In response to the recent tragedies that have impacted People of Color in the country, the Founder and Owner of Best Life Mental Health Services, Tiffany Farmer, and Dr. Steven Kniffley, Associate Director for the Center for Behavioral Health and an Assistant Professor in Spalding University’s School of Professional Psychology are sharing tips to help you embrace the reality of these situations and find a path towards healing.
Tiffany Farmer:
Thank you again for joining. My name is Tiffany Farmer and I’m the founder and owner of Best Life Mental Health Services here in Louisville, Kentucky. And I’m joined today by Dr. Steven Kniffley, who is a nationally renowned scholar, a professor, and the founder of the racial trauma treatment modality. And we are here to discuss the two recent tragedies that took place over this past weekend that I’m sure everyone is at this point well aware of and versed in. But we really want to talk about the effects of those types of incidents and how People of Color can really begin to embrace, number one, the realities of what is happening to them vicariously when these sorts of situations take place. But then number two, a path towards healing.
So, you know, just as a quick recap, we know that on, on May 14th there was a shooting that took place in Buffalo, New York that fatally killed 10 people and injured several others. We know that that shooting was one in which the shooter went live and was very clear about their motives of spreading white supremacy. We know there’s no refuting whether or not it was a racially motivated killing.
We also know that on May 15th, there was a person who joined a service at a Taiwanese church in Orange County, California with the intention of enacting a shooting. And he did do so after the service had concluded and killed one member of the church and injured others. And that incident is now being called a politically motivated hate crime against the Taiwanese congregants.
So, with incidents like these, where there really is no reputation about whether or not there was a motivation related to racial identity, I think we have a particular responsibility as clinicians of color, as scholars in our fields, to really begin to talk to people about how do you make sense of incidents like these, how are you processing and coping with these things? And then what are the next steps.
So, Dr. Kniffley, if you don’t mind, I admire you so much it’s hard for me not to introduce you or say more about you but I like for people to be able to highlight the things that they think are most important, there are so many things that you are. And so if you don’t mind just introduce yourself and then we can kind of hop into the discussion.
Dr. Steven Kniffley Jr.:
Sure. So name, my name is Steven Kniffley Jr. I am an Associate Professor at Spalding University, where I also serve as their Chief Diversity Officer and I’m also the Director of the Collective Care Center, which is one of very few racial trauma clinics that specializes in the treatment, training, and education related to race based stress and trauma.
Tiffany Farmer:
Awesome, and that’s right here in Louisville, Kentucky, and has been making such a huge impact in the community. Can we start by talking about what racial trauma is? Do you mind to sort of explaining what that is and what are some of the symptoms or signs that someone is experiencing racial trauma?
Dr. Steven Kniffley Jr.:
Sure. So racial trauma is a unique form of trauma that one experiences based on holding the identity of a marginalized individual based on race. There are typically three areas in which we see ourselves impacted by the experience of racial trauma. If we imagine them as links in the chain, it helps us to understand how racism then leads to race based stress and trauma. And so the first one is known as aversive hostile racism. And essentially what that refers to is many of us, especially since the 1960s, have been able to gain access to privileged spaces. So access to education, access to employment, access to political power, et cetera. However, not everybody has been all that happy about the fact that we’re in those spaces due to white supremacy, systemic racism, et cetera. And so we’re oftentimes met with hostility in the form of interpersonal hostility that’s designed to remind us that we don’t deserve to be in those spaces. That’s what aversive hostile racism is.
The next link in the chain is what is known as microinvalidations. So imagine you now tried to share this experience with those around you, that you are experiencing this interpersonal hostility, but then being told that your experience is not true. It’s not real. You’re making it up. You’re taking out of context, et cetera. And that’s where microinvalidations are ways in which we try to deny or diminish the experience of folks that have experienced racism and discrimination.
So aversive hostile racism, we gain interest in the privileged spaces but are met with interpersonal hostility. We then try to communicate those experiences with others but are told that we’re making stuff up or it’s not true, which is microinvalidation.
And probably most consistent with our current conversation is this idea of vicarious racism. And so vicarious racism refers to when we have to bear witness to the lived experiences of those around us, who have encountered racism and discrimination.
So racism to the experience of racial trauma is impacted by gaining access to privileged spaces that are met with interpersonal hostility, which is known as aversive hostile racism. Then trying to tell those around us about our experiences and being told that those aren’t true, which is microinvalidations, while also still having to bear witness to the lived experiences of those around us, who are experiencing racism as well, which is that vicarious racism. And so if we think about those, those are the three links in the chain that connect the experience of racism to the experience of race based stress and trauma.
So racial trauma, identity-based trauma that is based on one’s racial background, adverse hostile racism, microinvalidations, and the experience of vicarious racism are what impact that experience of racial trauma.
Tiffany Farmer:
Gotcha. And if I am someone who, as I am, someone who vicariously experienced those incidents that took place over the weekend, as well as the many others—I mean, these are current events and things that are really big in the news right now, but these are by far in very sad ways, not the only incidents—how will I recognize signs or symptoms that I am experiencing race based stress or trauma?
