Special Report on Treating RBTS as a Social Justice Imperative by Dr. Nzingha Dalila, Ed.D., LPCC-S, LCDC-III

Special Report on Treating RBTS as a Social Justice Imperative

This report provides a review of Race-Based Traumatic Stress (RBTS) and possible treatment models that can contribute to the social and racial justice movement. Dr. Dalila reviews similarities and differences to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) to understand how this disorder creates fundamental psychological, emotional, and behavioral challenges in assessment, diagnosis, and treatment. 

She also reviews literature on RBTS, race-related stress, multigenerational trauma, how our environment supports racism, and the effect of systemic racism on racial identity development. Nzingha Dalila’s work is a call for the development of a mental health treatment model that advocates for clients to organize their communities towards obtaining social justice. 

This report provides a review of some models of group therapy programs based on a liberation psychology philosophy. According to Dr. Dalila, her summary of the theories and models provides the basis for further research and development into appropriate treatments.

Table of Contents

• Abstract ---------- 3
  
• Introduction ---------- 4
  
• Race-Based Traumatic Stress ---------- 5
  
• Physical and Psychological Consequences of Racism ---------- 5
  
• Traumatic Impact of Race-Based Stressors ---------- 6
  
• Multigenerational Transmission of Race-Based Trauma ---------- 6
  
• The Impact of RBTS on Racial Identity Development ---------- 8
  
• Racial Identity Development Theory ---------- 8
  
• Treating RBTS within an Ecological Counseling Model ---------- 12
  
• Overview of Ecological Counseling ---------- 12
  
• Identity Development in an Ecological Framework ---------- 14
  
• Emotional Trauma and the Ecological Model ---------- 15
  
• RBTS Counseling as Social Justice ---------- 16
  
• Social Justice ---------- 16
  
• Social Justice Advocacy against Racism ---------- 17
  
• Treating RBTS with Social Justice Counseling ---------- 17
  
• Coping Strategies ---------- 19
  
• Models of Social Justice Counseling to Address RBTS ---------- 21
  
• Conclusion ---------- 26
  
• References ---------- 28