Clients of Color in Therapy

Clients of Color in Therapy

All sessions can be found in full on learn.nctsn.org under “Clinical Training” – “Identifying Critical Moments and Healing Complex Trauma”. These are worth CEU (Continuing Education Units) credit when completed in their entirety.

After watching the video, please take the time to give us feedback on the session. Your feedback will help us shape the new webinars and sessions! If you have any questions or would like a copy of your responses, please email Meadow Pallein B.A., at ctdtd@uchc.edu.

Helping a Young Mother Experiencing Loss Navigate the Challenges of Parenting a Toddler

In this session you will meet Jayda, a young mother who is battling feelings of inadequacy as the parent of a toddler. Jayda is struggling to balance life’s responsibilities while experiencing loss and loneliness following the incarceration of her partner Trevor.

The Intersection Between Multi-Generational Developmental Trauma and Contextual Trauma

Introduces Miguel, a 17-year-old with a history of truancy, fighting, and multiple arrests since the age of 14— around the time his mother passed away from cancer. He lives with his grandmother and siblings and occasionally sees his father, who lives out of state. Recently, during COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, Miguel was arrested for public intoxication and resisting arrest. His previous therapist of several years has transitioned out, and he is struggling to make a real connection with his new therapist.

A Father Seeking Justice in Dealing with The Child Protection System

In this webinar, viewers will meet Mr. Smith, a 27-year-old single father who works full-time as a health worker. He and his fiancé would like full custody of his 7-year-old son, Samuel. His son is under the care of the Department of Children and Families (DCF) after Samuel’s pre-school teacher reported that he was sleeping in class and arriving to school, on numerous occasions, unkempt and hungry. The school made multiple, yet unsuccessful attempts to meet and speak with Samuel’s mother, Ms. Johnson. Mr. Smith does not understand why DCF did not contact him first instead of placing Samuel in a foster home. He is now required to meet with a social worker, Mr. Muhammad, to “learn parenting skills.”

A Young Black Man’s Dilemmas: Loss, Loyalty, and Family Relationships

Post Session Q&A: “Reactions & Feedback”

In this webinar, viewers meet 17-year-old Terrell, who is in his fourth therapy session—a teletherapy meeting with Dr. Wizdom Powell. During this session, Terrell realizes that he has been avoiding his feelings about his recent, challenging relationship with his stepfather. Dr. Powell also helps Terrell open up about his feelings of anger and sadness associated with the memory and deep loss of his foster father, who died in an automobile accident when Terrell was just a boy. Terrell discovers a path in his family relationships that allows him to honor and sustain a connection with both of his fathers.

Navigating Racial and Gender Identity Violence as a Young Black Man with Developmental Trauma

In this webinar, viewers meet James, a 16-year-old African American youth who has been living with his maternal uncle, Patrick, since he and his two younger sisters were removed from their biological parents three years ago when James reported to a teacher that his father physically abused him. The teacher filed a report with Child Protective Services (CPS), quickly leading to the removal of James and his two younger sisters (ages seven and nine at that time) from the family home. CPS has been the legal guardian of all three children ever since. CPS gave Patrick physical custody of James, but James’ sisters were placed with a foster family. Patrick believes James needs help and sends him to see Dr. Julian Ford. During his first telehealth session with Dr. Ford, James is skeptical about whether his older White therapist can understand what it’s like as a young African American man. Together, Dr. Ford and James discuss these differences. Their discussions allow James to open up and share some of his deep frustrations and fears, including how his experiences affect his sense of safety and trust and how Patrick can accept and support him as he navigates these complex issues.

Mandated Reporting with an Immigrant Family Struggling with Acculturation and Developmental Trauma

In this webinar, you will meet Soledad, a 14-year-old girl who has recently been released from her first psychiatric hospitalization after an attempted suicide. Soledad is the oldest of five children. Currently, she lives with two of her siblings in a foster home while her other two younger siblings were sent to a different home. Soledad’s mother was detained by ICE after physically attacking Soledad during what seemed to be a psychotic episode. Soledad is worried about her mother and her two younger siblings, whom she has not seen since they separated. This is Soledad’s first session scheduled by her welfare worker.

Keeping Secrets: Family Communication After Trauma

Jordyn, who disclosed sexual exploitation in a previous session has continued to see her therapist to address her symptoms of distress which include depression and PTSD. During this session Jordyn is joined by her father Jimmy who has his own trauma history related to combat exposure. Despite notable progress in both Jordyn’s and Jimmy’s respective individual treatment, tensions are growing at home that are related to the upcoming court proceedings and trial for the man who exploited Jordyn. To address the mounting tensions at home, the therapist decides to focus on communication. In this family session, secrets are revealed and the therapist is challenged to repair the rift between father and daughter caused by the information disclosed.

Reconnecting a Grieving Teen to Her Community

Often, adolescents may feel heard but not listened to in their family environment. This may be especially true in families with a history of trauma and/or family violence. This webinar will demonstrate approaches therapists can take to help adolescents feel more invested in the family therapy process. During this session, presenters will highlight critical decision points as they relate to trauma and explore them from various perspectives, including that of the therapist and family members.

Trauma and Race: Opportunities and Challenges for Therapists of Color Working with Families of Color

In this webinar, viewers see critically important moments from three dramatized therapy sessions and hear from seasoned trauma therapists who reflect on their own experiences in working with clients of similar and different racial and ethnic backgrounds to their own. Through thoughtful discussion, participants explore the intersections of developmental trauma, clinical work and race/ethnicity. Webinar participants are encouraged to reflect on their own experiences in working across similar cultural backgrounds and will have the opportunity to share questions to further this important discussion.

