3 TPC Digest Warren Wright, Jennifer Hatchett Stover, Kathleen Brown-Rice Understanding Racial Trauma 3 TPC Digest lack, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) endure persistent manifestations of racism. The atrocities BIPOC experience impacts their mental health and well-being. Experiencing racism can result in anxiety, depression, lower self-esteem, and chronic diseases. Researchers have coined many names for the traumatic responses to the racism that BIPOC individuals and communities experience: race-based stress, race-based traumatic stress, racism-related stress, and racial trauma. These terms all highlight the underbelly of this persistent trauma as racism. Although racism was just recently declared an official public health issue by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, many BIPOC scholars have written about racism and its impact on BIPOC communities since the 1970s. Professional counselors are called to stand in the gap and become agents of change to help BIPOC individuals heal from the effects of racial trauma with appropriate education and training. The mission of the American Counseling Association, as stated in their Code of Ethics, is “to enhance the quality of life in society by promoting the development of professional counselors, advancing the counseling profession, and using the profession and practice of counseling to promote respect for human dignity and diversity.” Therefore, understanding the effects of racism on the mental health and well-being of BIPOC requires immediate attention from the counseling profession. The authors of this article provide an overview of racial trauma and its effects, offering strategies and clinical implications for professional counselors in various roles (i.e., counselor educators, practitioners, and supervisors). Thus, we can reimagine humanity by interrupting the violence BIPOC communities frequently experience with culturally appropriate and trauma-informed practices. Healing racial trauma takes an intentional practice informed by frameworks, theories, and modalities that center humanity. Culturally responsive and trauma-informed techniques create space for reflection, wellness, and growth. Additionally, integrating a trauma-informed curriculum in counselor education programs will provide the best education and training to prepare counselors-in-training (CITs) to address concerns related to racial trauma. Therefore, professional counselors should reflect on how to disrupt racial trauma and help reduce trauma exposure from racism in American society. It is both the professional and ethical duty of all professional counselors to provide counseling services within their scope of training. Therefore, professional counselors, educators, and supervisors should seek out training opportunities to increase their knowledge and skills related to racial trauma. Without the proper training of seasoned professional counselors, CITs will not be prepared to address racial trauma when working with BIPOC clients. The counseling profession must build competence in working with clients with racial trauma concerns. Ignoring the call to address racism with BIPOC clients can deepen their wounds and silence their pain. This article is an invitation to do the work and help BIPOC individuals and communities heal. Warren Wright, MEd, NCC, LPC, CCTP, is a doctoral student at Sam Houston State University. Jennifer Hatchett Stover, MA, NCC, LPC, CCTP, CSC, is a doctoral student at Sam Houston State University. Kathleen Brown-Rice, PhD, NCC, ACS, LPC, LCMHC, LCAS, is a professor at Sam Houston State University. Correspondence may be addressed to Warren Wright 1932 Bobby K. Marks Drive, Huntsville, TX 77340, wbw007@shsu.edu. Implications for Professional Counselors B
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDU5MTM1