Decolonial, Liberatory, and Critical Perspectives of Trauma: Promoting Resilience by Challenging the Status Quo

The Ohio Association for Resiliency and Trauma Counseling (OARTC) presents:

Decolonial, Liberatory, and Critical Perspectives of Trauma: Promoting Resilience by Challenging the Status Quo

Presented by: Joel Givens, PhD, LPC (CO) 

Friday, April 4th

12pm-1pm EST

1 CE 

FREE for OARTC members! $15 for non-OARTC members

Event Description: 

Trauma-focused theorists, researchers, and practitioners have historically overemphasized individual causes of trauma yet minimized sociopolitical sources (Bryant, 2024). Likewise, psychological approaches to trauma often use epistemologies that center White and European perspectives, assume universality, and exclude marginalized voices. When working with traumatized clients, counselors need to assess experiences of oppression, marginalization, classism, racism, and other systemic factors that exacerbate trauma symptoms. Additionally, counselors should reflect on practices in the mental health field including diagnosing, insurance billing, and treatment planning that perpetuate injustice and prevent healing. Counselors might also consider other epistemological frameworks when working with diverse clients. In collaboration with clients, counselors might propose resistance strategies that challenge unjust systems. Decolonial, liberatory, and critical theory perspectives can be useful for assessing clients’ experiences of oppression and challenging trauma theories and techniques that disempower people who have been historically marginalized. In this webinar, decolonial, liberatory, and critical theory perspectives will be discussed in the context of trauma counseling. A brief overview of colonial and decolonial epistemological frameworks will also be provided. Marcuse’s (1964/2013) critical approach and “great refusal” as discussed in One Dimensional Man will be considered. The webinar will also include specific interventions for counselors working with traumatized clients including broaching the topic of oppression, assessing sociopolitical factors, exploring cultural resources, and developing resistance strategies. Practices for empowering clients and promoting resilience will also be discussed. Furthermore, hooks’ (2012) Oppositional Gaze will be discussed as a possible resistance strategy. Implications for trauma-focused research and practice will also be reviewed.

Objectives:

1. Participants will learn how decolonial, liberatory, and critical perspectives can be useful when applying trauma-focused theories.
2. Participants will reflect on colonial and decolonial epistemological frameworks in the context of trauma-focused research.
3. Participants will understand practices for assessing sociopolitical factors, considering oppressive systems, and developing resistance strategies when working with traumatized clients.