WORKSHOP WORKSHOP

Workshop Details

Therapy training in the UK is overwhelming white and middle to upper class. Students are predominantly hetrosexual Judo-Christian women making the diversity of gender, race, class, sexual orientation, disability, neurodiversity in the extreme minority.

Othering occurs in groups to marginalise and oppress minorities. Trainees are subjected to invasive experiential and practical work that is not sufficiently held or managed by professionals who haven’t undertaken anti-racist or antioppressive training, thus resulting in harm to Black and minority ethnic students.

Student therapists of colour are assigned or limited to working with white therapists from the same modality who cannot identify with the issues training and racism encountered during the training. These therapists often have blind spots or play out power dynamics of white supremacy in the therapeutic relationship, further harming the students of colour during training and beyond.

Many white students are unaware of their own projections, prejudices and overt racism and are free to express these views on clients and students alike, with no fear of retaliation from course providers. When students of colour express their discomfort or lack of safety they are met with harsh hostility and ostracised. Leading them to feel silenced. Isolation amongst peers and communities of colour who can’t relate, leads to many therapists with trauma from the training experience.

Robinson (2012) explored the lived experiences of eight women of colour who were students within a counsellor education program. The participants reported multiple instances of isolation, humiliation, invisibility, and extreme stress as a result of marginalisation and racism within the program. A few of the key themes highlighted in the study included lack of support by faculty, feeling invalidated, stereotypical assumptions about race, disproportionate opportunities to White students, and other related themes.

Silencing then goes to internalise complex racial trauma deep into the subconscious.

This workshop helps to work towards breaking the silence of this often overlooked issue many students of colour experience. Utilising creative imagination tools and the collective participants we will work to find their voice. This workshop is suitable for Black and therapists of colour who are in training and qualified.

Lydia Puricelli (aka Conscious Culture Coach) is an Anti-racist integrative transpersonal trainee psychotherapist, coach, social justice activist, speaker, writer, author and trainer.

She focuses on the unique challenges Black & People of Colour as well as other marginalised groups face in training institutions and the workplace. She also specializes in treating the Mental Health and Wellbeing of B&POC and LGBTQIA+ communities through Frontline therapy and Opening Doors London. Where she works as counsellor and advisor.

Lydia is one of the Master graduates under Dr. Isha McKenzie-Mavinga delivering anti-racist training to therapists through BAATN on “The challenge of racism in therapy’. She also chairs the Student of Color and Allies Network at the Centre of Counselling and Psychotherapy Education where she works support students of colour in their training and challenge the institution on their oppressive teaching practices and curriculum.

Lydia has led and launched employee affinity networks for marginalised groups across global organisations including Investec, Fidelity and InterInvest - where she leads on Racial Equity in the Investment Industry.