Self-Care Tips for Black Therapists

Hello, with all of the national attention on the global pandemic, racial injustice, and the upcoming election, the role strain as a Black person and as a therapist is often overlooked (Armstrong, 2020). Therapists of color are often challenged with balancing their own struggles and experiences of systemic racism while  having to remain emotionally present during session while their clients recount and process their own experiences of racism, discrimination, and inequality without experiencing secondary trauma (Armstrong, 2020). How can one advocate, empower, uplift, encourage, and support their fellow clients of color when they themselves need the same empowerment? In the article, Armstrong (2020) highlights various tips that therapists of color can utilize in order to process and handle any excess mental and emotional strain that may be carried over from their clinical work. These tips are to promote resiliency and longevity for the road ahead for Black therapists. 

Self Care Tips: 

1. Acknowledge your emotions
2. Discover the comfort of joy
3. Be kind to yourself
4. Cultivate moments of rest
5. Decolorize your therapy
6. Seek out community

References:

Armstrong, J. (2020). "This ish is exhausting: Acknowledging the emotional labor of black mfts." Family Therapy Magazine. July/August. pp. 6-9.