This comprehensive therapeutic model integrates anthropology, social change, depth psychology, archetypal psychology, psychodynamic therapy, indigenous psychology, narrative therapy, tarot, and contemplative psychotherapy to address mental health with a multifaceted and culturally sensitive approach.
Anthropology and Social Change
Cultural Context and Competence: Understand the client’s cultural background, values, and traditions. Recognize how systemic racism and social structures impact mental health and identity.
Social Advocacy: Empower clients to engage in social change and challenge systemic racism. This can include supporting clients in activism or community involvement.
Ethnographic Methods: Use ethnographic techniques like participant observation and in-depth interviews to explore clients’ lived experiences and cultural contexts.
Traditional Healing Practices: Incorporate traditional healing practices and wisdom from indigenous cultures, recognizing the value of ancestral knowledge.
Holistic Health: Emphasize a holistic approach to healing, including mind, body, spirit, and land. Foster a sense of connection to community and ancestors to address historical trauma and promote healing.
Intergenerational Trauma and Healing: Recognizing the impact of intergenerational trauma stemming from slavery, segregation, and ongoing racial injustices. Utilizing therapeutic techniques to help clients process and heal from historical and ancestral trauma.
Incorporating Spirituality and Religion: Recognizing the importance of spirituality and religion in the lives of many African Americans. Integrating spiritual practices and beliefs into the therapeutic process when appropriate.
Addressing Systemic Racism and Discrimination: Acknowledging and addressing the impact of systemic racism and discrimination on mental health.
Exploring the Unconscious: Use depth psychology to explore unconscious processes, complexes, and archetypal patterns influencing clients’ thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
Symbolism and Dream Analysis: Integrate dream analysis and symbolic work to uncover deeper layers of the psyche.
Archetypal Patterns: Identify and work with archetypal patterns and narratives that resonate with clients’ experiences, particularly those related to race, identity, and social justice.
Myth and Storytelling: Use myths and stories to help clients find meaning and connect with collective unconscious material.
Symbolic Insight: Use tarot cards as a tool for symbolic insight and reflection, helping clients explore their inner worlds.
Archetypal Imagery: Engage with the archetypal imagery of tarot to facilitate deep psychological exploration and personal growth.
Mindfulness and Meditation: Integrate mindfulness and meditation practices to enhance self-awareness, emotional regulation, and resilience.
Compassionate Presence: Create a therapeutic space characterized by compassion, non-judgment, and deep listening.
Spiritual Integration: Support clients in integrating their spiritual beliefs and practices into their healing process.
Unconscious Processes: Explore unconscious thoughts, feelings, and memories that influence current behavior.
Transference and Countertransference: Analyze the dynamics between therapist and client to gain insights into relational patterns.
Reframing Stories: Help clients narrate and reframe their personal stories in ways that empower and heal.
Deconstructing Dominant Narratives: Challenge and deconstruct dominant societal narratives that perpetuate racism and oppression.