and parents with Mercedes Samudio, LCSW. Let’s Talk EMDR Podcast Episode 3. https://www.emdria.org/letstalkemdrpodcast/
EMDRIA. EMDR therapy, PTSD and treating black men and adolescents with Dr. Allen Lipscomb. Let’s Talk EMDR Podcast Episode 2. https://www.emdria.org/letstalkemdrpodcast/
Hernandez, C. (2020, Fall). SPACEHOGS make a difference. Go With That Magazine. Open access:www.emdria.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/GWT.2020.Vol_.25.Issue_.3.RacialTrauma.ALL_.pdf
Indian Health Service. https://www.ihs.gov/
Levis, R. V. (2017). Placing Culture at the Heart of EMDR Therapy. In Nickerson, M. I. (Ed.), Cultural Competence and Healing Culturally-Based Trauma with EMDR Therapy: Innovative Strategies and Protocols (pp. 97-112). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Co.
Levis, R. V., & Siniego, L. B. (2017). An Integrative Framework for EMDR Therapy as an Anti-Oppression Endeavor. In Nickerson, M. I. (Ed.), Cultural Competence and Healing Culturally Based Trauma with EMDR Therapy: Innovative Strategies and Protocols (pp. 79-96). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Co.
Library of Congress Archive. Native American History. https://blogs.loc.gov/teachers/category/native-american-history/
Mental Health Alliance. Black and African American Communities and Mental Health. www.mhanational.org/issues/black-and-african-american-communities-and-mental-health
Mental Health America. Native and Indigenous Communities and Mental Health. https://www.mhanational.org/issues/native-and-indigenous-communities-and-mental-health
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Your Journey: Black/African American. www.nami.org/Your-Journey/Identity-and-Cultural-Dimensions/Black-African-American
National Congress of American Indians. Cultural Protection & NAGPRA. https://www.ncai.org/policy-issues/community-and-culture/cultural-protection-and-nagpra
National Endowment for the Humanities. Not “Indians,” Many Tribes: Native American Diversity. https://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plans/not-indians-many-tribes-native-american-diversity
National Indian Health Board. https://www.nihb.org/behavioral_health/resources.php
Native Land Digital Map. https://native-land.ca/
Nickerson, M. I. (2017). Cultural Competence and Healing Culturally Based Trauma with EMDR Therapy: Innovative Strategies and Protocols. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Co.
Smith, L., Proctor, G., & Akondo, D. (2021). Confronting racism in counselling and therapy training – Three experiences of a seminar on racism and whiteness. Psychotherapy and Politics International, 19(2), e1579. Open access: https://doi.org/10.1002/ppi.1579
United States Census Bureau. Improved Race and Ethnicity Measures Reveal U.S. Population is Much More Multiracial. https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2021/08/improved-race-ethnicity-measures-reveal-united-states-population-much-more-multiracial.html
Urdaneta, V. (2020, Fall). Engage in the conversation of race and racism with “Hot chocolate and cheese:” An idea you can implement. Go With That Magazine. Open access: www.emdria.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/GWT.2020.Vol_.25.Issue_.3.RacialTrauma.ALL_.pdf
Urban Indian Health Insitute. Decolonizing data for Indigenous people, by Indigenous people. https://www.uihi.org/
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General Resources for Mental Health Therapists
If you are a therapist interested in the EMDR training, visit our EMDR Training & Education tab:
If you are EMDR trained:
- Learn more about EMDRIA membership
- Search for Continuing Education opportunities
- Check out the EMDRIA blog, Focal Point
If you are an EMDRIA Member: