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Black Psychology: Children and Family Therapy

Published

7 years ago

March 1, 2018

By Michael E. Connor, Ph.D.
Professor Alliant International University and
Professor Emeritus CSULB

When many/most folks think about psychology, they are likely thinking about clinical psychology—the branch which provides therapy and counseling. Some therapists may focus on children, others on adults, some on adolescents and others on geriatrics. The approaches, methodologies, interactions and parameters vary with each population. Additionally, some practitioners may work with individuals, some with groups; others with businesses; some with families or with an admixture of the above. A primary goal is to change thinking and activity in order to become more proficient, less stressed, more relaxed and more self-sufficient, which could result in more happiness and self-sufficiency.

A variety of techniques, procedures and processes are utilized, ranging from talk therapies to exercise to mindfulness training to medications (under the auspices of a medical doctor). The field of Black psychology has devoted itself to creating healing techniques and therapeutic practices design specifically for African American persons, families and community.

The focus on this month’s Critical Black Mental Health Issues is child and family therapy. When one considers the collective history and toxic context in which African American people were forced to live in the US, it is surprising that any of us have survived.

Yet, thousands have done so—this speaks directly of our (and our ancestors’) strengths, resolve, genius, and life lessons. However, living with constant stress and social toxicity too often results in physical and mental problems, including essential hypertension, diabetes, obesity, family violence, death at the hands of police, strokes, depression, anxiety, broken homes, the inability to care for self and others, and poor self esteem, to name a few.

All of this suggests the need for collaborative and culturally congruent healthy approaches to daily living which may include therapy.
In Black psychology the major works of Akbari, Bynum, Kambon, Grills, Myers, Parham, White, etc. provide a treasure chest of theory and practice that can serve as the basis for understanding and repairing the dehumanization of African people. As Black Psychologists, we especially want to note that in considering therapy, Black people should keep in mind that all behavior occurs in a social-historical-cultural context. Given our culture, when working with younger children (those who cannot yet engage in abstract thinking), it is important to include parents, grandparents, caregivers and other engaged adults (in this sense, for Black people, all therapy should or could be viewed as a form of Family Therapy).

In working with younger children, an approach I found most useful involved shaping and reinforcing desired behavior, using social reinforcement— while ignoring the undesired behavior (note, it is important to be aware of reasonable age appropriate child behaviors). In this model, primary caregivers are trained to observe the problematic behavior, to help determine appropriate preferred behavior and to reinforce approximations of that preferred behavior until the desired result is reached.
Along with various therapies in Black psychology, it is important in this discussion to consider the following specific issues when working with Black children:

*Establish consistency in their lives—developing and maintaining a schedule (i.e., eating at the same time, going to bed at the same time (seven days a week), getting up at the same time, etc.);

*Engage and reinforce the child’s natural curiosity (answer questions, read to them share/discuss their history);

*Try not to confuse punishment with discipline;

*Do not “treat your kids the same”—rather get to know them and treat them “who they are;”
*Remember, fathers AND mothers have important roles to play in their children’s lives—kids need moms and dads;

*If possible, have an annual physical exam for your children—keep a copy of the results (mental health and physical health are related); and,

*Consistently, model appropriate behaviors for your child(

The ABPsi’s 50th Annual International Convention will be held June 27th-July 1st, 2018, at The Marriott Oakland City Center, in Oakland, CA. Come join this gathering of psychologists, university professors, educators, health care professionals, researchers, students and everyday folks and learn about children and family therapy designed for Black people.

The Bay Area Chapter of the ABPsi can be contacted at bayareaabpsi@gmail.com.

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City Government

San Pablo Appoints New Economic Development and Housing Manager

Kieron Slaughter has been appointed as the economic development & housing manager for the City of San Pablo. Since 2017, Slaughter has served as chief strategic officer for economic innovation in the City of Berkeley’s Office of Economic Development. Previously, he served in a 2.5-year appointment in the Pacific West Region as one of 10 Urban Fellows in the United States National Park Service.

Published

15 hours ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Kieron Slaughter. Photo courtesy of the City of San Pablo

The Richmond Standard

Kieron Slaughter has been appointed as the economic development & housing manager for the City of San Pablo.

Since 2017, Slaughter has served as chief strategic officer for economic innovation in the City of Berkeley’s Office of Economic Development. Previously, he served in a 2.5-year appointment in the Pacific West Region as one of 10 Urban Fellows in the United States National Park Service.

Before that he was an associate planner in the City of Richmond’s Planning and Building Services Department from 2007-2015.

San Pablo City Manager Matt Rodriguez lauded Slaughter’s extensive experience in economic development, housing and planning, saying he will add a “valuable perspective to the City Manager’s Office.”

Slaughter, a Berkeley resident, will start in his new role on Nov. 12, with a base annual salary of $164,928, according to the City of San Pablo.

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City Government

Aaron Osorio Rises Up Ranks to Become Richmond’s Fire Chief

For Aaron Osorio, it started with a ride along on a firetruck at age 10. “I thought it was the coolest job,” he said, adding, “I knew being in fire service would make a big difference in the community.” Now a 27-year fire service veteran, Osorio appears to approach his work with the same youthful exuberance. And that’s good for the city as Osorio was recently named chief of the historic Richmond Fire Department.

Published

15 hours ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Richmond Fire Department Chief Aaron Osorio. Courtesy photo

By Mike Kinney

The Richmond Standard

For Aaron Osorio, it started with a ride along on a firetruck at age 10.

