Abelina Nuñez
Social Media Editor
Courtney Boston, a trainee at the University of La Verne counseling and psychological services, discussed racial trauma at the Mental Health Monday series via Zoom with seven online participants.
Boston’s dissertation focused on race-related stress on Black romantic relationships with goals of spreading awareness about racial injustices and providing better services to clients who have experienced racial Trauma.
Racial trauma or race-based traumatic stress refers to mental and emotional injury caused by encounters with racial bias and ethnic discrimination. Racial trauma can be direct or indirect in the form of microaggressions, microinsults or other types of interaction.
“Black Indigenous people of color are most vulnerable to racial trauma or race-based traumatic stress due to living under a system of white supremacy,” Boston said.
Here in the United States, racial trauma is frequently associated with people of color, Boston said. Indications of racial trauma is similar to post traumatic stress disorder with a decreased sense of safety, disconnection from the body, and symptoms of depression, anger, hypervigilance, low-self esteem, and avoidance, Boston said.
Racial trauma affects friendships and romantic relationships, mental health and future generations, Boston said.
Boston suggests counseling for those who may have experienced such trauma.
She also suggested seeking out social justice counselors, as well as practicing various types of self-care.
She said it’s okay to get away from social media, pause or unplug.
It is an opportunity to stop stressing, feel and gather your emotions and write your experiences or feelings in a journal.
At the end of the event, participants commented in the Zoom chat.
“I really enjoyed your presentation,” Ana Flores, junior political science major, said. “It gives us a new perspective of various ethnic groups and especially the African American experience with that racial Trauma that sometimes we hear about and do not process because we’re not part of that ethnic group, so I’m happy that you included that into your presentation. Thank you so much.”
Quintus Alton, senior sociology major, commented, “I thought the event was up to par, and I felt as if I knew some of this information prior to this presentation just based on my major and previous experience with this subject matter.”
For more resources, visit Therapy for Black Men, The Loveland Foundation, Therapy for Black Girls, The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation, Latinx Therapy, Asian Mental Health Collective, We R Native, and University of La Verne Counseling and Psychological Services.
Abelina Nuñez can be reached at abelina.nunez@laverne.edu.
Abelina J. Nuñez, senior journalism major, is a photography editor for Campus Times and staff photographer for La Verne Magazine. She previously served as LV Life editor, arts editor social media editor and staff writer. In Fall 2023, Nuñez was La Verne Magazine's editor-in-chief and was previously a staff writer as well. Her work can be found on Instagram @abelinajnunezphoto.
