For many clients, racism can be a deeply emotional topic. The experience of racism (and the scenes of racial injustice that occur far too often) can trigger a wave of painful emotions that threaten to shift clients into a state of reactivity and overwhelm. Shelly Harrell, PhD worked with a client who found herself in […]
Working with Clients Who Feel "Never Good Enough"
People constantly compare themselves against messages they receive from friends, family, media, and our culture. And those messages often contribute to feelings of “never good enough”: Not attractive enough. Not intelligent enough. Not thin enough. Not successful enough. For many of our clients, they’ve encountered these types of messages from a very young age, and […]
Countering the Painful Impact of Cultural Messaging
In a perfect world, people wouldn’t be judged based on their abilities, gender, or ethnicity. But all too often, our clients come to us having taken in the harsh, critical messages they’ve received from family members or society. Shelly Harrell, PhD is a licensed psychologist who specializes in multicultural and community psychology. And in her […]
How to Flip an "Insult" on Its Head
During a week’s-end meeting just before the 4th of July holiday, I realized something . . . . . . everyone present was a woman. Now I think we have a pretty diverse team here at NICABM, but in that moment, all of the guys were out of the office. And as I looked around, […]