Intersectional Psychology

1
00:00:16,240 –> 00:00:18,1000
Hello, my name is Aurora

2
00:00:18,1000 –> 00:00:21,920
Brown. I’m a Registered Counsellor

3
00:00:21,920 –> 00:00:24,920
in Cape Town, South Africa and host

4
00:00:24,920 –> 00:00:27,320
of the new podcast Intersectional

5
00:00:27,320 –> 00:00:30,240
Psychology. I believe

6
00:00:30,240 –> 00:00:32,1000
that everyone deserves to live with

7
00:00:32,1000 –> 00:00:35,960
their optimal mental health. So

8
00:00:35,960 –> 00:00:38,600
caring for mental health means

9
00:00:38,640 –> 00:00:41,400
caring about the factors impacting our

10
00:00:41,400 –> 00:00:44,120
mental health. The result?

11
00:00:44,960 –> 00:00:47,399
Lasting change and resilience,

12
00:00:47,599 –> 00:00:50,559
both in the counseling room and in the

13
00:00:50,559 –> 00:00:52,799
world. For

14
00:00:52,799 –> 00:00:55,359
example, working in under

15
00:00:55,359 –> 00:00:58,359
resourced communities, it often seems

16
00:00:58,359 –> 00:01:00,919
that the mental health challenges my

17
00:01:00,919 –> 00:01:03,199
clients face are caused,

18
00:01:03,359 –> 00:01:05,079
or at the very least

19
00:01:05,079 –> 00:01:07,839
exacerbated by factors

20
00:01:07,879 –> 00:01:09,519
beyond their control

21
00:01:10,239 –> 00:01:13,119
like poverty, racism,

22
00:01:13,639 –> 00:01:15,999
sexism, classism,

23
00:01:16,439 –> 00:01:18,889
homophobia. Transphobia,

24
00:01:18,929 –> 00:01:21,449
stigma, unemployment, lack of

25
00:01:21,449 –> 00:01:24,009
housing, lack of infrastructure, lack of

26
00:01:24,009 –> 00:01:26,939
access to healthcare. The list

27
00:01:26,939 –> 00:01:29,799
goes on, but. You get

28
00:01:29,799 –> 00:01:30,719
the idea.

29
00:01:32,619 –> 00:01:35,179
The conventional wisdom for councillors

30
00:01:35,179 –> 00:01:38,059
has been to teach clients

31
00:01:38,099 –> 00:01:40,979
coping strategies and to build

32
00:01:40,979 –> 00:01:43,619
their capacity to manage and live

33
00:01:43,659 –> 00:01:46,019
with these inequities and

34
00:01:46,019 –> 00:01:48,719
discrimination. But

35
00:01:49,199 –> 00:01:50,839
is that really enough?

36
00:01:51,919 –> 00:01:54,679
If we are caring for their mental health,

37
00:01:54,799 –> 00:01:56,999
shouldn’t we be addressing the

38
00:01:56,999 –> 00:01:59,959
intersecting systems of oppression that

39
00:01:59,959 –> 00:02:01,599
impact their mental health?

40
00:02:03,739 –> 00:02:06,179
Social justice is an essential

41
00:02:06,179 –> 00:02:08,539
dimension of cultural competence

42
00:02:08,739 –> 00:02:11,419
and ethical practice, which are

43
00:02:11,419 –> 00:02:13,659
critical for us all to remain

44
00:02:13,659 –> 00:02:16,659
effective and competitive in

45
00:02:16,659 –> 00:02:19,579
our changing multicultural societies.

46
00:02:20,219 –> 00:02:22,578
And for those of you in private practice

47
00:02:22,778 –> 00:02:25,658
who work predominantly with high income

48
00:02:25,658 –> 00:02:28,578
clients, it’s not only traditionally

49
00:02:28,578 –> 00:02:31,178
marginalized groups that suffer from

50
00:02:31,178 –> 00:02:32,658
social injustice.

51
00:02:33,798 –> 00:02:36,438
Women are still paid less for the same

52
00:02:36,438 –> 00:02:39,358
work as men, and women still

53
00:02:39,358 –> 00:02:41,958
bear the brunt of housework and

54
00:02:41,958 –> 00:02:44,918
child care. Older adults

55
00:02:44,918 –> 00:02:47,758
are all impacted by ageism.

