Social Work as Social Justice: Talking Race in the Therapy Room
As AGP therapists, we see ourselves as social workers first. This may seem like semantics, but to us, it’s a calling. It defines our values, our purpose, and our mission. As social workers, we’re tasked with helping clients exist as their truest self. This means we not only help them to overcome internal barriers, but to navigate an innately oppressive system. To do this, we must not only be conscious of our clients’ unique backgrounds and perspectives, but the ways in which our own identity presents in the room. It’s not enough to be conscious of our own race, privilege, and identity, we must also be aware of how our clients perceive these similarities and differences. And, as any therapist, social worker, or decent human ought to do, we must be cognizant of what we bring into the room and the ways we express it. This article about social locators is one resource we draw on to navigate the spoken and unspoken impact of racism.
While it can be challenging to navigate issues of diversity in the therapeutic setting, the greater challenge is access to therapy. After all, how can we explore race unless we’re sitting together in the same room? As AGP Therapist Ladi Agahiu, notes,
Within different POC groups and cultures, there is a stigma to receive therapy. Often times it’s seen as a weakness and not how strong one must actually be to seek out help when feeling overwhelmed. I often hear from clients how it has been such a challenge locating a therapist of color. POC often detail that they have sought me out because they feel that their life experience is shared and will be understood by me, ‘without explanation.”…I help affirm their decision to enter into therapy and give them the space and the right to explore their emotional health. I am grateful that I am in the position that I am to do that, everyday.
Entering therapy can be an overwhelming process unto itself. Difficulties accessing appropriate care, finding a clinician with whom you’re comfortable, and navigating insurance/costs are especially challenging for minority groups today.
At AGP we believe that therapy is a relationship just like any other. You deserve to feel safe, heard, and respected. We strive to stay informed and provide culturally competent care, attuning to the ways culture, language, background, and systems of oppression/privilege shape our worldview, both in and out of session. If you’d like to learn more about our team and those who specialize in navigating race, click here. To find additional therapists who identify as a Person of Color (POC), check out these resources: