THE FRONTIER OF SOCIAL JUSTICE: Cross-Cultural Compassion in Clinical Practice

Deran Young, LCSW

Deran Young, LCSW, is a licensed therapist specializing in racial trauma and legacy burdens. She is a co-author of the New York Times best-seller, You Are Your Best Thing. She’s a retired military officer and founder of Black Therapists Rock, a non-profit organization with a network of over 30,000 mental health professionals committed to reducing the psychological impact of systemic oppression and intergenerational trauma.

Deran obtained her social work degree from the University of Texas, where she studied abroad in Ghana, West Africa, creating a high school counseling center for under-resourced students. Deran has visited over 37 countries, and her clinical experience spans four continents.

Her passion for culture and people has made her a highly sought-after diversity and inclusion consultant working with companies like BBERG, Facebook, Linked In, and YWCA.

Deran resides in the Washington, DC, area with her 10-year-old son.

You know more now than you did three years ago about equity, inclusivity, and social justice.

In the past three years, the number of courses on diversity, racism, and anti-bias has proliferated. And the number of students taking those courses has skyrocketed. (We celebrate that!)

But…has that knowledge really changed how you show up?

It’s great that we’ve been discussing diversity – but very few of us have the tools to talk about race or any kind of cultural difference in a way that is actually helpful to anyone.

So, how do you translate your knowledge of systems of oppression to the human being sitting in front of you?

The next frontier for therapists is cultivating cross-cultural compassion. By understanding the root of our collective guilt and shame – racism, patriarchy, materialism, and individualism – and dismantling these four legacies, we can begin to repair and connect.

In our new course, The New Frontier of Social Justice: Cross-Cultural Compassion in Clinical Practice, Deran Young leads us into the new frontier of anti-oppression work for therapists and helping professionals worldwide.

During our 8 weeks together, we will explore:

On an individual scale, you can learn how to practice in a way that undoes the harms of systems of oppression. Start with yourself, extend into your practice, and impact your entire community.

You are not expected to come to this course knowing it all. We believe learning should challenge and change you.

Join hands with Deran today to take your learning from theory into practical action in the therapy room.

In this session, we will discuss:

• How perfectionism, self-righteousness, criticism, fear, guilt, blame, and denial get in the
  way of maintaining curiosity
• The internal experience of shame and associated psychological defenses
• Utilizing communal support and self-compassion for endurance in anti-oppression and
  social justice
• The Learning Zone Model, developed by psychologist Lev Vygotsky, applied to anti-racism
• The Enneagram perspective of understanding parts of our personality as it relates to
  fears, unconscious motives (i.e., shadow), and guidance on personal development

Recording of Zoom Session 2 – PREJUDICE, POWER & PRIVILEGE: “WE ARE ALL KEN’S & KAREN’S” – 90 Minutes – 1.5 CEs

“These cycles of oppression leave scars on the victims and victors alike, scars that embed themselves in our collective psyches and are passed down through generations, robbing us of our humanity. . . . We must return and claim our past in order to move toward our future.” – Dr. Joy DeGruy, author of Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome

Like slavery, many legal and judicial structures directly or indirectly limit the power of African Americans and separate poor and minority populations from whites. In this module, we define terms commonly used in anti-oppression work and personalize how we each have been conditioned by systemic oppression. We will begin to unpack the intergenerational trauma associated with the legacy of White Supremacy Culture. Utilizing Dr. Ken Hardy’s theory of “privileged vs. subjugated selves,” we will untangle the concept of intersectionality and discuss

how some “parts” of our identity hold experiences of power and privilege, while other parts can simultaneously hold experiences of systemic oppression.

In this session, we will discuss:

• Various aspects of culture and the intersections between identities of privilege and identities of subjugation
• The intergenerational impact of subjugation
• How to identify the daily effects of white privilege and how “proximity to whiteness”
  often determines access to resources
• The tools of White Supremacy Culture that enable and perpetuate systemic oppression,
  fostering an “us vs. them” mentality
• The unique anti-blackness in the United States of America and its continued impact,
  especially among descendants of enslaved Africans

Recording of Zoom Session 3 – LEGACY BURDENS & SYSTEMS THINKING – 90 Minutes – 1.5 CEs

A legacy burden is negative beliefs, memories, emotions, and energies passed down through the family line or culture. Racism, Patriarchy, Materialism, and Individualism are four collective legacy burdens that impact everyone living in the United States of America. These burdens are transmitted both overtly and covertly. Systems thinking prioritizes interconnectedness over individualism, and recognizes that all parts of a process, person, or community must be valued for the health and harmony of the larger system.