56
00:02:48,558 –> 00:02:51,558
And men. Well, as Belle

57
00:02:51,558 –> 00:02:54,438
Hooks wrote in her 2004 book The

58
00:02:54,438 –> 00:02:56,998
World to Change, the

59
00:02:56,998 –> 00:02:59,558
first act of violence that patriarchy

60
00:02:59,558 –> 00:03:02,398
demands of males is not violence

61
00:03:02,398 –> 00:03:05,278
towards women. Instead,

62
00:03:05,318 –> 00:03:08,318
patriarchy demands of all males that

63
00:03:08,318 –> 00:03:10,918
they engage in acts of psychic self

64
00:03:10,918 –> 00:03:13,918
mutilation, that they kill off

65
00:03:13,918 –> 00:03:16,038
the emotional parts of themselves.

66
00:03:17,528 –> 00:03:20,048
If an individual is not successful in

67
00:03:20,048 –> 00:03:23,038
emotionally crippling himself. He

68
00:03:23,038 –> 00:03:25,518
can count on patriarchal men to

69
00:03:25,518 –> 00:03:28,318
enact rituals of power that will

70
00:03:28,318 –> 00:03:30,278
assault his self esteem.

71
00:03:32,098 –> 00:03:34,538
And thus men are facing a

72
00:03:34,538 –> 00:03:36,578
crisis of mental health.

73
00:03:37,838 –> 00:03:40,838
A crisis that is caused by centuries

74
00:03:40,838 –> 00:03:43,438
of capitalist and patriarchal

75
00:03:43,438 –> 00:03:45,478
structures that value

76
00:03:45,518 –> 00:03:47,958
competition over collaboration.

77
00:03:49,768 –> 00:03:51,688
That value comparison over camaraderie.

78
00:03:52,768 –> 00:03:54,568
Let’s say men don’t cry.

79
00:03:56,917 –> 00:03:59,037
These systems of oppression have taught

80
00:03:59,077 –> 00:04:01,837
all of us to measure success

81
00:04:01,917 –> 00:04:04,517
by whether we are ahead or

82
00:04:04,557 –> 00:04:06,877
behind of our peers.

83
00:04:07,757 –> 00:04:10,437
Capitalism and patriarchy are even

84
00:04:10,437 –> 00:04:12,957
built into social media algorithms.

85
00:04:14,437 –> 00:04:17,397
These algorithms taunt us with the best

86
00:04:17,397 –> 00:04:19,637
lives our contacts are

87
00:04:19,637 –> 00:04:22,117
living, convincing us that

88
00:04:22,117 –> 00:04:24,957
success is a 0 sum game,

89
00:04:25,717 –> 00:04:27,957
that only one person can be the

90
00:04:28,197 –> 00:04:30,957
winner. And that if

91
00:04:30,997 –> 00:04:33,757
others have more than us, then we are

92
00:04:33,757 –> 00:04:35,957
failing or falling short.

93
00:04:37,357 –> 00:04:39,517
And we all buy into that.

94
00:04:40,157 –> 00:04:42,557
We all perpetuate these systems.

95
00:04:44,247 –> 00:04:46,767
But it doesn’t have to be that way.

96
00:04:47,797 –> 00:04:50,797
To truly improve the quality of life for

97
00:04:50,797 –> 00:04:53,597
ourselves, our friends and

98
00:04:53,597 –> 00:04:55,917
family, and our clients,

99
00:04:56,397 –> 00:04:59,077
we have to dismantle the structures that

100
00:04:59,077 –> 00:05:01,717
place quantifiable value on

101
00:05:01,717 –> 00:05:04,637
human lives, saying this person

102
00:05:04,637 –> 00:05:06,997
is worth more than that person.

103
00:05:08,437 –> 00:05:10,397
Even in private practice,

104
00:05:10,877 –> 00:05:13,637
understanding the broader social systems

105
00:05:13,677 –> 00:05:16,157
affecting your clients can help you

106
00:05:16,157 –> 00:05:18,717
provide more effective therapy

107
00:05:18,877 –> 00:05:21,317
and deepen your connection with a lived

108
00:05:21,317 –> 00:05:22,837
experiences.

