Title: The Practice of Cultural Humility: Addressing Privilege, Stereotypes, Biases, and Microaggression in the Therapeutic Context
Recorded on November 19, 2020
Featuring: Hong Nguyen, PhD and Elizabeth Sauber, PhD

Webinar Description:

Cultural/diversity issues play a significant role in therapy. Reported experiences of microaggressions in the therapeutic setting are common among patients seeking mental health treatment (Davis et al., 2016) and among mental health providers (deMayo, 1997). Microaggressions have been associated with lack of treatment engagement (Crawford, 2011) and poor working alliance (Owen et al., 2010). As such, mental health providers need to be prepared to address these issues in clinical settings. Patients’ perception of therapists’ cultural humility has been found to be associated with stronger working alliance and treatment improvement (Hook et al., 2013). The process of learning cultural humility and gaining awareness of one’s own stereotypes and biases can assist mental health providers to better address these issues in treatment. The current workshop will provide didactic and experiential training on cultural humility to help mental health providers be better prepared to examine these issues with their patients.

Learning Objectives

1)      Recognize one’s privilege and the role of privilege in systems of oppression and effectively use one’s privilege to advocate.

2)     Recognize one’s biases and stereotypes and ways in which they impact one’s actions/reactions to microaggressions and cultural issues in the therapeutic context

3)     Practice cultural humility in one's approach to cultural/diversity issues and microaggressions in clinical settings.

Presenters:

Dr. Nguyen has served on a number of diversity and multicultural committees in both the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and university settings, including the National VA Multicultural Diversity Training Committee, where she helped develop diversity training curriculum to be disseminated to directors of training in the VA nationwide. Dr. Nguyen has also led workshops on diversity and multicultural issues to clinical psychology graduate students, psychologists and psychiatrists in independent/group practices, and interdisciplinary treatment teams (e.g., social work, psychology, nursing, and psychiatry). Dr. Nguyen's interest in issues involving diversity, equity, and inclusion is prominent in her clinical practice. She has worked abroad with refugees in Thailand to provide HIV/AIDS and sexual violence education, education for migrant workers on legal rights, and group therapy for caretakers of survivors of violence. In the U.S., she has worked with refugees and immigrants in the department of Multicultural Services at Compass Health Community Center and has collaborated with the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project to provide psychological assessments for incarcerated individuals seeking asylum. Dr. Nguyen is currently a staff psychologist at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, where she provides culturally informed, evidence-based care to veterans in the Trauma Recovery Services. Finally, Dr. Nguyen's passion and knowledge on diversity and multicultural issues are informed by her own experiences as a first generation, Vietnamese immigrant and Asian American woman.

Dr. Lizzie Sauber received her degree from the University of Maryland's Counseling Psychology Program. She completed her internship and fellowship at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, where she now works as a staff psychologist in Trauma Recovery and Services. As a researcher and clinician, her work has focused on the intersections of trauma, grief and loss, and identity. She is especially passionate about integrating social justice and advocacy across all of her roles as a psychologist.Dr. Lizzie Sauber received her degree from the University of Maryland's Counseling Psychology Program. She completed her internship and fellowship at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, where she now works as a staff psychologist in Trauma Recovery and Services. As a researcher and clinician, her work has focused on the intersections of trauma, grief and loss, and identity. She is especially passionate about integrating social justice and advocacy across all of her roles as a psychologist.