Christopher may simply appear to be what some refer to as an “angry Black man,” but his lifelong struggle with trust, connection, and self-esteem have contributed to a deep sense of isolation and fear, masked by the anger and hidden beneath alcohol abuse. Significant earlier life stressors, including parental divorce and difficulty adjusting to the racial and social challenges in school, the military, and workforce ,have wounded him. Angry, depressed, and lacking direction, Christopher’s is a narrative of insecurity, self-doubt, and oppression. We meet him at this pivotal juncture in his life ready to take a closer and more painful and honest look at himself.
Now in his thirties, newly out of a long-term and unhealthy relationship and reflecting on his career, Chad is trying to solidify his identity in the shadow of family of origin experiences and a lifelong struggle with racism and invisibility. His tenuous sense of self reflects the fragile balance between being raised as a Jehovah’s Witness, being Black, feeling developmentally out of step with peers, and being gay. We join him and Tovar-Murray as they unpack the painful legacy of societal racism and his early experiences to create pathways forward for him at work, in relationship, and in his Black body.
Glimpses into their unique therapeutic experiences will focus on:
- Working with Anger
- When Anger Masks Fear
- What Does it Mean to be Black?
- Managing Multiple Identities
- Identity and the Outside World
- Religion and the African American Community
- Challenges In the Workplace
- Walking Around in a Black Body
- Staying Out of the Spotlight
- The Good Enough Self
- Being Fully Present
- Talking About Racism
Length of video: 2:57:03
English subtitles available
Group ISBN-10 #: 1-60124-584-X
Group ISBN-13 #: 978-1-60124-584-7
Darrick Tovar-Murray, PhD, is an associate professor of counseling in the Department of Counseling and Special Education at DePaul University in Chicago, where he teaches a wide range of graduate-level clinical and counseling courses. He is the author (with contributions from Jan Louis Gaetjens) of
Basic Therapeutic Counseling Skills: Interventions for Working with Clients’ Thoughts, Feelings and Behavior (Cognella, 2017). Dr Tovar Murray’s primary area of scholarship is multicultural counseling, and his research interests include identity development, African-American well-being, and counseling and spirituality.
CE credits: 3
Learning Objectives:
- Discuss the clinical importance of creating a safe therapeutic space for African American men
- Explain the impact of racism on career development, relationships, and identity formation
- Describe some of the dominant racial stereotypes of African American
Bibliography available upon request
This course is offered for ASWB ACE credit for social workers. See complete list of CE approvals here
© 2021