Self- and community care as a BIPoC psychosocial practitioner

This workshop is a space for BIPoC (Black, Indigenous or People of Colour) active in the fields of psychology, psychotherapy or other psychosocial work to connect, critically reflect and discuss how we navigate psychosocial fields as BIPoC practitioners. As people who experience different forms of oppression, it is important to recognize our shared experiences with our clients/patients as both a resource and a possible limitation. During the workshop we will ponder about different aspects of our practice within the various boundaries and hierarchies of oppression.

With a focus on social justice within critical psychology/psychotherapy and critical social work the main questions of the workshop will include that of individualization versus the actively reproduced and reinforced societal systems, the decolonization of mental health in the backdrop of the prioritization of western knowledge, as well as embedding the concept of objective vs subjective knowledge in colonial power structures. Under the lense of critical psychology, this workshop aims to create a space where the subjective experiences regarding the double relationships and interactions can be reflected upon, and where the concept of a neutral thinker’s perspective can be deconstructed. In this workshop we will also discuss what role communtiy and self care can play in navigating psychosocial work as bipoc practitioner.