Therapists Challenging Racism and Oppression: the unheard voices

This is a book about racism and its intersections with other forms of oppression within the talking therapies, told from the therapist’s perspective. Inside are powerful, first-person accounts of the often traumatising silencing of counsellors of colour within, and by, their own profession. These are searingly honest and rarely detailed stories of practitioners being shamed, excluded, violated, rendered invisible and deeply wounded by their experiences in training and in practice. But they are also stories of strength, courage, resourcefulness and growth. Some therapists may find deep recognition and affirmation in these accounts, as well as hope and healing. Others may better understand how their own fragility and bias have led them to similar behaviours and harmful mistakes. The book compellingly captures the nuances and fractures of racial and intersectional trauma and illustrates many of the damaging ways that conscious and unconscious ideas of race, and other aspects of personhood, are still woven into society. This is an essential read that brings together personal, psychological, societal and political insights to better imagine and further the discourse around what might facilitate meaningful change.

Pre-order your copy now! Publication date 1st June 2023

Black Identities + White Therapies: Race, respect + diversity  

This vibrant new book springs from the continued failure of the counselling and psychotherapy profession to adequately prepare trainees to meet the needs of today’s multi-ethnic, multiracial and multicultural society. The editors, both highly experienced trainers and academics, have gathered together here a group of new and established writers who draw on personal and professional experiences to present an array of fresh ideas and approaches. Their aim is to inform training curricula that would more adequately prepare therapy students to respond sensitively and in culturally appropriate ways to clients of diverse cultural and racial identities.

Each chapter presents a challenge to all therapeutic practitioners, whatever their specialist role, to attend to and reflect on their personal and professional attitudes and behaviours in relation to clients of all heritages and origins. Issues addressed include unconscious privilege, ‘othering’, micro-aggressions, broaching, racism, discrimination, the search for meaning, identity complexity, intersectional understanding, heritage, biases and projections, trauma, intergenerational trauma, introjections, projection and decolonisation of the curriculum.

This book is a wake-up call to the profession to develop more inclusive models of theory and practice, and to every counsellor, psychotherapist and counselling psychologist to review their professional practice and ensure a better fit between the aspirations and theories of their professional calling and the needs of our multi-ethnic, multiracial and multicultural society today.

Chapter contribution: Lifting the White Veil of Therapy. 

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The Handbook of Transcultural Counselling and Psychotherapy

This fascinating book examines recent critical thinking and research findings in the field of transcultural counselling and psychotherapy.

Chapter contribution: The effects of a Pakistani Heritage. 

Available now on Amazon: click here to order