Black Identities + White Therapies

Ali Ahmad Kaveh is a former lecturer of Herat University (2003-2022) currently living in Vancouver, Canada. He is pursuing his Ph.D. at Shanghai University focusing on the challenges of integration of Afghan refugees into Canadian society and culture. He is also studying the mental health of Afghan university students and also the recent Afghan refugees in Europe and North America.

Charmaine McCaulay is an accredited integrative body therapist, who considers the client to be addressed as a whole person. This means that each individual is seen as a composite of feelings, thoughts, emotions, and even the intangible aspect called the ‘soul’ or ‘spirit. Charmaine specialises in race and racism and works with the various ways we are psychologically, emotionally, physically, and spiritually wounded by race and racism. Charmaine feels uplifted and energized to do this work, doing it with love and dedication.

Colin Lago, D. Litt, was Director of the Counselling Service at the University of Sheffield, U.K., from 1987 – 2003. He now works as an independent counsellor/psychotherapist, trainer and supervisor. Trained initially as an engineer, Colin went on to become a full time youth worker in London and a teacher in Jamaica before becoming a counselling practitioner. He is a Fellow of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. Deeply committed to transcultural concerns within psychotherapy, he has published articles, videos and books on the subject. To balance professional demands he loves to run, bike and dance!

In relation to this talk, Colin notes that he was fortunate to come into the profession in its early days, 1977, the same year as BAC emerged from the Standing Conference! Colin first came across the work of Carl Rogers whilst initially training as a youth worker in his early twenties, (some seven years before he trained as a therapist). He found Carl’s books by accident whilst perusing the college library shelves and was immediately impacted by the resonance inside himself of these ideas ‘which spoke to him directly’. They helped to affirm his own confidence in his beliefs and approach to others.

Inevitably, there are many strands to this developing story, as with everyone’s biography, but Colin was fortunate in joining with his new colleague who already had worked with Rogers in international gatherings. Inevitably, attendance at international conferences and large group experiences soon followed, enabling Colin to meet colleagues from many parts of the world. Such connections form the background against which this presentation will be based.

Dr. Divine Charura is a full Professor of Counselling Psychology at York St John University (England). He is a Chartered Psychologist, and Counselling Psychologist with the British Psychological Society. He is registered as a Practitioner Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council in England. Divine is also an Honorary Fellow of the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy and an Adult Psychotherapist.

Divine’s psychotherapeutic interests are in exploring the therapeutic relationship when working with, loss, diversity, psychological distress, Trauma, love, relationships and their impact of on being. Divine has co-authored and edited numerous books in counselling, psychology and psychotherapy. These include Love and Therapy: In Relationship [co-edited with Stephen Paul] and with Colin Lago has co-edited the following books The Person-Centred Counselling and Psychotherapy Handbook: Origins, Developments and Current Applications and Black Identities + White therapies: Race respect and diversity.

Divine is a lover of photography, art, music and outdoor pursuits.

Counsellor, Coach and Trainer

With over three decades of experience, Delroy Hall is a trained counsellor, wellbeing practitioner, trainer, and independent scholar.

Delroy has given lectures and academic papers nationally and internationally and has extensive keynote speaker experience Including Harvard University, Boston College Massachusetts, USA, Durham university and South Yorkshire Police.

Delroy has coordinated mental health projects and is currently working with Birmingham Community Health Care Trust (BCHC) facilitating the Inclusive Leadership component on their ‘Inspire Leadership Programme. He is coordinator for a Black Male Suicide Prevention programme under the auspices Sheffield Health and Social Care (SCHC).

Dr Rachel-Rose Burrell is an accredited, registered psychotherapist and author. She has a background in nursing and many years experience of developing counselling services in the public, voluntary and faith sectors. She is currently Head of Psychotherapy within the Ministry of Justice. Dr Burrell is a member of the leadership team at her local church and heads up the well-being service which she developed in 2019 supporting congregants, third families and the local community.
Dr Burrell provides training on a range of topics including: mental health awareness, wholistic self care, conflict management and counselling skills for leaders.

Dr Burrell is the founder of Sozo Therapeuo a resource (primarily but not exclusively) for churches, promoting, improving and maintaining good mental health awareness and support through education, training and therapy.

