Millicent led a webinar entitled “Therapists for Protester Wellness: Mental Health Professionals for Social Justice,” offered through the American Psychological Association Division 17 (Counseling Psychology) Health Section. mental health through representation of multiple Black therapists on the grounds during protests. The webinar discussed connecting mental health and physical health through community-based healing, promoting health education in Black and Brown communities, and how to be both an activist and caregiver in health settings.
The webinar highlights the grassroots work done at the height of the local 2020 Black Lives Matter movement by Therapists for Protester Wellness (T4PW), which gave our field a new perspective on how we can incorporate activism within ethical bounds of our disciplines as mental health professionals. T4PW is a group comprised of over 100 mental health professionals who have volunteered their helping abilities for the BLM movement of 2020. The group now spans disciplines including licensed mental health therapists, social workers, art therapists, music therapists, massage therapists, reiki healers, and more. In the webinar, Millicent provides photos throughout the presentation that capture the essence of therapists working in tandem with the community.
As the protest portion of the movement has decreased, the group now focuses its efforts on the dissemination and connection of mental health resources to community members and activists. T4PW also has a new rolling scholarship fund that assists with payment of therapy sessions for activists and protesters in the Louisville metro area. The scholarship fund also connects the awarded applicants with mental health care with social-justice oriented therapists.
Interested to know more? Check out the webinar!
