This workshop is eligible for 6 ethics hours of continuing education credit through the NM Counseling and Therapy Practice Board and the American Psychological Association (APA). 

 Racial trauma and oppression are barriers to BIPOC clients in both accessing and engaging in therapeutic services. As clinicians, we can also be a barrier; a lack of understanding of racial trauma, as well as our own prejudiced behaviors or mindset, can retraumatize clients.  Participants will learn about racial trauma, including symptoms BIPOC individuals may experience. We will explore trauma informed principles through a culturally specific lens, the complex racial trauma (CoRT) framework, and ethnocultural transference and countertransference.  Through self reflection and group discussion, we will acknowledge and identify ways we can bring anti-racism to our clinical practice.

Topics covered during this workshop include:

-Defining racial trauma and symptoms of racial trauma

-The CORT framework

-Epigenetics

-Intergenerational trauma

-4 I’s of Oppression

-Barriers to treatment

-Microaggressions

-Ethnocultural transference and countertransference

-Trauma Informed principles through an ethical and culturally specific lens

-Somatic abolitionism

-Personal work of anti-racism

The trainer, Sheila Ciminera, LCSW is a social worker and owner of To Bear Witness Therapy.  She began her career working in syringe exchange and has been a proud harm reductionist ever since. Over the past 16 years, she has had the privilege of being a case manager, program developer, individual and group therapist, clinical supervisor, acudetox specialist, professor, and trainer. Her primary focus is supporting helping professionals with compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma. She also specializes in working with individuals dealing with trauma, addictions, and justice involvement- all through the lens of trauma-informed care.