While we’re all going through the same pandemic, it’s affecting everybody in very different ways.
So below, Thema Bryant-Davis, PhD will get into some of those differences.
She’ll also share what to keep in mind when conducting online sessions with clients who are at risk of violence at home, and why some clients from marginalized communities might feel anxious about telehealth.
Now we’d like to hear from you. Do you have clients who are struggling because they don’t feel like they’re coping in the “right” way? What are some of your takeaways from the video?
Please let us know with a comment below.
If you found this helpful, here are a few more resources you might be interested in:
When the COVID-19 Pandemic Leaves Us Feeling Helpless, with Bessel van der Kolk, MD
Working with the Trauma of Racism
Moving from Cultural Competence to Antiracism
I particularly liked how you addressed the technology barrier. We serve folks who might not even have internet service. So, this has been an issue. We have had to serve them in other ways. And walking through the set up, or helping when you can if things go wrong, is just part of life and the relationship during telehealth. Thank you for sharing.
Dr. Bryant-Davis provided very useful insight about the differences in coping in marginalized communities and the level of dissonance some people may experience around the technology needed for telemental health. An added component is displaced anger at the racial disparities we have seen lately and clients’ feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. Many clients wonder how is it (response from the governmental authorities) going to get better? Will it ever get better? We as clinicians have to be sensitive to the level of fear that manifests these questions.
Thank you very much for sharing this video with us! It is really interesting to realize how the different communities are experiencing this pandemic and also how some people freeze while others want to do lots of things simultaneously.
I think also about children. How will this change their lives? How can we help them?
Thank you for making this video available and for Dr Bryant-Davis for her time and willingness to share her insights. In my own community I also see shaming of people who are testing positive for Covid-19. And they are then further isolated. Indeed, we are all in the sane storm, but our boats are different. Take care all.
Thank you so much for this. Dr. Bryant-Davis is a gem, bringing forward important areas to consider. This has brought a breath of fresh air to my day.
good article. thanks
Thank you for this video. It is going to help me going forward in so many ways. As a counsellor I know that I have struggled with the lack of personal contact as opposed to virtual contact with my clients. This has been helpful for me to realize what is going on with me.
Thank you for presenting the perspective of being mindful of how this pandemic is impacting marginalized communities as well as other individuals such as the elderly. I have noticed that older individuals are not too keen on using electronic devices to connect. However, they are open to it if the App and device are user friendly. And, they are okay with using the phone. We do need to remember that people are doing the best they can at this time. And, compassionately introducing options for coping that might be more effective yet doable for the individual client is okay too. I think that we are all needing to adjust in different ways. Personally, as a Latina, I have to constantly remember not to greet my friends and even family members with a hug; a slight touch on the shoulder or a full hug is a cultural norm when greeting family, it is seen as acknowledging the other’s presence. And, it has been hard for me to see how people of color are less likely to have access to health care.
First, thank you so much for this video. It was so helpful on many levels, for myself and my clients. I am finding that almost everyone is struggling more, now, myself included. I miss face-to-face gatherings, etc., and my clients do, too. I have known for some time that protracted stressful situations, such as chronic illness, have their toll on us, and this pandemic is another example of managing DAILY, with no real end in sight.
I am trying to make the online sessions interesting — and doing phone sessions with those who do not have or choose not to do video sessions.
I am finding that stories that lend themselves to laughter really help!!
Of course, these are tailored to the particular client. For example, I relayed how my chickens and ducks keep getting out of their coop and how I was chasing them around….the image was hilarious to my client, and now that is a connecting point in our sessions. She also thinks about it in between sessions and laughs then, also. So, thanks again for the support!
Lorraine Kramer, M.Ed., LADC
Most appreciative of this talk.Just would like to add that some people have variety of ways to cope,depending on the stage of my the Pandemic or their situation.Withdrow,slow diwn,numb then energized,active etc.
But we and our clients knowing the style of coping,and all are normal,does not mean that we are helpless in changing it.
For example watching tv all day can make you numb abd depressed.
Physical activity,even if you do not feel like doing it,will help with mood,motivation in other areas.
Many thanks for your inspiration.
Many in denial . Can’t get the far reaching effects and impact . Think the phases of each state goes thru opening up is somehow meaning we are safer from the virus . We have, in some states, achieved ICU numbers lowering , the virus is here the same way . Blinders on and in a type of survival mode unackowledged
This was a helpful summary of info. I liked her emphasis on compassion 4 different coping styles. I am hearing a lot of disdain and contempt 4 those who cope with denial. I would add that when people’s livelihoods r threatened they go 2 a primal place. They r not rational because the part of their brains that think r offline. With clients in that space we need to make lambic friendly interventions. We also need 2 take into account that people w developmental trauma r vulnerable 2 the paucity of good leadership. I live in California n we have a mature and compassionate governor. It has been helpful 2 point out this fact.
Thank you for introducing a new expert who can enrich the conversation with insight and awareness of marginalized and diverse experiences.
I appreciate Dr Bryant-Davis’s trauma awareness of how individuals are reacting to this pandemic from different stress responses in the nervous system, and the importance of being aware of our own and our clients’ defense reactions, and the importance of being sensitive to real dangers in the home and anxieties about technology. This awareness will help me in navigating toward a secure base with the client in session.
First let me say how wonderful to have A person of color as a speaker here. As much as I admire the wisdom of Peter Levine, Stephen Porges, & Bessel Van dear Kolk, they are not poised to speak about the gritty reality of the underprivileged. Also, very helpful reminder about limitations of technological access & know-how. Most importantly, please continue to discuss the intersectionality of trauma/Covid/race especially in light of current riots. Keep up the good work !
Thank you!! I really really appreciate Dr. Bryant-Davis’ clear and helpful explanation. We need to find more ways to support marginalized communities and increase their access to services. Let’s continue to bring in more diversity In topics and presenters -that reflect the clients we work with.
Thank you Dr. Bryant-Davis for the attention to marginalized populations and discussing the sensitivity needed (for ourselves and our clients). For those who are not comfortable with technology (or never used it before), I have offered to start the clock only when the client has secured a connection, sound,etc. to which ever format used, reducing their anxiety over the technical aspects of online treatment. This is time consuming for therapist, yet I believe the compassion and patience felt by clients outweighs the financial loss.
Excellent!!! Loved your clear explanation of the different ways we cope. Explains a lot of the reasons for disconnects.
Thank you
Annette Ladowitz, LCSW
Loved hearing the affirmation regarding assisting our elderly and marginalized clients who are unfamiliar with technology. Gentle guidance mixed with compassion are effective interventions across all cultural systems. Thank you, Dr. Bryant-Davis, for being a voice for those who are part of any marginalized group or system.
Thank you!
Caroline J Clark, LMFT