Giving Space To Discomfort

Like so many others, I have been deeply impacted by the current news cycle. At the same time, I also have been struggling with the constant posting on social media. 

I am not an expert on privilege nor I am a scholar in the field. But I do know (from personal studies and graduate-level courses) that the process of confronting one’s own privilege is not accomplished in an Instagram post. It does not happen on the screen. It may start by saying “racism exists,” but that is simply the start. Confronting your own privilege takes time -- months and years of unlearning and confronting the ways in which you have benefited from your privilege.

Lasting Change

For change to last, it must be sustainable and long lasting. As Audre Lorde said, “revolution is not a one time event.” We must feel the discomfort to come out on the other side.

Therapy allows us the space to experience the discomfort. To move through the guilt. To feel the shame. 

As therapists, we have the ability to normalize and at the same time hold space for the unthinkable. By having an understanding both intellectually and emotionally of white supremacy in this country we can then guide others to do the same. 

Part of (not all) of our justice work begins in the therapy room. 

What’s Next

See below for some resources I like. For the record, I intentionally chose a small amount, not because these are the best or more impactful than others, but because understanding race in America needs to be digestible and not a competition. It needs to feel like something we can put our finger on and actually connect with. At least for me, a giant list of twitter accounts, books, podcasts, etc. brings up feelings of never knowing enough. Those feelings of not being “enough” shut our brains down and stop us from learning.

Follow—The Conscious Kid on Instagram

Read—Between the World and Me, Ta-Nehisi Coates

Watch—I Am Not Your Negro, James Baldwin documentary

Absorb—The word