109
00:05:24,287 –> 00:05:26,927
Being aware of social justice could

110
00:05:26,927 –> 00:05:29,927
enable you to help clients overcome

111
00:05:29,927 –> 00:05:32,766
societal pressures contributing to

112
00:05:32,766 –> 00:05:35,006
anxiety and depression.

113
00:05:35,486 –> 00:05:38,046
Recognize privileged dynamics in

114
00:05:38,046 –> 00:05:39,886
therapeutic relationships.

115
00:05:40,756 –> 00:05:43,756
And improve your cultural competence and

116
00:05:43,756 –> 00:05:45,836
broaden your client bases.

117
00:05:46,716 –> 00:05:49,156
And for those of you. This

118
00:05:49,156 –> 00:05:51,916
idea of confronting systemic

119
00:05:51,916 –> 00:05:53,876
issues is not new.

120
00:05:55,036 –> 00:05:57,476
In fact, Doctor Martin Luther King

121
00:05:57,476 –> 00:06:00,396
Junior addressed it powerfully in

122
00:06:00,396 –> 00:06:02,836
a 1967 speechto the

123
00:06:02,836 –> 00:06:05,756
American Psychological Association

124
00:06:06,156 –> 00:06:08,196
just seven months before his

125
00:06:08,196 –> 00:06:11,076
assassination. His call

126
00:06:11,076 –> 00:06:13,636
to action is as powerful and

127
00:06:13,636 –> 00:06:16,316
relevant today as it was back

128
00:06:16,316 –> 00:06:19,076
then. Now, I

129
00:06:19,316 –> 00:06:22,276
obviously cannot fully embody the

130
00:06:22,276 –> 00:06:25,076
weight of Doctor King’s experiences

131
00:06:25,356 –> 00:06:27,796
or the voices of the black leaders who

132
00:06:27,796 –> 00:06:30,676
have fought so hard for justice and

133
00:06:30,676 –> 00:06:33,636
equity here in South Africa, the

134
00:06:33,676 –> 00:06:35,676
US, and around the world,

135
00:06:36,996 –> 00:06:38,916
But I do want to honor them.

136
00:06:40,496 –> 00:06:42,856
The following excerpt resonates deeply

137
00:06:42,856 –> 00:06:45,816
with a person with a purpose of this

138
00:06:45,816 –> 00:06:48,536
podcast to challenge systems of

139
00:06:48,536 –> 00:06:51,016
oppression and work towards

140
00:06:51,016 –> 00:06:53,776
justice in every area of life.

141
00:06:55,516 –> 00:06:58,396
With that in mind, here are Doctor

142
00:06:58,396 –> 00:06:59,436
King’s words.

143
00:07:01,786 –> 00:07:04,426
I am sure that we will recognize that

144
00:07:04,426 –> 00:07:06,865
there are some things in our society,

145
00:07:07,505 –> 00:07:10,505
some things in our world, to which we

146
00:07:10,505 –> 00:07:12,745
should never be adjusted.

147
00:07:14,355 –> 00:07:16,755
There are some things concerning which we

148
00:07:16,755 –> 00:07:19,515
must always be maladjusted

149
00:07:19,595 –> 00:07:22,595
if we are to be people of goodwill.

150
00:07:23,555 –> 00:07:26,555
We must never adjust ourselves to

151
00:07:26,555 –> 00:07:28,915
racial discrimination and racial

152
00:07:28,915 –> 00:07:31,875
segregation. We must

153
00:07:31,875 –> 00:07:34,715
never adjust ourselves to religious

154
00:07:34,715 –> 00:07:37,355
bigotry. We must

155
00:07:37,355 –> 00:07:40,275
never adjust ourselves to economic

156
00:07:40,275 –> 00:07:43,035
conditions that take necessities from the

157
00:07:43,035 –> 00:07:45,995
many to give luxuries to the few.

158
00:07:47,435 –> 00:07:50,355
We must never adjust ourselves to the

159
00:07:50,355 –> 00:07:53,075
madness of militarism and the

160
00:07:53,075 –> 00:07:55,395
self defeating effects of physical

161
00:07:55,395 –> 00:07:58,325
violence. Thus, it

162
00:07:58,325 –> 00:08:00,965
may well be that our world is in

163
00:08:00,965 –> 00:08:03,885
dire need of a new organization.