In this session, we will discuss:

• The IFS approach to embracing “parts” of a system to unburden the fears they carry
• Self-energy, unblending, YOU-turn, and unburdening
• The Drama Triangle, polarizations, and the interconnected nature of systems
• The theoretical basis of compassionate witnessing and corrective experiences in therapy
• Systems thinking as a shift in mindset, away from linear thought processes to circularand multidimensional
• Resmaa Menakem’s concept of clean pain (choosing integrity over fear and standing inthat integrity to move forward toward the unknown) vs. dirty pain (responding to fear and conflict from our inner wounded child)

Recording of Zoom Session 4 – DECENTERING PATRIARCHY & CISHET PRIVILEGE – 90 Minutes – 1.5 CEs

“My silences had not protected me. Your silence will not protect you.” – Audre Lorde

Not unlike white privilege, “cisgender privilege” or “heterosexual privilege” are terms used to refer to the advantages that people receive for being treated as society’s default gender and sexuality “norm.” Decades of research show that LGBTQ+ia populations face a disproportionate burden of mental health problems, including depression, lower self-esteem, and substance use. LGBTQ+ia people are not inherently more prone to these challenges because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, but rather because they are discriminated against, victimized, shamed, and stigmatized by society. Heteronormativity perpetuates homophobia and transphobia, which is reflected in the thousands of violent acts towards members of the LGBTQ+ia community globally each day.

In this session, we will discuss:

• How patriarchy and cishet privilege are related
• Pioneers who initiated the fight against trans- and homophobia, spoke up, and encouraged others to fight for justice and respect
• Higher risk factors associated with BIPOC who identify as LGBTQ+ia
• Appropriate terms, language, and definitions to be better equipped in supporting members of the LGBTQ+ia community

Recording of Zoom Session 5 – THE COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL IMPACT OF POVERTY – 90 Minutes – 1.5 CEs

Research shows that poverty is a collective experience of lacking and longing for resources. Studies indicate that our economic circumstance significantly impacts our behaviors and cognitive processes, and these are often passed down inter-generationally. An overwhelming amount of data has shown that experiencing poverty during childhood is associated with poorer mental and physical health outcomes. Thirty percent of those in the highest economic stratum of society were classified as mentally “well,” while only 4.6% of the lowest stratum experienced the same.

In this session, we will discuss:

• The nine vital resources that influence a person’s social and emotional wellbeing.
• How language and messaging impact self-esteem.
• The “Hidden Rules” of middle-class culture
• The culture of poverty as it relates to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
• American privilege, Survival of the fittest, and the colonial mindset

Recording of Zoom Session 6 – INDIVIDUALISM, ISOLATION & INTERGENERATIONAL TRAUMA – 90 Minutes – 1.5 CEs

In this session, we will discuss:

• A comprehensive understanding of the school-to-prison pipeline
• Collectivism as a protective factor for suicidal ideation in individualistic societies
• Social isolation as a risk factor for poor life satisfaction across all domains and higher
  rates of substance use
• The intersection of criminal justice and mental health
• How the war on drugs perpetuates social inequality, mental health stigma,
  miseducation, and racist political propaganda

Recording of Zoom Session 7 – DEVELOPING A CHANGE PLAN  – 90 Minutes – 1.5 CEs

“Wanna go fast, go alone. Wanna go far, go together.” – African Proverb

Our individual and collective goals toward social justice will demand we continuously renew our commitment to reducing complicity while increasing our capacity for more therapeutic connections. To be effective in this work will require ongoing support, accountability, and reflection. The goal is to create greater access to resources in solidarity with systematically oppressed people so you can live authentically and wholeheartedly. Together we will create a plan for success to increase cultural humility and cross-cultural compassion.

In this session, we will discuss:

• Contemplation & Preparation vs. Action & Maintenance
• Ambivalence and stuck points to examine hidden fears or concerns
• The conceptual differences between diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging

Recording of Zoom Session 8 – INTEGRATION & APPLICATION – 90 Minutes – 1.5 CEs

Carl Jung argued that integration is the process during which both the individual and collective unconscious are integrated harmoniously into our personality. Integrating with integrity includes the ability to be fully honest and accurate about the intentions AND impact of one’s actions.

In this session, we will discuss:

• Tips for creating a life that is distinctively transformative in response to cultural
  segregation
• The need for racial affinity groups in anti-racism work
• Harvard’s Guide for White Affinity Groups
• Ways to identify “power over” vs. power within
• Circle-back prompts to facilitate relational repair and corrective experiences

The Frontier of Social Justice: Cross-Cultural Compassion in Clinical Practice
with Deran Young, LCSW
Learning Objectives

For intermediate or advanced mental health professionals.

To receive Distance Learning/Home Study continuing education credit, applicants must complete all course materials, purchase the CEs, submit an evaluation form, and pass a post-test with a score of 80% or greater. It is the responsibility of the attendee to determine if the CE credit offered by Academy of Therapy Wisdom meets the regulations of their state licensing/certification board.

Continuing Education credits offered:

Psychology: Not offered for this training.

Counseling:

Marriage/Family Therapy: See below for CAMFT information.

This course is $497. You can purchase it here.