Council for Relationships
Stands for Racial Justice

CFR’s Racial Equity in Therapy Initiative Professional Development Workshop Series

Connecting Against the Odds: Practicing Cultural Humility in Troubled Times

How do we foster resilience, healing, and justice in the context of chronic stress and systemic racism? What might we in the mental health professions bring to the table? Council for Relationships is committed to engaging questions raised by the current pandemic and growing social justice efforts. We know that we have much to learn from a focused exploration of how we, as mental health practitioners, can effectively guide our clients through these challenges.

As part of our Racial Equity in Therapy Initiative, Council for Relationships created a professional development workshop series called Connecting Against the Odds: Practicing Cultural Humility in Troubled Times. Past workshops have included Meeting the Challenge of Ongoing Trauma; Race, Racism, and Racial Justice: Recommendations for Anti-Racist Actions in Mental Healthcare; Elephants in My Therapy: Racial Literacy for Negotiating Racial Stress in Therapeutic Relationships; The Color of Love: Understanding Colorism and Relationships; Whiteness and Counseling: Examining the Invisible; Kink in Practice, Theory, and Color: Intersections of Sex Positive Kink for Clinicians; The Residual Effects of Slavery: Implications for Training and Clinical Practice; Contemporary Theoretical Approaches to Suicidality & Minority Mental Health; The Colonization of Sexuality; Building Relationship Across Culture: Using Somatic Therapy to Work with Clients Across Diverse Identities; Discussing Help Seeking Behaviors of African American Men Who Have Experienced Sexual Trauma; and The Black Woman and Sexuality: Cultural Humility in Practice. 

Discussing Racism with Children

Nick News Presents: Kids, Race, and Unity | Hosted by Alicia Keys – Staff Therapist Dr. George James offers relatable examples of racial trauma and its lasting impact on adults and children alike. Click here to check out the resources guide.

How to Educate Your Kids About Racial Activism and Social Justice – Staff Therapist Dr. George James and “The Kindness Advantage” co-author Dale Atkins join Hoda and Jenna to share ways to teach kids to use their voices, foster empathy, and more.

Helping Kids Cope During Times of Unrest – Staff Therapist Dr. George James provides expertise on Good Day Philadelphia.

Owning Your Narrative as A Biracial Person in America – Staff Therapist Allen-Michael Lewis, MS, LMFT, shares his experience as a biracial person growing up in the United States.

Black History Month A Good Time to Talk to Kids About Race, Says Local Therapist – Staff Therapist Allen-Michael Lewis, MS, LMFT, suggests Black History Month is a good time to open up a conversation about race with your children, especially in families that are not ethnically diverse.

Discussing Racism with Family and Friends

Mental Health, Quarantine, and Racial Justice – Staff Therapist Ayo Akindumila, LMFT, participated in an Instagram Live with former CFR marketing intern and current social media influencer, Christe Konopitski, to discuss mental health, quarantine, and racial justice. Recommended start time: 05:30. Please excuse any technical difficulties.

Don’t Stay Silent: Fighting Racism At Home –  6abc’s Trish Hartman hosts a conversation about speaking out against racism and how to navigate some of the difficult conversations with loved ones. Trish is joined by The Opt-In with Aurora + Kelly, Dr. Rita DeMaria from Council for Relationships, and Lion’s Story about how to talk about racial issues with those closest to you when their ideals may not align with your own.

Opening Our Eyes to Opportunities for Change

Read reflections from former CEO Deb D’Arcangelo in her blog:
Opening Our Eyes to Opportunities for Change