A new book coauthored by two Rutgers psychologists offers actionable insights into how racism can affect Black clients
In 2022, suicide was the third leading cause of death for Black or African Americans ages 10 to 24. But while Black mental health needs are acute, the percentage of clinical psychologists in the U.S. who are Black is 4%. The dearth of therapists who look like their clients and have similar experiences may help explain why only a fraction of Black individuals with mental health concerns receive professional help.
To address the need, two Rutgers alumni have published a guide for therapists to understand how race-based trauma affects Black clients. Jennifer Jones-Damis, the first Black director of Counseling, Alcohol and Other Drug Assistance Program, and Psychiatric Services (CAPS) at Rutgers-New Brunswick, and Kelly Moore, the first Black director of the Rutgers Center for Psychological Services in the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, note that cultural, social and political pressures have pushed conversations about racism into the shadows.
Their book, Racial Trauma in Black Clients: Effective Practice for Clinicians, offers strategies for bringing this topic to the therapy couch and beyond.
You write that race-based trauma can be experienced "vicariously" by Black individuals. What do you mean by that?
Jennifer Jones-Damis: When we witness a racial event - online, in the news or in real life - and the person victimized looks like us, it hits differently. Although the traumatic event didn't happen to us directly, we still feel the impact.
This isn't new, of course. Vicarious racial trauma has a long history in the lives of African Americans. During slavery, Black individuals were often forced to be present as acts of brutality were inflicted on their own people. But for a Black person in today's America, simply turning on the news or scrolling through social media can unleash a flood of traumatic events. Everywhere we look, people who look like us are being hurt, harmed or killed. This ubiquity has a significant impact on mental health.
Racial Trauma opens with a story about a client you call Sean. Tell me about him.
Kelly Moore: Sean is a composite example of clients we have worked with over the years meant to illustrate the mechanisms by which trauma affects daily life for Black people. At 17, Sean watched videos of George Floyd being killed by a white police officer in Minneapolis. Two weeks later, Sean was pulled over by police as he drove home from school, an incident that filled him with anxiety and fear. Years later, when he visits a psychologist, he tells the clinician that he's having a hard time sleeping, feels nervous, struggles with perfectionism at work and never feels settled.
For Sean, being exposed to images of George Floyd's murder occurred at a very vulnerable time in his life, when an adolescent's brain is still developing and still learning how to respond to scary situations. When he had his own encounter with the police, he reacted with hyper vigilance, nervousness and fear - reactions typical of trauma responses. It was a survival tactic. It's also how vicarious trauma can become traumatizing. Even though he saw it happen to someone else, that imprint left him feeling like he wasn't that far away from the same fate.
Sean's story is meant to help clinicians learn to understand someone who has experienced what he has and consider the impact of racial trauma at any point in their life.
What gaps are you trying to address with this work?
Jones-Damis: Racial trauma theory - specifically, how to work with Black clients - isn't taught in many schools. Many of the theories and concepts of psychology were created by white male psychologists. That's the foundation of psychology in this country and around the world. We wanted to address the needs of Black clients and be intentional about looking at the Black experience to see what works, and what does not work, within these traditional approaches to therapy.
Moore: We're basically saying that it's okay for a clinician to bring up racism, because your client may not. Race-based trauma is a lived experience for so many Black people, but historically, clinicians have not addressed it as part of therapy. Black people sing about it, write about it, talk about it, but therapists avoid it. We're hoping clinicians of all backgrounds will realize that it's okay to bring it into the room.
What are your hopes for this book?
Jones-Damis: One goal is to put words and examples to common Black experiences. Racial trauma has always existed, but only recently have we been able to not only define it but have common language to describe its impact. I hope clinicians, and anyone who reads the book, understands that the experience of racial trauma on Black individuals is real.
Moore: We need to improve the therapy experience for Black clients. I can't tell you how many Black clients I've had over the years tell me that I was the first therapist to ever consider whether their experience with racism or discrimination could be part of their presenting issue. My hope, therefore, is that more Black people go to therapy and can talk comfortably with their clinician about racism because the clinician is open and willing to talk about it.
These are challenging times for conversations about race in America. Do you think your observations will be well received?
Jones-Damis: I often wear a sweatshirt that says 'Dear Ancestors, I Understand the Assignment.' Being able to write this book, to give voice to the voiceless, is something I cherish. I'm not taking this moment for granted. If this book was ever needed, it's needed now.
Moore: This is not the time for playing it safe: It's the time to play it bravely. Black folks have long held this country accountable to the ideals enshrined in our founding documents. Jennifer and I are just a part of a long, broad and beautiful tapestry of people who have been doing this work. If this book generates some buzz, great. To paraphrase the late civil rights leader and Congressman John Lewis, if it's 'good trouble', we'll take it.
