Therapy and Justice Presentation Recording and Resources

In light of the recent events, there is a greater need now than ever to examine power and bias within therapy as well as amplify a multitude of perspectives on healing outside of Western, Eurocentric theories and ideologies. Robin Chancer, LCSW, a psychotherapist at Program for Torture Victims (PTV), presented on “Therapy and Justice: Unpacking Western Bias and Expanding Healing” back on August 10 and the recording and resources were shared. 

Description: Since the professionalization of psychology began, it has been modeled on white, patriarchal, capitalist ideas of wellness. Therapists trained in the U.S. often lack exposure to non-Western theories and practices, and are unaware of their own biases. These shortcomings can create a therapeutic relationship which perpetuates harm even as it seeks to heal it. Please join us as we explore historical, institutional, and personal biases, and engage with each other through reflection and dialogue! 

Robin Chancer, LCSW, is a bilingual licensed psychotherapist with more than 10 years of experience. She has been working primarily with protection-seeking migrants and unaccompanied minors for the last 7 years.

Follow up message: Thank you to those of you who were able to attend the presentation this past Monday! We hope it was a fruitful dicussion about decolonizing mental health and we appreciate everyone for sharing their valuable insights. We look forward to continuing this discussion in the future. We are looking to establish a forum that meets monthly and will send more information once we work out the details. 

Click here to watch the presentation recording.

Click here for the PowerPoint slides.

Resources on specific links to the Testimony Therapy references shared by Robin:

• Agger, I., Jensen, B. (1990) Testimony as ritual and evidence in psychotherapy for political refugees. Journal of Traumatic Stress, Vol. 3(1), doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.2490030109
• Esal, J.J., Sopheap, T. (2017) Testimony Therapy With Ritual: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Traumatic Stress, Vol. 30(1), doi: 10.1002/jts.22163
• Dr. Thema Bryant-Davis: https://www.drthema.com/
• BEAM: https://www.beam.community/

*A listener made us aware that the person featured in Judy Baca’s mural, called “The Migration of the Golden People,” is actually Oscar Romero and not Ignacio Martin-Baro.