WORKSHOP WORKSHOP

Therapists Challenging Racism and Oppression: the unheard voices

Workshop Details

Much of psychotherapy’s foundations were built upon and have reflected the structural oppressions of the wider world, and the field of therapy continues to perpetuate white privilege and racism. All practitioners will experience, witness, inflict, hear about or be complicit in racism and race related trauma as trainees, qualified therapists, clients, colleagues, tutors or through supervision.

Based on our newly published book, in this workshop we invite practitioners of all heritages and races to tell their stories and hear others’ experiences of racism within therapeutic settings. The group will have the opportunity to explore these encounters in as safe an environment as possible. We will also offer case vignettes for those who may not feel comfortable enough to share their own stories.

Through the medium of storytelling, we aim to facilitate support, connection, understanding and potentially healing from the racial trauma (whatever our racial background) that we hold in our bodies.

We will reflect on:

What happens in our bodies when we talk about race.

What racial trauma is being activated when and where.

How white fragility and white privilege continue to show up in therapy

How racial trauma impacts relationships

How therapists can better support and be in alliance with each other.

Rachel Jane Cooke (she/they), MA, is a queer, integrative psychotherapist, supervisor and educator from Ireland, in practice since 2009. She is based in London, runs an online therapy platform (p-therapy.com), consults to charities and social enterprises, and has a weekly radio segment where she often discusses identity, privilege and oppression. She regularly speaks on podcasts and hosts talks and workshops for the public, for therapists and for organisations on topics such as intersectionality, trauma, attachment, health and wellness under neoliberalism, embodiment, feminist therapy and Gender, Sexuality and Relationship Diversity (GSRD). Rachel is passionate about training therapists committed to social justice, particularly through embodied and relational practice. You can read more about her work at racheljanecooke.com.

Neelam Zahid is an Integrative Counsellor, Psychotherapist and Clinical Supervisor accredited by the BACP and have worked as a therapist since 2003. She previously worked within higher education for over a decade and currently has her own private practice. She is also the Deputy Course Leader for the Foundation year at the Minster Centre and teaches on the Introduction to Counselling Skills Course. In addition to this, she’s currently a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Westminster teaching on the B.Sc. Psychology and Counselling and Introduction to Counselling Skills Course. Her areas of interest are Intersectionality, Difference, and Diversity and has contributed to the following publications:

· Therapists Challenging Racism and Oppression: the unheard voices (2023, eds Neelam Zahid and Rachel Jane Cooke).

· The Handbook of Transcultural Counselling and Psychotherapy (2001, eds Colin Lago).

· Black Identities + White Therapies: Race, Respect + Diversity (2021, eds Colin Lago and Divine Charura).

You can find out more about her at www.neelamzahidcounselling.co.uk