164
00:08:04,715 –> 00:08:07,275
The International Association for the

165
00:08:07,275 –> 00:08:09,515
advancement of creative

166
00:08:09,555 –> 00:08:10,995
maladjustment.

167
00:08:14,505 –> 00:08:17,305
Doctor King declared that through such

168
00:08:17,305 –> 00:08:20,105
creative maladjustment to systems of

169
00:08:20,105 –> 00:08:23,105
oppression, we may be able to

170
00:08:23,105 –> 00:08:25,425
emerge from the bleak and desolate

171
00:08:25,425 –> 00:08:28,305
midnight of man’s inhumanity to

172
00:08:28,305 –> 00:08:30,785
man into the bright and

173
00:08:30,785 –> 00:08:33,705
glittering Daybreak of Freedom

174
00:08:33,785 –> 00:08:34,865
and Justice.

175
00:08:37,745 –> 00:08:40,305
Doctor King’s call for creative

176
00:08:40,305 –> 00:08:43,144
maladjustment is the spirit that

177
00:08:43,144 –> 00:08:44,824
guides this podcast.

178
00:08:45,874 –> 00:08:48,874
By questioning systems of oppression and

179
00:08:48,874 –> 00:08:51,674
striving for justice, we

180
00:08:51,674 –> 00:08:54,514
aim to improve mental health outcomes for

181
00:08:54,514 –> 00:08:57,264
everyone. This

182
00:08:57,264 –> 00:08:59,504
podcast will also highlight how

183
00:08:59,504 –> 00:09:02,344
frameworks like Intersectionality

184
00:09:02,424 –> 00:09:05,384
can help us uncover hidden biases

185
00:09:05,624 –> 00:09:07,664
and better support our clients.

186
00:09:10,544 –> 00:09:13,104
We’ll cover topics like navigating

187
00:09:13,104 –> 00:09:16,104
cultural competence, decolonizing

188
00:09:16,104 –> 00:09:18,944
counselling in practice, applying an

189
00:09:18,944 –> 00:09:21,344
intersectional lens to common

190
00:09:21,344 –> 00:09:23,914
presenting complaints. And

191
00:09:23,914 –> 00:09:26,274
supporting marginalized clients

192
00:09:26,954 –> 00:09:29,634
alongside interviews with experts

193
00:09:29,714 –> 00:09:32,274
and people with lived experience at the

194
00:09:32,274 –> 00:09:35,074
juncture of psychology and social

195
00:09:35,074 –> 00:09:35,554
justice.

196
00:09:38,234 –> 00:09:40,634
And none of this would be possible

197
00:09:40,674 –> 00:09:43,114
without the work of people like black

198
00:09:43,114 –> 00:09:45,634
feminist and legal scholar Kimberly

199
00:09:45,634 –> 00:09:48,474
Crenshaw. While Crenshaw

200
00:09:48,474 –> 00:09:50,314
named interfectionality in

201
00:09:50,314 –> 00:09:53,234
1989, black feminists

202
00:09:53,234 –> 00:09:55,474
had been championing this idea for

203
00:09:55,474 –> 00:09:58,194
centuries, from Maria W

204
00:09:58,194 –> 00:10:01,194
Stewart and Sojourner Truth in the 19th

205
00:10:01,194 –> 00:10:03,874
century to the ANC Women’s

206
00:10:03,874 –> 00:10:06,594
League, the Kombahi River Collective

207
00:10:07,034 –> 00:10:09,794
bell hooks and our very own

208
00:10:09,794 –> 00:10:12,354
Puma de Naoga Krolla in more recent

209
00:10:12,354 –> 00:10:14,844
times. As a

210
00:10:14,844 –> 00:10:17,843
counselor, I’ve seen how overlapping

211
00:10:17,843 –> 00:10:20,483
systems of oppression like racism,

212
00:10:20,483 –> 00:10:23,443
sexism, and classism affect mental

213
00:10:23,443 –> 00:10:26,083
health. For mental health professionals,

214
00:10:26,083 –> 00:10:28,883
this podcast offers practical tools

215
00:10:28,923 –> 00:10:31,723
and insights to improve your practice

216
00:10:31,803 –> 00:10:34,363
and strengthen connections with diverse

217
00:10:34,363 –> 00:10:37,283
clients. You’ll also be able to

218
00:10:37,283 –> 00:10:40,083
earn CPD points from some episodes of the

219
00:10:40,083 –> 00:10:43,043
podcast. I’ll let you know whenever an

220
00:10:43,443 –> 00:10:45,603
accredited episode is coming up.

