APA Division 49 Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Committee

Over the past several months the disproportionate impact of the coronavirus on Black and Latinx communities amid economic downturn, combined with the killings of George Floyd and other black men and women, have heightened the call to action to address racism. Navigating topics of race, racial injustice and racial microaggressions is imperative for us as group practitioners to build cohesion in the group as a social microcosm. Hosted and recorded by Eric C. Chen, PhD (Diversity Committee Chair), this one-hour presentation was given by Aziza Belcher Platt, PhD, who is a licensed psychologist in Atlanta, Georgia, and has conducted research on racial-cultural events and microaggressions in small groups. As a Black woman, Dr. Platt's clinical work focuses on racial trauma and anxiety; she has worked with culturally diverse clients, particularly Black and Latinx people, through individual and group psychotherapy, family therapy, and psychological assessment. She has given workshops to companies to facilitate courageous conversations on race, racial equity, and antiracism. The presentation recording is here (in Division 49’s YouTube channel--here is the link) and the presentation slides are here. If you have any questions about her presentation, you can contact her via: Aziza A. B. Platt, PhD <drazizabp@gmail.com>, <https://www.linkedin.com/in/aziza-platt- 403a191>

On 9/23/20 (Wednesday), noon-1 p.m. EDT, please join Eric C. Chen, PhD, (Diversity Committee Chair), as he hosted a one-hour presentation by Michele Ribeiro, PhD entitled “Examining Social Identities, Intersectionality, and Systems of Oppression in Groups.” Here is a description of the presentation. “Dr. Kimberle Crenshaw writes “intersectionality, or interlocking systems of oppression, is an analytic sensibility, a way of thinking about identity and its relationship to power.” As group facilitators we hold power in what is named or passed over within our spheres of influence (e.g., therapy groups, consultation groups, organizations, etc). What awareness do we as group facilitators have of our own power, privilege and/or marginalized identities? This presentation gives an overview of the necessity to locate people’s and our positionality to dismantle systems of oppression as they pervade inside and outside of our [therapy] group experiences.” The presentation recording is here (in Division 49’s YouTube channel--here is the link); the presentation slides are here.

On 10/9/20 (Friday), noon-1 p.m. EDT, please join Eric C. Chen, PhD, (Diversity Committee Chair), as he hosts a one-hour presentation by Joe Miles, PhD, entitled “Intergroup Dialogue: Using the Power of Group to Further Social Justice.” The presentation recording is here (in Division 49’s YouTube channel--here is the link) and the presentation slides are here. Here is a description of the presentation:

“Ongoing racist violence against people of color against a backdrop of racial and class inequities in health and wealth that have been exacerbated by the pandemic, highlights the need to continue striving for social justice and an end to systemic racism. One group intervention that can help is intergroup dialogue. Intergroup dialogue is a small group intervention aimed at building relationships and communication skills across social identity groups, developing a critical awareness of social issues (including privilege and oppression), and developing the capacities to work toward social justice. Given its theoretical foundations in the social psychology of intergroup relations, as well as commonalities to the process of group psychotherapy, group psychologists and psychotherapists are well positioned to facilitate intergroup dialogues and contribute to the growing body of research on their process and outcomes. The presentation will be recorded and provide an introduction to the theory, research, and practice of intergroup dialogue. In addition, it will address how dialogic methods can be used in other settings, including group psychotherapy, to foster communication and understanding.”

On 10/29/20 (Thursday), 1-2 p.m. EDT, please join Eric C. Chen, PhD, (Diversity Committee Chair), as he hosts a one-hour presentation by Nathaniel Wade, PhD, entitled “Engaging Religious/Spiritual Diversity in Group Therapy: Opportunities and Challenges.” The presentation recording is here (in Division 49’s YouTube channel). The presentation slides are here. Here is a description of the presentation:

”Along with politics and race, religion may be one of the most polarizing topics in U.S. culture today. Furthermore, in process-oriented group therapy issues related to religion and spirituality often emerge in either implicit (e.g., issues of death and dying, meaning) or explicit ways (e.g., religious beliefs, spiritual practices). Due to the polarizing aspects of these topics, when they emerge in the group the potential for a negative impact on individuals and the group as a whole are very real. In this presentation, I will address religious and spiritual diversity in process-oriented groups with mixed membership (as opposed to groups formed for people from specific religious or spiritual backgrounds). I will focus on (a) understanding religious/spiritual diversity among the group members and (b) identifying religiously- or spiritually-laden topics and how to work with them in therapeutic ways. Although I will share findings from research in this area, the focus of this presentation will be applied. I hope the presentation will assist group leaders and trainers in advancing their knowledge and improving their practice. By understanding how religion/spirituality can present opportunities for incredible healing and growth if the challenges inherent in this area are understood and managed, group facilitators will be more prepared to lead groups with members from various religious or spiritual backgrounds.”

On 11/20/20 (Friday), noon-1 p.m. EST, please join Eric C. Chen, PhD, (Diversity Committee Chair), as he hosts a one-hour presentation by Noelle Lefforge, PhD, MHA, CGP, and Claudia Mejia, PsyD, entitled "Training Group Therapists to Respond to Microaggressions.” The presentation recording is here (in Division 49’s YouTube channel). The presentation slides are here. Below is a description of the presentation and click the link here for an intervention/resource handout with citations that can be helpful references:

“Culturally responsive psychotherapists have an ethical obligation to respond to microaggressions, particularly as they occur in group psychotherapy; therefore, training in therapeutic approaches to microaggressions are necessary. Many complex factors are present when microaggressions occur in psychotherapy; our training model for responding to microaggressions in group psychotherapy addresses barriers to microaggression responsiveness and facilitates complex skill-building. The training model consists of didactic training, role-play and modeling, and an experiential fishbowl-style group exercise. The training model may provide experiential practice of responding to microaggressions to bolster skills that may generalize across therapeutic contexts. During this presentation, we will 1) review literature establishing that not responding to microaggressions within the context of psychotherapy (particularly group psychotherapy) is harmful, 2) discuss barriers to training psychotherapists to respond to microaggressions, and 3) present our training model with video to illustrate the experiential portion. The model was well received at conferences of the American Group Psychotherapy Association, but more research is needed to establish its effectiveness.“

On 12/11/20 (Friday), noon-1 p.m. EST, please join Eric C. Chen, PhD, (Diversity Committee Chair), as he hosts a one-hour presentation by Martin Kivlighan, PhD, and Karen Tao, PhD, entitled “How do we address problematic systems and group process in therapy groups? A Multicultural Orientation (MCO) perspective.” The presentation recording is here (in Division 49’s YouTube channel). The presentation slides are here. Here is a description of the presentation:

“The MCO framework is a relational and process-oriented approach, which focuses on the interpersonal aspects of cross-cultural interactions in therapy – how people are with one another (Owen, Tao, Leach, & Rodolfa, 2011). Recently, this framework has been applied to examine group therapy interactions and how the three dimensions of the MCO framework facilitate productive dialogue among group members or thwart genuine conversations (Kivlighan & Chapman, 2018; Rigg, Kivlighan, & Tao, 2020). In this presentation, the application of the Multicultural Orientation (MCO) Framework to the practice of group therapy will be reviewed, with specific attention to interventions aimed at addressing problematic systems and group processes as they unfold in the group. Presenters will provide several clinical examples of how to engage a multicultural orientation to address systems of oppression and power as they emerge in therapy groups. Attendees will practice utilizing an MCO framework to address cultural processes as they emerge in hypothetical group scenarios. Attendees will gain knowledge of the application of MCO to group therapy and practice interventions informed by an MCO perspective.”