As a Black British woman, there are times when my experience of a White British person has left me feeling confused, scared and angry. I’ve been told at times that the feeling has been mutual. Despite well-meaning intentions there is still so much that is misunderstood in interracial interactions.
In this workshop is to facilitate delegates’ exploration of their racial blind spots and the assumptions they make from their own racial frame of reference. I will also be sharing my own experiences as a Black client and a Black counsellor within interracial therapeutic relationships. Together we will explore questions such as:
- What do racial blind spots look like?
- What might we be overlooking about those who are racially different and similar to us?
- How can we increase our professional resilience in interracial therapeutic relationships?
Through exploring how our racial identities have shaped our overall experiencing, can we as practitioners hold the racial difference between us and our clients with integrity rather than tokenism and with confidence rather than fear?
Course Content
Presenter
Sarah Henry is a racial identity specialist, published author, counselling tutor, counsellor and consultant. Born in England to parents of Jamaican heritage, Sarah’s formative experience was a notable dynamic of complementary and clashing cultural norms. Elements of this disparity continued into adulthood and as she became more aware of her own racial identity and ‘not quite fitting in’. Her honest incorporation of these experience informs her empathic and non-judgemental approach to her work in supporting others to become more confident and inclusive in conversations and interactions about race.
Sarah has a published chapter in the 2023 book by Pete Sanders and Janet Tolan titled People Not Pathology: Freeing Therapy From The Medical Model. This chapter is focused on the overmedicalisation of Black people in mental healthcare settings and offers both information and support for therapists looking to work with Black clients.
She has presented and lectured nationally on race, racial identity and social justice and has worked with University of Roehampton, OnlinEvents, Counselling Tutor, PCCS Books, Counselling and Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body (CPCAB), Black and Asian Therapist Network (BAATN), A Disorder 4 Everyone, Medico Digital and others.
