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5/6/20261 min read
Claiming a Seat at the Table
Diana M Gonzales-Ricard, LCSW-R
In the final year of my doctorate in social work, one thing has become evident: cultural humility and trauma-informed care are often buzz words that are not backed by actual practice. This point was driven home for me during my first semester when I realized that many non-White, non-Western people are so often pathologized by Western providers. While we discussed intersectionality, no reference was made to any trauma-informed theories addressing racial/cultural trauma. While one professor did introduce us to bell hooks, one might have gone through the program believing that there have been no non-White theorists who have contributed a more diverse perspective on trauma and its treatment.
Sadly, I have heard things said by some professors and students to make me wonder what the experience would be like for a non-White patient working with them.
As many non-White individuals - especially those who are recent transplants or first generation - navigate the cultural stigma of seeking help from a therapist or psychiatrist, too often they are met with misunderstanding. How does one explain the deeply ingrained stoicism so inherent to us that has resulted in an indomitable spirit allowing us to survive colonialism and marginalization? Most of us were taught, from a young age, to pick ourselves up and keep going, even when we are exhausted. The world is not going to stop for us. How does one explain the enmeshment within our families that would be labeled as codependency by Western culture… the enmeshment that makes it impossible to turn our backs on our families because they remain the base of our identities?
I am in no way suggesting that there is no psychopathology within my own culture. Far too many things are normalized that should not be. However, true trauma-informed care needs to include real curiosity andncultural humility if one is committed to providing care.