Dr. Steven Kniffley Jr.:
Sure. And then as a part of that, maybe we can have a conversation about how to differentiate it from other diagnoses for trauma, such as post traumatic stress disorder. So if we think about typical PTSD, it is when we’ve experienced a real or imagined threat of death or harm that’s physical in nature. Symptoms connected to that are avoidance strategies, having intrusive thinking or thoughts, or challenges with concentration. And then also having flashbacks, nightmares, and other types of physical symptoms typically related to anxiety. So rapid heart rate, rapid breathing, pulse sweating, et cetera, right? And so on the surface, both racial trauma and PTSD can have similar symptoms, but the cause is different. And so, whereas PTSD is rooted in physical or real or imagined threats of trauma, racial trauma is due more to the subtle experiences of racial discrimination that contribute to this idea of emotional pain.
So if I am someone that is constantly being witnessed to the shootings of black and brown folks, I might feel like “Gosh, that’s awful. I can’t believe it’s happening to those folks.” And I might have an imagination that, that could also happen to me. And so that’s one part of racial trauma and I’m sure what most folks are experiencing right now.
But then there’s now also the other side, which is the ways in which folks are trying to not explain this as an experience of racism perhaps, or it’s just a one-off experience, so this has nothing to do with white supremacy. This is one mentally ill person, and that could also contribute to racial trauma as well because there’s the denial that there’s the system in place that’s impacting folks, which could contribute to this emotional pain that we’re encountering because of that.
Tiffany Farmer:
Is there terminology for macroinvalidation? You know, the larger systemic aspect of it?
Dr. Steven Kniffley Jr.:
Yeah. So what we’re seeing with the experiences that happen at Buffalo are for sure very real threats of death and physical harm, which are consistent with PTSD. But because they’re rooted in the experience of identity-related to race, that’s where it could then lead to that encounter with racial trauma.
Tiffany Farmer:
Sure. I also think about, as you were talking about the symptoms of PTSD in the ways in which that is really sort of prevalent with our clients and people that are experiencing this race based stress and trauma, it made me think about hypervigilance also.
I have a son who’s home for college this summer, and he got a job at a grocery store nearby and he’s in training, and they did active shooter training yesterday. He came home, and my sons are you know, typical sons, and so they’re not ones that want to talk about the current events all the time. Do you know what I mean? And so it was interesting for him to bring this up that, he was going through that training and he was thinking to himself, “Is it the best idea to work in a grocery store right now? Do I know that I could really keep myself safe? I can’t carry weapons on me. I can’t protect myself.” You know, and it made him kind of skeptical of people around him. He was kind of watching others and all of those sorts of experiences. And, unfortunately, our answer to him was that this is so pervasive that we can’t say it’s just grocery stores. But the very real sense of hypervigilance is something that I see a lot too. Is that in an area that you would say exists as well?
Dr. Steven Kniffley Jr.:
Yeah. The interesting thing is that whereas hypervigilance can be seen as a negative symptom for PTSD, it’s actually seen as a very positive symptom for the experience of racial trauma. Because hypervigilance is seen as pathological. So pathological is all about being seen as a bad thing for PTSD because it prevents you from doing things that you otherwise might do that lead you to a full life. Whereas hypervigilance for racial trauma is seen as a very important, real protective factor because it helps us to keep ourselves safe from microaggressions, from discrimination, and from other forms of racism that we might encounter.
Tiffany Farmer:
Yeah. That’s such a good point. I think that’s one of the hard parts about systemic racism and what it looks like to have, as you referred to earlier, these aversive hostile interactions? Is that it can be anywhere, right. And so there’s not this idea of if I go back onto a battlefield or I’m reminded of things related to a battlefield, then I will feel unsafe. It’s more so it’s in my neighborhood, it’s in my everyday interactions with coworkers and people that I don’t have a choice but to be in interaction with. It’s going to the grocery store, et cetera. And so that makes a lot of sense that hypervigilance becomes more of a protective factor because you do need to be aware.
Dr. Steven Kniffley Jr.:
Absolutely. And for many of us, we haven’t been as aware as we perhaps could be. There’s this concept called false psychological consciousness, which talks about the ways in which we seek to hold color blind attitudes as a way to deny the experience of systemic racism. Because by denying the experience of systemic racism, it serves as a way to keep us safe on the surface. However, what the scientists are saying is that by denying the experience of racism, and colorblind racism specifically, it actually leads to more harmful mental health symptoms. So the more aware that we are of the systemic racism around us, the better we are able to protect ourselves through mental health means through physical means. So actually great awareness is incredibly important.
Tiffany Farmer:
Yeah. So if I am experiencing that emotional hurt, if I’m experiencing the feeling of wanting to avoid, if I’m experiencing hypervigilance, if I’m experiencing intrusive thoughts and emotional dysregulation, all related to these sorts of incidents and I’m not currently in treatment or therapy, what are some things that I could do? Like how should we advise our community about how to take care of themselves in a time like this and, what are some practical things they can do?
Dr. Steven Kniffley Jr.:
Absolutely. So the first thing, of course, as a responsible clinician, I would say that you probably should seek out some support from a culturally competent person that is versed in racial trauma treatment and therapy. If that’s not an option for you, what our approach typically focuses on are three areas. So racial identity development, processing racial trauma, and building skills for future traumatic events.
