Using a Somatic Approach for BIPOC Clients
2020 was unique for everyone. Our nervous systems were in collective overload and clinicians – especially therapists who work in trauma – experienced high stress levels whilst treating their high-stress clients.
Although stressed clinicians treating high-stress clients was common pre-pandemic, Chinwé Williams, PhD, noticed an increased number of adolescent, college students, and professionals of color seeking to restart counselling or begin that process for the very first time.
Rapid heartbeat, sweaty palms, queasy stomachs, and tension are some signs of physical distress that clients of all racial and ethnic backgrounds arrive to therapy with. We don't simply think anxious thoughts, we feel anxiety.
As a mindfulness-based, attachment-focused, somatic therapist, Dr. Williams has found opportunities to practice mindfulness exercises with her Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) clients. The key to managing distress, anxiety, and overall well-being lies in self-understanding, so Dr. Williams utilizes a mindfulness exercise to help ground clients and begin the process of learning to ground themselves before the intake process even begins.
In this video, Dr. Williams invites you to practice a mindfulness exercise to use with your BIPOC clients to help them in the process of learning deeper self-awareness, how to regulate their nervous system, and manage their anxiety before it spirals from tolerable to overwhelming.
Although stressed clinicians treating high-stress clients was common pre-pandemic, Chinwé Williams, PhD, noticed an increased number of adolescent, college students, and professionals of color seeking to restart counselling or begin that process for the very first time.
Rapid heartbeat, sweaty palms, queasy stomachs, and tension are some signs of physical distress that clients of all racial and ethnic backgrounds arrive to therapy with. We don't simply think anxious thoughts, we feel anxiety.
As a mindfulness-based, attachment-focused, somatic therapist, Dr. Williams has found opportunities to practice mindfulness exercises with her Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) clients. The key to managing distress, anxiety, and overall well-being lies in self-understanding, so Dr. Williams utilizes a mindfulness exercise to help ground clients and begin the process of learning to ground themselves before the intake process even begins.
In this video, Dr. Williams invites you to practice a mindfulness exercise to use with your BIPOC clients to help them in the process of learning deeper self-awareness, how to regulate their nervous system, and manage their anxiety before it spirals from tolerable to overwhelming.
Beyond Cultural Competency Summit
When cultural, racial, and other differences stand between you and your clients it can shake the foundation of therapy and threaten the connection and trust central to exceptional treatment.
That’s why we’re inviting you to our first-ever Beyond Cultural Competency Summit on February 23-24, 2023, where you’ll join the experts redefining how we work with diverse clients in some of the most tumultuous times we’ve ever seen.
That’s why we’re inviting you to our first-ever Beyond Cultural Competency Summit on February 23-24, 2023, where you’ll join the experts redefining how we work with diverse clients in some of the most tumultuous times we’ve ever seen.
You May Also Be Interested In These Related Blog Posts
