Making Room for Elephants: Racial Literacy for Navigating Stressful Racial Interactions in Psychotherapy and Beyond

Navigating the stress of racial conflict or conversation is not easy for psychoanalysts and psychotherapists. The rise in hate across the United States has often left clinicians overwhelmed as to what to say or do.

This field is required.
This field is required.

Saturday, March 8, 2025

9:15-12:30 PM EST In-Person

Registration is required for this program.
This event will only be held in-person at BPSI.
 
The 2025 Annual Adam Corneel Major Teachers of Psychotherapy Lecture

Navigating the stress of racial conflict or conversation is not easy for psychoanalysts and psychotherapists. The rise in hate across the United States has often left clinicians overwhelmed as to what to say or do. Less understood and discussed is how racial stress and conflict influence processes essential in competent teaching of psychoanalytic psychotherapy at psychoanalytic institutions. This lecture will focus on resolving racially stressful encounters and conflicts in collegial and therapeutic relationships using racial socialization and literacy skills-building practices. This introductory lecture will prepare leaders and therapists to notice and face racial stress and conflict in therapeutic and professional relationships. The goals of this lecture are to improve participants’ 1) awareness of racial coping stress appraisal and reappraisal skills for in-the-moment and face-to-face professional encounters; 2) practice of in-the-moment racial stress regulation strategies; 3) use of engagement rather than avoidant-racial coping behaviors during racially stressful moments in institute and therapeutic settings.   

Speaker

Dr. Howard Stevenson is the Constance Clayton Professor of Urban Education and Africana Studies at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education, where he has served since 1990. He directs the Racial Empowerment Collaborative, promoting racial literacy and health in families, schools, and communities. Dr. Stevenson’s research focuses on how racial socialization and cultural strengths buffer racial stress and trauma, with interventions like PLAAY (Preventing Long-term Anger and Aggression in Youth). Honored as one of "Word in Black’s" top 10 Black activists in mental health, he has received numerous accolades, including the 2020 Gittler Prize and election to the National Academy of Education. His work emphasizes empowering youth and families to confront microaggressions, heal from hate, and thrive.

 

Moderator
 

 

Dr. Benjamin Herbstman is a psychoanalyst on the faculty at the Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute. He advises and consults to leaders of organizations and family businesses and is a Principal in the Boswell Group, a management consultancy based in New York. He is a lecturer, part-time, at Harvard Medical School and an Assistant Psychiatrist at McLean Hospital. Dr. Herbstman is the co-director of the Program in Psychodynamics in the MGH/McLean Adult Psychiatry Residency Training Program where he also is a supervisor. He has a private practice in Cambridge. 

 
 

 

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this program, participants will be able to:

  1. Describe the impact of racial stress and conflict on teaching psychoanalytic psychotherapy and therapeutic processes in professional settings.
  2. Identify racial coping stress appraisal and reappraisal skills for in-the-moment (ITM) and face-to-face (FTF) encounters.
  3. Demonstrate strategies for regulating racial stress and engaging constructively during racially stressful moments in collegial and therapeutic relationships.
 

Schedule

9:00      Coffee
9:15      Lecture begins
10:45    Break
11:00    Discussion with speaker and Q&A with Audience
12:30    Program Ends

 

This program is made possible by the generous support of BPSI members and friends. Your gift to BPSI supports psychoanalytic and psychotherapy education and ensures the future of our field. To make a gift, please visit www.bpsi.org.

 
The target audience for this program is mental health clinicians at all levels of training and members of the community.
 
 
FEES*: 
$110 Progrsm Fee
$100 Early Bird Special (available until 2/28/2025) Use Code at Checkout: EB2025COR
We are committed to accessibility for all of our programs. BPSI offers an Equity Rate, and we invite you to pay what you are able for this event.
 
*The fee is waived for Early Career Clinicians (within 5 years of licensure), BPSI Members & Partners.

 

Recording

This event will not be recorded.

Continuing Education

Physicians: This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint provider ship of American Psychoanalytic Association and The Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute . The American Psychoanalytic Association is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.”
The American Psychoanalytic Association designates this Live Activity for a maximum of 3 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
IMPORTANT DISCLOSURE INFORMATION FOR ALL LEARNERS: None of the planners and presenters for this educational activity have relevant financial relationship(s)* to disclose with ineligible companies* whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.
*Financial relationships are relevant if the educational content an individual can control is related to the business lines or products of the ineligible company. -Updated July 2021-

Psychologists: The Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute maintains responsibility for this program and its content. This course offers 3 hours of CE credits for psychologists.

Social Workers: Application for social work continuing education credits has been submitted. Please contact us at team@bpsi.org or 617-266-0953 for the status of social work CE accreditation.
Please note: Per NASW requirements, social workers must attend 80% of a course in order to be eligible for continuing education credit.

Licensed Mental Health Clinicians: The Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute (BPSI) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6913. BPSI is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. This program offers 3 NBCC Clock Hours.
 
 

Event Cancellation Policies & Procedures
Any program participant requesting their individual program registration be canceled must submit their request in writing via email to the BPSI Administrative Team at Team@bpsi.org. For fee-based events, a request for cancellation (and refund using the original form of payment) must be received no later than 48 hours in advance of the event. Requests received later than 48 hours prior to the event will not be processed or accepted. All approved refunds are subject to a $10.00 administrative fee. If BPSI cancels an event, all registrants will receive a full refund of fees paid (no administration charge) no later than two business days following the scheduled date of the event, using the original form of payment.

Grievance Policy
Please address any questions or concerns about your experience at this or any program or event you have attended at the Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute to the Program Chair, via the Senior Administrator/Continuing Education Administrator, BPSI,141 Herrick Road, Newton Centre, MA 02459; team@bpsi.org; 617.266.0953.

The Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute, Inc.,141 Herrick Road, Newton Centre, MA 02459, does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, age, sexual orientation, national origin or handicap in the admissions, administration of its educational programs, scholarship programs or employment.