Dr Dwight Turner is Course Leader on the Humanistic Counselling and Psychotherapy Course at the University of Brighton, a PhD Supervisor at their Doctoral College, a psychotherapist and supervisor in private practice. His latest book Intersections of Privilege and Otherness in Counselling and Psychotherapy was released in February 2021 and is published by Routledge.

An activist, writer and public speaker on issues of race, difference and intersectionality in counselling and psychotherapy.

Dr. Lucia Berdondini, PhD., is currently Associate Professor and Course Leader of the Distance Learning MSc Humanitarian Intervention at the School of Psychology, University of East London. At UEL she is also teaching on the BSc (Hons) Counselling. Lucia is a BACP Accredited Gestalt Psychotherapist since 2003 and she has been working with a variety of clients, individuals, couples and groups, adolescents and adults. Her areas of interest are psychosocial intervention in countries in war and conflict; existential therapies; intercultural counselling training. She has been involved in co-creating psychosocial interventions in countries like Afghanistan, Angola, India and Syria.

Mark Williams is a Senior Lecturer in Social Work with Leeds Beckett University since 2004. He has extensive experience in mental health social work practice and worked in both statutory and third sector mental health provision, prior to joining the university, including having the privilege to be involved in the development and launch of the first Assertive Outreach provision in Leeds (in 2000), and earlier the development of a multicultural mental health community resource (in 1998).

As a British African Caribbean man Mark has a particular interest in the lived experiences of Black and Global Majority (BGM) communities living in the UK. His interests has led him to become involved in the development and delivery of mental health services targeted towards the needs of BGM groups which has now extended to concerns about the diversity and inclusion of BGM individuals in higher education.

As the co-founder of the Islamic Counselling training programme, the first Islamic accredited training in the UK, I developed a theoretical underpinning for Islamic Counselling as well as a curriculum, and currently teach students in Islamic Counselling up to practitioner level.

Our model of Islamic Counselling (there’s more than one) reflects our contemporary, non-sectarian outlook, responding to the needs of our diverse communities. It’s inspired by our deep spiritual apprenticeship with Sufi Master, Shaykh Fadhlalla Haeri, with whom I learnt the importance of internalising the inner teachings of Islam, and further readings in Islamic Psychology.

I’ve lectured/trained in Islamic Counselling & Spirituality in Counselling in many mainstream and Muslim organisations, including the Universities of Tübingen, Durham, and Punjab, as well as the Muslim Youth Helpline, SOAS Islamic Society, Islamic Medical Association, and Markfield College for New Muslims. I’ve enabled Muslim grassroots organisations to offer Islamic counselling skills to their members like Wingz in Northampton, Pearls of Peace in Gloucester, and Whitechapel Islamic Centre. The facebook group I established on Islamic Counselling has almost 2000 members worldwide.

Abdullah and I contributed a chapter for the book ‘Counselling Muslims‘. I’ve spoken on Islamic TV/Radio programmes to raise awareness on Muslim mental health, and was Chair of the Muslim Women and Families Helpline for over 10 years. Originally trained in youth work and then in person-centred counselling, I’ve worked extensively in the drugs and alcohol field, briefly been a student counsellor, and have provided local government and other bodies with research, training, policy development, and consultancy in the area of teenage pregnancy, looked after children, sex and relationships, adult education, and diversity. I also offer consultancy on adult education to councils throughout Britain.

Vedia Maharaj is a clinical supervisor, trainer and psychotherapist. Her theoretical approach is person centred with particular interests in complex trauma, complex loss, displacement and thinking beyond European concepts of resilience and healing. Vedia train’s on a range of topics that relate to the intersection of human rights, inequality, diversity and psychotherapy. Her key client groups include adolescents and young adults, asylum seekers, refugees, people who have been trafficked and people of colour. She is a researcher of Indian Indenture histories and is committed to supporting black and people of colour therapists through her work at the Black African and Asian Therapists Network. Vedia is a contributing author to ‘Black Identities and White Therapies’ edited by Colin Lago and Divine Charura.

Yvon is a psycho-dynamic counsellor living and working in Bristol. After gaining her PhD in trauma and resilience built an intersectional practice. Yvon writes about the mixed race experience in the UK. She also creates multimedia resources for understanding and working with colourism in the UK. In her spare time, she loves going for long walks, cooking, and family time.