May 2020 Webinar: Dixon et al: Cultural Diversity Webinar - Strategies for Developing a Therapeutic Alliance with African Americans
5/15/2020
Event Description
IPA 2020 Webinar Series
1.0 Hour of Category I CE credit Friday, May 15th, 2020 at Noon
Registrants will receive further information on registering with GoToWebinar for the presentation.
Cultural Diversity Webinar - Strategies for Developing a Therapeutic Alliance with
African Americans The webinar will include three presentations.
Dr. Carrie Dixon - Presentation Description Dr. Dixon's segment of the webinar is designed to introduce various issues that impact the therapeutic process when working with African American Clients. Information on historical help seeking behaviors of African Americans and the various pitfalls of the therapy process will be highlighted. Suggestions on techniques to enhance the therapeutic process will be offered.
Dr. Carrie Dixon's Learning Objectives By completing this program, participants will able to:
1. Recognize pitfalls that lead to early treatment termination.
2. Apply culturally specific techniques to enhance the therapeutic process.
Presenter Bio: Carrie Dixon, PhD, HSPP Dr. Carrie Dixon is a retired registered nurse and clinical psychologist. She received a diploma in nursing from Holy Cross School of Nursing in 1971, a B.S. degree in psychology from Ball State University and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of South Carolina in 1985. Her psychology practice primarily focused on forensic and disability evaluations. She is a veteran Navy nurse, current Chapter President of the Indiana Association of Black Psychologists, Co-chair of the Leadership Development Institute of the national Association of Black Psychologists, immediate past Midwest Representative of the national Association of Black Psychologists and author and choreographer of an aerobics exercise video entitled ‘Spiritual Aerobics’.
Dr. Carrie Dixon
Dr. David Rollock - Presentation Description Dr. Rollock's segment of the webinar will address interventions, cultural perspectives, a systemic approach to identifying ethnic experiences and characterizing the range of ways that African Americans may understand and express their membership in that
group, and implications for common components and phases in therapeutic encounters.
The interventions section of the presentation will address delivery of psychotherapeutic services to African Americans in three parts: (1) defining a cultural perspective on therapeutic interventions, broadly defined; (2) dimensions of African Americans’ ethnic experience that may affect their presentation in therapeutic encounters; and (3) a review with recommendations for addressing specific components of psychotherapy with African Americans.
A cultural perspective will frame reasons why individuals seek psychological assistance, and cultural perspectives that may accompany a broad range of contemporary evidence based treatment approaches.
A systematic approach to identifying ethnic experiences, and characterizing the range of ways that African Americans may understand and express their membership in that group, will be presented as important for engaging therapeutic encounters. Ethnic experiences will be distinguished among mainstream, minority, and cultural elements of African American lives (cf. Boykin), which in turn may be useful for identifying norms and framing treatment goals. In addition, the construct of ethnic identity helps capture individual differences in how African American clients may bring their experiences distinctively into interactions with therapists (cf. Sellers). These also have relevance for therapists’ considerations of their own characteristics, values, and approach.
These elements, apart from specific presenting problems, have implications for common components and phases in therapeutic encounters, including assessing dysfunctions and strengths, setting parameters for processes and goals, confronting problem thoughts and behavior patterns, activating emotion (including hope and motivation for change), learning and rehearsing alternative and goal-related thoughts and behavior patterns, and planning for relapse prevention.
Dr. David Rollock's Learning Objectives By completing this program, participants will able to:
1. Describe how ethnic identity and the distinctions among mainstream, minority, and cultural dimensions of ethnic minority experience may characterize individual differences among African Americans.
2. Recognize how ethnic identity and other dimensions of ethnic minority experience may affect key processes and phases in psychotherapy.
Presenter Bio: David Rollock, PhD David Rollock, Ph.D. is 150th Anniversary Professor and Professor of Psychological Sciences at Purdue University, and Department Head. He also is Adjunct Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine. Dr. Rollock served as Director of Clinical Training for Purdue’s Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program, and the Purdue Psychology Treatment and Research Clinics. He is affiliated with Purdue’s African American Studies and Research Center.
Dr. Rollock earned his bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Princeton University, and his masters and doctorate in Clinical/Community Psychology from Yale University. His empirical research focuses on responses of African Americans to interethnic social and police-related contact, psychological dimensions of cultural transition among people of Latinx and Asian origins, and mental health helpseeking by diverse ethnocultural groups.
Dr. Rollock has been an officer of the Council of University Directors of Clinical Psychology (CUDCP), as well as the American Orthopsychiatric Association, and the American Psychological Association’s Society for the Psychological Study of Ethnic Minority Issues. An Editorial Board member of the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, he reviews for other scholarly journals in professional psychology training and in minority mental health. Dr. Rollock has been an officer of the Indiana Association of Black Psychologists, and the Advisory Council of the Indiana Department of Mental Health.
Dr. David Rollock
Ajasha M. Long - Presentation Description The graduate student portion of the seminar will focus on concerns related to the experiences of African Americans at Predominantly White Institutions. The presenter will be referencing an article titled, “The Double-Edged Sword: Coping and Resiliency Strategies of African American Women enrolled in Doctoral Programs at Predominantly White Institutions” (Shavers & Moore, 2014). Although this article specifically references the experiences of African American women, the themes and key points of the text capture the experiences of many. Specific areas of focus for this portion of the presentation will be on COMMUNALISM and PROVE-THEM WRONG SYNDROME. The presenter will end this portion
of the presentation by providing implications for supporting African American students in graduate programs.
Ms. Long's Learning Objectives By completing this program, participants will able to:
1. Recognize the differential experiences faced by African American graduate students in programs organized around psychological service delivery.
Presenter Bio - Ajasha Long, M.S. Ajasha Long is a doctoral candidate in the Counseling Psychology program at Ball State University. She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2015 from Alcorn State University, located in Lorman, Mississippi. She obtained her master’s degree in 2017 from Alabama A&M University, located in Huntsville, Alabama. She has a broad interest in Health Psychology, with a specific focus on chronic health conditions in the African American community. Ajasha is an active member of the Indiana Association of Black Psychologists, where she serves as the student liaison for Ball State University. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, kayaking, reading, and listening to podcasts.
Ajasha Long
Special Note to Conference Attendees
The Indiana Psychological Association (IPA) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Indiana Psychological Association maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
Indiana State Psychology Board and Indiana Behavioral Health Board:
IPA is an approved provider of Category I continuing education for psychologists.
IPA is an approved provider of Category I continuing education for LSW, LCSW, LMFT, LMHC, LMFTA, LCAC and LAC.
Licensees must judge the program’s relevance to their professional practice.
Please note that APA rules require that credit be given only to those who attend the entire workshop. Those arriving more than 15 minutes after the scheduled start time or leaving early will not receive CE credits. Partial credit cannot be given.
Licensees who attend the entire webinar and complete the evaluation form will receive a CE certificate via email.
Registration Fees
IPA New, Premier, Platinum, Emeritus-Practicing, and Student Members - $0
IPA Basic and Emeritus-Retired Members - $15
Non-Members - $30
IABPsi Members - $0
