About two weeks ago, ironically only a few days into Black History Month, I had an experience that incensed me to my core. It was familiar anger that I’d felt many times before, but this time around, I decided to try and put words to my outrage. I took a moment to think about the depths of what I was feeling that day. 

Clinicians hold powerful positions that require them to meet the unique cultural needs of the individuals they serve to provide the best treatment. As a Caucasian female heavily influenced by mainstream white American culture, my experiences are uniquely different from other individuals. I must carefully consider my background and issues of race and ethnicity while serving diverse multicultural individuals. 

Today I had the opportunity to co-lead as a panelist, presenting to a group of women that are limited in their resources with very little to no external support. The panelists and I took turns discussing an important topic that, while a commonplace challenge within the Black American community, remains a very sensitive topic of discussion.