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.
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.
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.
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Additional Resources
If you are a therapist interested in the EMDR training:
- Learn more about EMDR at the EMDRIA Library
- Learn more about EMDR Training
- Search for an EMDR Training Provider
- Check out our EMDR Training FAQ
If you are EMDR trained:
- Check out EMDRIA’s Let’s Talk EMDR Podcast
- Check out the EMDRIA blog, Focal Point
- Learn more about EMDRIA membership
- Search for Continuing Education opportunities
If you are an EMDRIA Member:
Date
July 21, 2023
Client Population
Racial/Cultural/Ethnic Groups
Practice & Methods
DEI/IDEA