221
00:10:47,193 –> 00:10:48,833
You will be able to complete a

222
00:10:48,833 –> 00:10:51,513
questionnaire or attend live sessions to

223
00:10:51,513 –> 00:10:54,033
get these points. So you can grow

224
00:10:54,033 –> 00:10:56,953
professionally while helping to create a

225
00:10:56,953 –> 00:10:59,913
fairer world. But I

226
00:10:59,913 –> 00:11:02,433
also have something extra for anyone who

227
00:11:02,433 –> 00:11:05,353
is not a healthcare professional who is

228
00:11:05,353 –> 00:11:07,313
just looking to make a difference in

229
00:11:07,313 –> 00:11:09,153
their own mental health or their

230
00:11:09,153 –> 00:11:12,033
community. Now

231
00:11:12,393 –> 00:11:14,553
let me just say that there will never be

232
00:11:14,593 –> 00:11:17,353
any third party ads on intersectional

233
00:11:17,353 –> 00:11:20,353
psychology, which is great because

234
00:11:20,353 –> 00:11:22,913
it means that you can be sure all the

235
00:11:22,913 –> 00:11:25,673
mental health information shared here is

236
00:11:25,673 –> 00:11:28,633
free from corporate influence and bias.

237
00:11:29,673 –> 00:11:32,113
However, it also means that this

238
00:11:32,113 –> 00:11:35,113
podcast is only made possible by

239
00:11:35,113 –> 00:11:38,033
you, the listener. So

240
00:11:38,033 –> 00:11:40,673
if you enjoy this podcast or find value

241
00:11:40,673 –> 00:11:43,233
in it, please consider joining my

242
00:11:43,233 –> 00:11:46,193
Patreon for as little as three U.S.

243
00:11:46,193 –> 00:11:48,513
dollars per month. Your

244
00:11:48,513 –> 00:11:50,992
contributions will be used to improve the

245
00:11:50,992 –> 00:11:53,672
production and cover the costs to

246
00:11:53,672 –> 00:11:56,152
research, write, record

247
00:11:56,192 –> 00:11:59,152
and edit each episode of this podcast,

248
00:11:59,392 –> 00:12:00,832
and to host our guests.

249
00:12:02,192 –> 00:12:04,992
In return, you’ll get exclusive Patreon

250
00:12:04,992 –> 00:12:06,952
benefits, including bonus

251
00:12:06,952 –> 00:12:09,312
episodes, additional guided

252
00:12:09,312 –> 00:12:11,632
mindfulness recordings, group

253
00:12:11,632 –> 00:12:13,872
discussions, and more.

254
00:12:15,192 –> 00:12:17,312
So if you’re a mental health professional

255
00:12:17,312 –> 00:12:19,512
who cares about social justice?

256
00:12:20,152 –> 00:12:22,432
Or someone looking to make meaningful

257
00:12:22,432 –> 00:12:24,392
changes in your mental health and

258
00:12:24,392 –> 00:12:27,392
community. Join me on intersectional

259
00:12:27,392 –> 00:12:29,912
psychology. In

260
00:12:29,912 –> 00:12:32,272
challenging times like these, as

261
00:12:32,272 –> 00:12:35,032
injustice persists globally,

262
00:12:35,552 –> 00:12:38,192
Doctor King’s words offer guidance and

263
00:12:38,192 –> 00:12:40,952
hope. Let’s create

264
00:12:41,432 –> 00:12:44,432
a fairer, healthier world together

265
00:12:45,032 –> 00:12:47,992
because everyone deserves good mental

266
00:12:47,992 –> 00:12:48,512
health.