“I thought it was the coolest job,” he said, adding, “I knew being in fire service would make a big difference in the community.”

Now a 27-year fire service veteran, Osorio appears to approach his work with the same youthful exuberance. And that’s good for the city as Osorio was recently named chief of the historic Richmond Fire Department.

Osorio is a San Francisco native who rose up the ranks in the Richmond Fire Department over the last 21 years before being elevated to chief.

He joined the department in 2002 and has served in multiple roles including firefighters, engineer, captain, battalion chief, training director and deputy fire chief. He said he truly loves working in this community.

While it isn’t common for a fire department to hire a chief that came up through its ranks, Osorio was credited by the city for serving Richmond well during uncommon times.

The city lauded him for developing internal policies and vaccination clinics during the initial COVID response, for supporting activation of the emergency operations center in response to a potential mudslide disaster in Seacliff last year, helping to draft mutual aid agreements and working to increase fire response capabilities for industrial incidents.

He’s also led departmental hiring and recruitment since 2018.

Osorio said it is an honor to be hired as chief and has big plans for the department moving forward. He said he wants to continue hiring and promoting for vacant positions, and also completing a strategic plan guiding the direction of the organization.

He also aims to replace and renovate a number of fire department facilities placed on the Capital Improvement Plan and create new ways to recruit that will enhance the diversity of the department.

Osorio said his experience within, and love for, the city of Richmond puts him in a good position to lead the department. He says he knows what is needed and also the challenges that are unique to the city.

“I look forward to utilizing that institutional knowledge to move the fire department forward in a positive direction and enhance the services we provide to the community,” the chief said.

Osorio holds a bachelor of science degree in Fire Administration and is also a California State Fire Marshal-certified chief officer, company officer, and state instructor.

He also holds numerous certifications in fire, rescue, hazardous material, and incident command.

The chief has been married to his wife, Maria, for 26 years and they have two sons, Roman and Mateo.

Oakland Post

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Barbara Lee

Congresswoman Barbara Lee Reflects on Historic Moment Less Than One Week from Election Day

Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-12) today released a piece on Medium reflecting on Vice President Kamala Harris’ historic presidential campaign 50 years after Lee worked on the presidential campaign of Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm.

Published

15 hours ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Congresswoman Barbara Lee.

Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-12) today released a piece on Medium reflecting on Vice President Kamala Harris’ historic presidential campaign 50 years after Lee worked on the presidential campaign of Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm:

“As Election Day approaches, I’m reflecting on a few dates and numbers that mean something to me.

Zero: the number of Black members in Congress 56 years ago. Next Congress, we hope to swear in over 60 members in the Congressional Black Caucus.

Three: The number of Black women to ever serve in the United States Senate since the first Congress in 1789.

Two: The number of Black women that will be elected to the Senate this year alone if we do our job.

1972: The first time a Black woman, Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, ran for president in one of the major political parties of the United States.

Zero: the number of Black women to ever serve as president of the United States.

IF we do the work, we can change that with President Kamala Harris.

As I reflect on what would be Congresswoman Chisholm’s 100th birthday next month, I could not help but remember that my first official involvement in U.S. politics was working for her presidential campaign in 1972.

Over 50 years later, I have been involved in every single campaign since. Shirley was my mentor — she was a bold visionary, a progressive woman who understood that working together in coalitions was the only way to make life better for everyone, to build an equitable society and democracy that lived up to the creed of “liberty and justice for all.”

The historic moment we are in today is not lost on me. I have had the privilege to have known Vice President Kamala Harris for over three decades. She, after all, is a daughter of the East Bay. She, like Shirley, truly is a fighter for the people.

And I know she can move our country forward in a new way. As a member of her National Advisory Board, I have campaigned across our country to help take her message, her legacy of service, and her “to-do list,” as she says, to voters who were almost starting to feel hopeless, but are now feeling hopeful once again, captured by the politics joy and the bright possibilities brought upon by a possible Harris-Walz administration.

Recently, I visited churches in North Carolina with members of the Congressional Black Caucus. The chair of our CBC political action committee, Chairman Gregory Meeks from New York’s fifth district, eloquently and powerfully presented a vision of what Dr. Maya Angelou wrote in her famous poem, “And Still I Rise:” “I am the dream and the hope of the slave.”

Meeks remarked that on Jan. 20, 2025, we will observe the birthday of our drum major for justice, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

He also described that on Jan. 20, IF we do the work — if we knock on doors, if we make those phone calls, if we spread our message — standing on the podium at the U.S. Capitol will be the first Black speaker of the House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries.

In the wings will be over 60 members of the Congressional Black Caucus. Holding Frederick Douglass’ Bible will be the first African American woman appointed to the highest court of the land, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.

She will be swearing-in the first Black woman to serve as president, Kamala Harris, in front of the shining white dome of the United States Capitol, built by enslaved Black people.

In front of her and beyond, the tens of millions of Black men and women who voted for her. The world will witness the hope and the dreams of our ancestors ushering in a new way forward.

As I sat in front of the stage this week at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., as Vice President Harris delivered remarks with the Oval Office behind her, I could not help but feel that our country was ready for this historic moment.

We are not only voting for a Black woman as Commander in Chief of the wealthiest and most powerful country in the world. We are definitively stating that we will not allow the clocks of freedom and justice to be turned back.

We are voting for our ancestors’ hopes and dreams. We are voting for the generations that will come after us, long after we are gone. We are voting for Vice President Kamala Harris.

Let’s get this done.