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A message from our founder

1/31/2023

 

THERAPY 4 BLACK KIDS IN 2023

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Dr. Earl Turner (Psychologist and Founder of Therapy for Black Kids)
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Photo from panel discussion at Meta/Instagram Well-being Retreat (August, 2022).
We've been away for a while but our Therapy for Black Kids (T4BK) blog is returning for 2023! First, I want to personally thank everyone for visiting our website and supporting our content. Since T4BK was founded, the majority of our work has been posted on Instagram. If you are not connected with us there, feel free to follow us here.  

​This year, we are getting back to the basics. There is so much work to be done to help Black youth and their families. I realized over the last year that we can’t do it all by ourselves. 
 
I am grateful for the amazing work of so many organizations who’s mission if focused on well-being and mental health. As I strive to lead therapy for black kids in 2023 and beyond, my mission is to offer tools and resources for parents and their kids. Our IG Live series will be returning this year to offer some brief live conversations with experts on different topics. Feel free to email us with topic suggestions. 
 
Stay tuned for more blog posts and be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Racial socialization and Black families

4/4/2022

 
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Decades of research have explored how racism affects the mental health and functioning of Black children. In an article published in the Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, the authors discuss that Black youth may experience discrimination and racism but still be resilient and experience positive outcomes (Jones & Neblett, 2017). The question that may come to mind is “how can someone experience racism and not have negative effects such as depression or low self-esteem”?

Psychology researchers have discussed the importance of having the “race talk” or engaging in racial-ethnic socialization (RES) for many years. RES involves teaching children about their racial and ethnic heritage, as well as, preparing them to cope with discrimination (Hughes et al., 2006; Jones & Neblett, 2017). The article by Jones and Neblett (2017) demonstrates that engaging in racial and ethnic socialization improves academic performance, decreases depression symptoms, reduces problem behaviors, and provides positive racial identity attitudes among Black youth. By talking with children about racism, researchers note that Black parents prepare their children to overcome adversity by “challenging stereotypes and allowing Black youth to view their racial identity more positively” (e.g., Jones and Neblett, 2017).
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Recently, several events in society have provided some examples to promote racial pride among Black youth. For example, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is the first Black woman to be nominated to serve on the US Supreme Court (See article on NBC News). Although RES also focuses on preparing kids to deal with or experience racism, parents should be sure to teach children positive aspects of their identity such as notable figures, cultural holidays, and important family traditions. 

Ways to Promote Racial Socialization

There are many ways to promote racial socialization. The American Psychological Association released a
tool-kit to help parents engage in healthy communication about race and racism. This resource is particularly important given the continued rise of racism and discrimination in America. Here are a few tips to consider: 
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1. Be prepared to manage your emotions and help your child cope.
  • Children often pick up on the behaviors of adults and repeat those. It’s important to model effective ways to cope with disappointment or anger.
2. Use activities, books, or movies to talk about racial differences.
  • Don’t feel pressured to have all of the answers. By exposing children to books or museums it can help share information and start conversations. 
  • For book suggestions, check out this book list curated by Dr. Earl Turner (psychologist and founder of Therapy for Black Kids). 
3. Be intentional to teach kids about the positive aspects of their identity.
  • For example, you can read books that highlight Black beauty or expose them to key figures/activists that have made important contributions to our community. ​


Note: A version of this post was authored by Erlanger A. Turner, Ph.D. for Psychology Today. 

Sources:
Hughes, D., Rodriguez, J., Smith, E. P., Johnson, D. J., Stevenson, H. C., & Spicer, P. (2006). Parents' ethnic-racial socialization practices: a review of research and directions for future study. Developmental Psychology, 42(5), 747-770.

Jones, S. C., & Neblett, E. W. (2017). Future directions in research on racism-related stress and racial-ethnic protective factors for Black youth. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 46(5), 754-766.

Photo by My Networking Apparel on Unsplash


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    This blog is maintained by Therapy for Black Kids. 

    Content has been reviewed by Dr. Earl Turner. Dr. Earl is a clinical psychologist and founder of Therapy for Black Kids. 

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