Microaggressions in Everyday Life is a full-day Saturday conference. Presented by Dr. Derald Wing Sue and co-sponsored by WSSCSW & National Association of Social Workers- WA chapter.
Aimed at presenting cutting edge research and perspectives on the manifestation, psychological dynamics, and impact of microaggressions on the well-being of marginalized groups.
The conference will:
- Elucidate their role in assailing the group identities of target groups.
- Reveal how they create disparities in education, employment, and healthcare.
- Identify common and group specific forms of microaggressions.
- Suggest strategies to overcome microaggressions on an individual, institutional, societal, and cultural level.
- Present important findings on how to combat microaggressions from a clinical, therapeutic, and mental health perspective.
Particular attention will be devoted to discussing how
clinicians can become aware of their unintentional delivery of microaggressions to clients, what they can personally do to overcome them, and how they can teach culturally diverse clients to cope with the many
microaggressions they experience throughout their lives.
About the conference
New research on the manifestation, dynamics, and harmful impact of microaggressions on socially devalued groups has literally changed the therapeutic landscape in the field of mental health practice. Microaggressions
are the everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental
slights, snubs, or insults that communicate hostile, derogatory, negative messages to targeted persons based solely upon their marginalized group membership. Often unintentional, these hidden messages may invalidate the group identities or experiential reality of
target persons, demean them on a personal or group level, communicate they are lesser human beings, suggest they do not belong with the majority group, or relegate them to inferior status and treatment.
Although microaggressions are generally discussed from the perspective of race and racism, any marginalized group in our society may become targets: people of color, women, LGBTQ populations, those with disabilities, religious minorities, and so on. Well-intentioned individuals who are unaware that they have engaged in harmful conduct toward a socially devalued group usually deliver the most detrimental forms of microaggressions.
These everyday occurrences may, on the surface, appear quite harmless, but research indicate they have
a powerful impact upon the psychological well being of
marginalized groups, and affect their standard of living by creating inequities in health care, education, and employment.
In the clinical encounter between therapists and
culturally diverse clients, microaggressions may make
their appearance in the dyadic interactions between clients and clinicians. Microaggressions delivered by well-intentioned clinicians have been found to discourage usage of mental health services by clients of color, result in premature termination of sessions, and result in the unintentional oppression of clients. Rather than help
or heal, therapy may actually be oppressive and harmful to culturally diverse clients.
Learning objectives
- Define, identify, & describe the manifestation, dynamics, & impact of racial, gender, & sexual orientation microaggressions.
- Discuss how microaggressions manifest themselves in the therapeutic encounter with culturally diverse clients.
- Identify similarities & differences between racial, gender, & sexual orientation microaggressions.
- Become aware of how microaggressions assail the personal integrity and mental health of targets.
- Give examples of personal, clinical, & institutional strategies to overcome microaggressions.
- Aid people of color, women, and LGBTQ populations in developing effective coping strategies to overcome microaggressions they encounter.
About the presenter
Derald Wing Sue, is professor of psychology and education in the Department of Counseling and Clinical Psychology at Teachers College and the School of Social Work, Columbia University. Dr. Sue can truly be described as a pioneer in the field of multicultural psychology,
multicultural education, multicultural counseling and
therapy, and the psychology of racism/antiracism.
Dr. Sue is the author of over 150 publications, 15 books, and numerous media productions. Dr. Sue’s book,
Counseling the Culturally Diverse: Theory and Practice, 2008, 5th Edition (with David Sue), has been identified as the most frequently cited publication in the multicultural field; since its first edition, it has been used by nearly 50 percent of the graduate counseling psychology market. His most recent book,
Microaggressions in Everyday Life: Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation, won the 2010 National Diversity and Inclusion Book Prize. Because of Dr. Sue’s stature in the field, a national Fordham University study of multicultural publications and scholars concluded that, “Impressively, Derald Wing Sue is without doubt the most influential multicultural scholar in the United States."
Saturday, October 15, 2011
8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Registration opens at 8:00 a.m.
Seattle Pacific University, Gwinn Commons
Upper Gwinn Conf. Ctr. (top floor)
3310 6th Ave, Seattle 98119
Continuing education:
Six continuing education credits for social workers, marriage & family therapists, mental health counselors and associates of these groups.
What is included:
Continental breakfast, coffee, tea, water, & snacks. Lunch is on your own.
Questions?
Contact the registrar Aimee Roos at admin@wsscsw.org or call 206-257-2257.
Cancellation policy: Fees may be refunded, minus a $50 administrative charge, up to October 1, 2011.
No refunds will be allowed after October 1, 2011.
Directions, map & parking information: Found on the WSSCSW website & in the registration confirmation email.
