​When: Friday, April 9, 2021
Where: On Zoom
Presenters: Yamonte Cooper, EdD, LPCC; Paul Guillory, PhD; Bukky Kolawole, PsyD; Marjorie Nightingale, JD, LMFT
Moderator: Nancy Knudsen, LMFT
CEs: 6 CEs approved for LMFTs, LICSWs, LMHCs, and Lic. Psychologists
Target Audience: Marriage & Family Therapists, Social Workers, Mental Health Counselors, Psychologists; EFT training is not a pre-requisite
Level: Intermediate

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The impact of racial stress is an ongoing force in the lives of most African Americans, often exacerbating difficulties in their primary relationships. This symposium is designed for couple and family therapists to hear from four experts who will speak to the special considerations of effective, anti-racist informed Emotionally Focused Therapy. Topics covered include the self-of-the-therapist, unique challenges of Black couples, racial trauma and African American men, special issues for interracial couples, and cultural humility with African American couples. The program concluded with a moderated panel discussion among the four presenters.

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At the conclusion of this program, participants were better able to:

1. Identify 3 methods for building trust with African American couples.

2. Describe at least 2 ways that racial trauma negatively impacts African American couples.

3. Identify 4 types of trauma that potentially impact African American men.

4. Analyze 2 ways that race-based traumatic stress is potentially experienced by African American men.

5. List at least 2 race-based stressors that interracial couples experience.

6. Describe 2 specific conversations that can be facilitated with interracial couples.

7. Identify at least 3 ways EFT therapists have to adjust from the traditional model of EFT to work effectively with African American couples.

 

Schedule (all times in EDT)

12-12:15pm Introduction to the Day
12:15-1:30pm Working Effectively with Black Couples with Marjorie Nightingale, JD, LMFT
1:30-1:45pm Break
1:45-3pm Racial Trauma and African-American Men with Yamonte Cooper, EdD, LPCC
3-4:15pm Special Issues for Interracial Couples with Bukky Kolawole, PsyD
4:15-4:45pm Break
4:45-6pm Emotionally Focused Therapy, Cultural Humility, and African American Couples with Paul Guillory, PhD
6-7pm Moderated Panel Discussion

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Presentations

 

Working Effectively with Black Couples with Marjorie Nightingale, JD, LMFT

 

This workshop will examine the importance of Self-of-the-Therapist work regarding race as a precursor to working with African American couples and encourage participants to consider the impact of their own identities on the building of therapeutic trust. Additionally, the presenter will discuss how individual and collective experiences of racial trauma negatively impact African American couple functioning. Special attention will be given to navigating culturally constructed narratives about vulnerability and/or trust to further deeper emotional exploration. *This presentation will be recorded and made available as a Home Study event.

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Racial Trauma and African-American Men with Yamonte Cooper, EdD, LPCC

 

Ava DuVernay’s recent Netflix series When They See Us illuminates the story of the innocent Black men once known as the Central Park Five. The series explores the gendered anti-Black racism, disposability, and dehumanization that Black men such as George Floyd commonly experience and the resulting trauma. Further, getting killed by police is a leading cause of death for young Black men in America. Trauma as a result of racism is a normative experience for many African-American men. This workshop will provide clinicians with an introductory understanding of racial trauma and African-American men. *This presentation will not be recorded.

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Special Issues for Interracial Couples with Bukky Kolawole, PsyD

 

Partners in interracial relationships are often treated similarly, as racially homogeneous partners, by couples therapists and couples models (e.g. EFT) that consciously or unconsciously subscribe to color-blind ideology. Unfortunately, not acknowledging the racially-based stressors these partners experience within and outside of the relationship, explicitly and implicitly, not only limits the results of couples therapy for these couples but also leave these partners and their relationship vulnerable to chronic distress. This session offers an introduction to some of the racially-based stressors these couples navigate and considerations for therapists when working with interracial couples, so that therapists can move toward a more racially responsible approach in their work with interracial couples. *This presentation will not be recorded.

 

Emotionally Focused Therapy, Cultural Humility, and African American Couples with Paul Guillory, PhD

 

The challenge for Emotionally Focused Therapy is to include the cultural within both the attachment and emotional lens. With respect to African Americans, that includes cultural learnings and humility. Case formulations as a result have to include the influence of racial development and influence on couple dynamics. This presentation will include some ways to promote and enhance the discussion of race in the therapy process. The focus of the presentation will be about the most effective ways to integrate culture and race into EFT work, while addressing the presenting problems of the couple. *This presentation will not be recorded.