DISCOVERY GROUPS

Discovery Group for Mental Health Practitioners

 starts Wednesday, April 24th

Spaces are limited

Before March 25th - $350 after $450

 sign-up early to save $100

Discovery groups are small, interactive, and intimate ways of working together to examine Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) work. Working with Racial Lens, as a group we will discover a deeper understanding of implicit bias, systemic racism, and other anti-racist terminology and how they have played a role in our lives, understanding of the world, and our beliefs and behaviours.  During the group, we will develop tools to work more inclusively with your mental health clients from varying backgrounds. 

How the groups work

• Maximum of 4-8 participants plus the Racial Lens facilitator
• Discovery groups are small to develop trust among members
• Groups will run for 75 minutes on the same day and time for 5 weeks
• We'll examine and discuss news, social media, film, institutions, business, etc., and how racist biases are built into the fabric of our world and can affect your clients' mental health

Curriculum

Week One:

• Introduction to the group and its members
• Creating a code of conduct for the five-week program
• introduction to anti-oppression and anti-racist terms and theories
• Delving into the roots of racism
• Discussion on the importance of learning EDI language is important for mental health professionals and their clients
• Question and answers
• Homework

Week Two:

• Discuss what was discovered from the homework
• Understanding and examining implicit and unconscious bias
• In-depth discussion on systematic racism and white supremacy
• Examination of how these systems contribute to racism and oppression
• Delve into how these systems make their way into a therapeutic setting
• Question and answers
• Homework

Week Three:

• Discuss what was discovered from the homework
• Continued exploration of understanding and discovering personal biases
• Introduction and examination of the characteristics of white supremacy
• Discussion on how these characteristics show up in real life and the therapeutic setting
• Develop tools to use when working with clients
• Question and answers
• Homework

Week Four:

• Discuss what was discovered from the homework
• Introduction and examination of the remaining characteristics of white supremacy
• Continued exploration of unconscious and implicit biases and how to unearth them
• Continued discussion on how EDI and mental health are connected
• Question and answers
• Homework

Week Five:

• Discuss what was discovered from the homework
• Members' choice of discussion
• Tools for continued learning
• Question and answers
• Conclusion

What you can learn

• Bring to light the assumptions around BIPOC, LGBTQ+ individuals, and other marginalized communities
• Develop tools to be more comfortable examining implicit bias
• Gain strategies to minimize unintentional harm that can occur during the therapeutic process
• Examine belief systems that have developed within a systematic racist environment
• Come to terms with complacently and begin to release shame and guilt
• Examine triggers that have contributed to unconscious bias
• Become more comfortable with the anti-oppressive and anti-racist terms to use during sessions
• Learn how to become a conscious ally, anti-racist, and a more inclusive mental health practitioner

Please note

• Sessions are client-centered, however, that does not mean that the lessons/sessions will be easy or comfortable
• Remember, the effort you put in, will correlate with how much you get out of the sessions
• We are developing a practice, not to be perfect EDI professionals, but to get better at the practice.

Cost

• $450 for all five sessions. $100 transferable deposit to save your space
• Register early to receive a $100 discount
• Contact us here to begin the registration process

Reach out to discuss how Racial Lens can help your group, organization, or personal situation.