Working with African American Families

Description:

Given the historical racial trauma experienced by African Americans in the United States, engagement in mental health care systems has been complicated for this population. Inherent mistrust, cultural misattunement, lack of mental health knowledge, and misconceptions about institutionalized systems of care pose challenges when engaging African American families in therapy. To address these concerns, family therapists must understand the unique perspectives and needs of African American families, particularly those with legacies of enslavement. The purpose of this presentation is to provide attendees with the sociocultural context and clinical recommendations necessary for addressing the intergenerational transmission of trauma from histories of enslavement and discrimination. The systemic interventions to be presented intend to promote engagement and alliance-building between therapists and African American families. The presenter first provides information about the mechanisms of intergenerational transmission of trauma (5 minutes). Then, a brief historical summary of the racial traumas associated with enslavement will be discussed (5 minutes). Finally, the presenter will provide an overview of interventions for engaging with African American families that attune to a) family dynamics; b) emotional experiences; c) intergenerational processes; and d) therapist-client identity factors. Participants will be encouraged to engage in reflective prompts throughout the presentation.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to –

1. Identify at least one mechanism central to the intergenerational transmission trauma.
2. Describe at least two ways in which the racial trauma from enslavement affects African American families today.
3. Describe at least two clinical interventions that promote engagement and alliance-building between therapists and African American families on African American families.