SPA 2023 - Featured Lecture - Apryl Alexander

Abstract

Racism, discrimination, and prejudice harm People of Color's physical and mental health and well-being and are potentially traumatic incidents. However, racial, cultural, intergenerational, and/or historical trauma are rarely consistently considered in the assessment of trauma along with other common forms of trauma, such as physical abuse, sexual abuse, and intimate partner violence. Racial trauma refers traumatic events related to real or perceived experiences of racial discrimination, which can include threats of harm or injury, humiliation, or witnessing harm to People of Color (Carter, 2007; Comas-Díaz et al., 2019). Psychologists have also suggested that cultural factors, such as cultural mistrust and exposure to police violence, should also be considered in evaluations (Dixon et al., in press; Isen, 2022). This aligns with other recent calls for anti-racist psychological assessment. Indeed, Byrd et al. (2021) note, “An antiracist psychology will consistently identify, accurately label, and directly address racism as it is encountered” (p. 280). From daily microaggressions to contacts with law enforcement, it is important for psychologists to capture these incidents in the process of their evaluations. Dr. Alexander will discuss how assessment tools can be used to evaluate racial and cultural trauma to engage in better anti-racist psychological practice. Resource: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2023-54964-020

Chair

Apryl Alexander | University of North Carolina Charlotte

Goals & Objectives

1. Define the concepts of historical, racial, and intergenerational trauma.
2. Identify challenges therapists encounter when discussing racial trauma.
3. Explain how researchers and practitioners can integrate assessment of racial trauma in their evaluation.