Book launch

Black Women, Trauma and Therapy -Ed. Helen george: Revolutionising therapeutic thought and practice

Along with authors who contributed to the book, last Saturday, I attended the launch of this inspiring, powerful and informative book. The launch was held in a conference space at a hotel in Islington. There were about seventy people attending and it was a moving occasion. Authors spoke to and read from their contributions to the anthology. The chapter that I wrote is called Unsilencing After the presentations we were offered a tasty buffet, and there was a cake designed to look like the book. It was an auspicious occasion, arranged by the book edior Helen George, that I was proud to be a part of.

Chapter 1 – The un-silencing of black women: A black empathic approach

Helen George: In this chapter, I engage in conversation with intercultural psychotherapist Dr Isha Mckenzie-Mavinga, to explore her innovative ‘black Empathic Approach'. We discuss how her approach can help un-silence Black women, who have long been, and continue to be, silenced by the pervasive forces of anti-Blackness and other forms of oppression. The importance of this work becomes even more critical in the face of the increasing harm experienced by Black women, as the impact of these oppressions continues to take a toll on their mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing. Dr Isha argues that the internalisation of the harm can also cause them to emotionally shut down, as both a survival and coping mechanism. Due to the silencing nature of anti-Blackness and other forms of oppressions, which are often overlooked in therapy, this chapter serves as a powerful call to action for counsellors and psychotherapists. It urges us to lean into the trauma and emotional damage, and to help Black women work through the deep layers of pain, hurt and anger, ultimately guiding them towards finding their voice once again. To support this vital work, we discuss how mental health professionals, regardless of their theoretical orientation, can incorporate the ‘black Empathic Approach’ into their clinical and supervisory practice. Dr Isha challenges us all, regardless

of race or ethnicity, to break free from the ‘colonial trappings’ of our training, thereby beginning the process of un-silencing ourselves as well.