Black, indigenous, and trainees of color stress and resilience: The role of training and education in decolonizing psychology.

Abstract

Objective: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has instigated a paradigm shift in psychology graduate training and education. As these system-wide changes are being implemented, Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) continue to be disproportionately impacted as they simultaneously experience, witness, and relive the deleterious consequences of systemic and institutional racism as trainees and members of minoritized communities. The field requires a radical culture shift to counteract the effects of ongoing psychological harm on trainees of color. Method: Our analyses are grounded in two decolonizing frameworks, Critical Race Theory and Liberation Psychology. We also provide a systems-based analysis of how BIPOC trainees are impacted by systemic racism and examine how these -isms are perpetuated in psychology training. Testimonios are used as examples on how to center trainee's experiential knowledge. Conclusions: Psychology is uniquely positioned to transform how science and practice informs, builds, and sustains equitable systems for trainees and the public. The profession must question and disrupt the status quo and system inequities to build capacity and foster resistance. Clinical Impact StatementBlack, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) hold multiple intersectional identities that are exacerbated by the injustices they encounter in their professional paths. Despite diversity and inclusion efforts, psychology training programs often fail to mitigate race-based traumatic stressors, adversely impacting the educational experiences and mental health of trainees. Therefore, we argue that Critical Race Theory and Liberation Psychology are frameworks that unearth these disparities by (a) providing historical context to distributions of power shaped by colonialism, (b) challenging ingrained systems of privilege and oppression, and (c) legitimizing experiences of BIPOC trainees.

Centering the margins: A moderation study examining cisgender privilege among LGBTQ+ BIPoC college students facing intersectional microaggressions.

“…The close associations between attitudes of quitting school and the frequency of intersectional microaggression experiences for gender expansive students are alarming and demand further investigation and additional support. Academic institutions should be aware of these experiences and facilitate mechanisms through which students, faculty, and staff can report and document intersectional microaggressions (Pinedo et al, 2022). Perhaps implementing routine assessments of the cultural climates and asking directly about experiences with intersectional microaggressions would be important initial steps toward creating an inclusive environment for gender expansive students to thrive.…”

Examining the accessibility of MA Music Therapy training in the United Kingdom for ethnic minority communities

“…Similarly, people of colour may deploy silence as a strategy in the face of racial oppression as a means of survival or protection (Suavansri, 2016). Carrero Pinedo et al (2022) explained some of the rationale behind this stating thatparticularly in PWIs [predominantly White institutions], the dominant cultural standards are portrayed as the norm and to be successful, BIPOC [black, indigineous and people of colour] trainees need to adapt, compromise, or negotiate which aspects of themselves are accepted or even tolerated. (p. 144)…”

CCTC 2020: Addressing social responsiveness in health service psychology education and training.

“…This raises the question of what tools and mechanisms must be created to support growth and change of individuals, programs, and systems. Psychologists must not rely on their students, who are often more in step with issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion and the dynamics of power and privilege (Carrero Pinedo et al, 2022). Rather, they must engage in their own process of life-long learning in order to become competent in this arena.…”

“…Engaging all interested parties and centering the perspectives of students, interns, and postdoctoral fellows, including trainees of color (Carrero Pinedo et al, 2022) as well as the voices of our communities will be essential for this level of transformational change. For us to be responsive to current and unmet health needs, we must address inequities at the source rather than merely treat the symptoms.…”