Managing Parental Dissociation During a Dyadic Therapy Session: Meeting the Needs of Dysregulated Parent and Child

Debbie is a 10-year-old multiracial girl who lives with her 27 year old African American mother Sharon. Sharon has struggled for years with substance abuse. The family lived for several years in a shared space which was quite chaotic. During this time, Debbie often would be with other children in the building for many hours at a time without adult supervision. Many adults would come in and out of the building, and Debbie often did not see her mother, sometimes, for days. During this session Sharon begins to dissociate and the therapist must now find away to comfort Debbie while supporting Sharon.

Defusing Violence and Facilitating Recovery from Profound Dissociation

In this webinar, a mother and her teenage daughter who have experienced severe family violence by an ex-husband/father in the past become embroiled in an intense verbal argument that escalates into sudden physical violence. Their therapist attempts to mediate the disagreement while not siding with either mother or daughter, and then must help the mother recover from shock and dissociation while simultaneously helping the daughter not run away and stay present in the room. Mother and daughter go through a complex series of emotional reactions (anger, fear, guilt, shame, grief) with the help of the therapist, and are able to make the shift from experiencing a flashback of violence to reconnecting with one another based on their core relationship.

Longing to Reconnect with Family: A Teenager and His Father Encounter Their Losses and Fears

In this Webinar you will meet Joshua, a 15-year-old who has been in and out of DCF care and foster homes his whole life. Recently he was arrested for attempt of armed robbery. In this session, the therapist was asked by DCF to work on strengthening the relationship between Joshua and his father to see if he could move in and live with his father’s family in the future.

Trauma and Distress Across Generations

This webinar depicts a moment when Rose initially directs her feeling of being victimized toward her therapist. Rose expresses that therapist’s contact with her mother and school has increased the stigma and vulnerability she feels, and her sense that she’s not getting the support she needs. Rose sees the therapist as responsible for greater distress for both herself and her mother.  This webinar illustrates the complexity of developmental trauma and raises questions as to whether the therapeutic relationship can be repaired. The therapist attempts to balance concerns of trust and safety in the context of Rose’s culture and the impact of developmental trauma across generations.

Supporting a Recently Traumatized Youth in a Crisis of Dissociation and Self-Harm

Samantha is a 15-year-old African American girl who lives in public housing in an urban area rife with violence and drug use. Samantha is an outstanding student and attends private school on scholarship, where her friends describe her as beautiful, popular, brilliant, and a star athlete. At age 10, Samantha saw her brother murdered when he was walking her home from school. Their mother became hysterical and chronically depressed, and their father changed from a loving dad to drinking and screaming at the family. Samantha was sexually assaulted by her boyfriend’s male friends at a party at which she, usually a non-drinker, became intoxicated and passed out. Samantha has no memory of the assault and was referred to a female therapist, Dr. Sofia Mattei, by a sexual assault counselor who met with her at the hospital. This webinar presents Samantha’s first therapy session with Dr. Mattei.

Helping a Family Cope with the Threat or Revictimization

Michael (12-years old) and Trisha (16-years-old) live with their mother Monica in a single-parent household. Five years ago, their father Neil was incarcerated after violently attacking and nearly killing Monica while the children were upstairs in their bedrooms. Michael and Trisha seem resilient, doing well emotionally, in school, and with peers, but Monica developed panic attacks and nightmares. Monica began therapy with Dr. Taylor two years ago, and her PTSD symptoms had largely resolved until she learned a couple of weeks ago that her ex-husband was going to get released from prison within the next month. Monica and Dr. Taylor jointly decided it would be helpful for the children to learn of their father’s imminent release in a family session with Dr. Taylor, the children’s first meeting with Dr. Taylor.

Gun Violence in the Street: Cultural Sensitivity in Grounding a Young Woman with a PTSD Flashback Experience

ISABELLA & GILDA’S SESSION – “Grounding A Teen Experiencing A Flashback”

ISABELLA’S CASE CONFERENCE – With Gilda Rodriguez-Diaz, Psy.D.; Moderated by Julian Ford. Ph.D.

POST SESSION INTERVIEW (English) – Therapist Reactions & Insights: Gilda Rodriguez-Diaz Psy.D.

POST SESSION INTERVIEW (Spanish) – Therapist Reactions & Insights: Gilda Rodriguez-Diaz Psy.D.

Reconnecting a Family Torn Apart by Violence and Addiction

Focuses on a family that is required to seek therapy after the parents get in a physical altercation while intoxicated. During a family therapy session with their teenage children, a father learns from his wife that she is questioning her gender identity. This discovery challenges the co-therapy team to balance the needs of each family member during the heated confrontation that follows. The team must find a way to keep the family emotionally safe as the father—feeling betrayed and confused—reacts in anger.

Separation, Immigration, and Developmental Trauma in the Lives of Children and Families

In this webinar, you will meet Soledad, a 14-year-old girl who has recently been released from her first psychiatric hospitalization after an attempted suicide. Soledad is the oldest of five children. Currently, she lives with two of her siblings in a foster home while her other two younger siblings were sent to a different home. Soledad’s mother was detained by ICE after physically attacking Soledad during what seemed to be a psychotic episode. Soledad is worried about her mother and her two younger siblings, whom she has not seen since they separated. This is Soledad’s first session scheduled by her welfare worker.