And so I would think about ways in which I can at least look into that first one, which is finding affirming spaces that I can exist in that will help me to feel validated and affirmed and celebrated as a black and brown person. The science is pretty clear and tells us that when we have a good sense of who we are in terms of our blackness or brownness, that can provide a significant buffer against the experience of race-based stress and trauma. And so think about those places that you can go, where you can seek out external support, where folks can tell you what you experienced is true, is real, that they recognize and see your emotional pain and will sit with you in the midst of those types of experiences.
Tiffany Farmer:
Yeah. That’s so key. I can’t say how many clients have said to me, “there’s no other space that I can have this discussion, there’s no other space where I can have this discussion and it doesn’t become a debate, or I don’t feel vulnerable about whether or not they’re going to agree in whole, or even just believe me.” Right. So, that’s a really, really good one. You mentioned there were three?
Dr. Steven Kniffley Jr.:
Yeah. So the next one is finding spaces for processing experiences of racial trauma. If we think about racial trauma being like boxes; for many of us over the generations, we have tucked away our trauma in boxes that we’ve now passed on to subsequent generations after that. And so today’s generation is holding all these boxes of trauma that no one has really sat and looked through.
If you think about moving, for many of us, we move to different places and we just put away certain boxes saying that we’ll get to those later, but then we never really do. And the reason being is because it’s like, “Well, that’s a lot to go through right now. I just don’t want to do that.” But that takes up space.
It takes up space metaphorically, in our minds. It takes space in our relationships. It takes us away from the things that we value, our value directions in life. And so what we can think about instead is finding a space where we can open up those boxes and we can take a look and start to process some of that trauma to help clear our minds to be able to do the things that we want to do. When our minds are cluttered, it takes us away from our value direction.
So finding space to process racial trauma, finding space to affirm our racial identity, and then also developing some new skills to be able to address future instances of racial trauma. The two areas that we typically focus on are micro-interventions for microaggressions. So learning some skills that we could use to address microaggressions wherever they might kind of rise up for us. And also this skill set called racial literacy, where we develop skills in terms of identifying racist situations, identifying our coping strategies, and then also being able to assess whether or not we were successful in addressing that particular racist situation.
Tiffany Farmer:
See, this is why you’re a scholar, because every bit of that I’m like, “Yes, those are the steps. Those are the things that we all need.” Right.
If I’m someone who’s not in therapy currently, how will I know that it’s probably time? Is there a particular kind of turning point or things that I should be looking at in my personal cognitions and thoughts or feelings or behaviors that I should really be able to pay attention to and go it’s probably time to make that call?
Dr. Steven Kniffley Jr.:
Sure. So what we normally see is someone experiencing isolated behavior. So are you starting to isolate yourself from others? Avoided behavior. Are you starting to find yourself avoiding situations or circumstances that otherwise might bring you joy because you’re afraid of the pain that might come along with it? Do you find yourself becoming more angry easily or irritable? Or feeling yourself engaged in more aggressive behaviors? Do you find yourself experiencing more sadness than normal? Or do you find yourself experiencing greater anxiety? Just kind of generally feeling stressed out? If you could at all attach a lot of those things to a racist encounter that you had, or a racist encounter that you see someone else have, that’s usually a good time to seek out some support and some help.
Tiffany Farmer:
Okay. That’s really good. One thing that I hear a lot, and I’m curious about your thoughts because I could see spaces in which this is a protective factor and it could also be a sign that it’s time to seek some help or you need a space is apathy, right? So experiencing these sorts of things and having that feeling of being at capacity and going, “I can’t engage it. I’ve deleted the app. I don’t get the notifications anymore. I don’t want to talk about it.” Do you know what I mean? And I guess those things would be avoidance, but the apathy around “I just keep going forward and kind of want to pretend like it’s not happening.” You know what I mean?
Dr. Steven Kniffley Jr.:
Sure. So there are two things that kind of offer up there. The first one is… I’ll watch Animal Planet, and just like animals. Animals are great, which is why I have animals in my home. I remember one time watching an episode about either a gazelle or antelope. It was one of those animals and it essentially talked about this coping strategy that they have, where they encounter dangerous situations, where their bodies literally shut down and it almost looks like they’re dead. And, a lion will come around and will see them and be like, “Oh, well I don’t want to eat that because it’s not alive.” And then will just kind of keep on moving and the gazelle or antelope is in that state for about 30 to 45 minutes and then their bodies start to wake up and then they’re able to kind of go about their day.
And so for many of us, that’s a strategy that we’ve used to kind of cope with the experience of racism and discrimination, which is to essentially just kind of like lay down. The difficulty is, is that, unlike those antelope who get up after 30 minutes, for many of us we’ve been laying down for generations at this point, which kind of speaks to the apathy part that you were talking about there.
The other thing to think about is the idea of homeostasis. And, homeostasis refers to this balance that our minds and our bodies are trying to get to, to help us stay on on path if you will. So we typically think of homeostasis as a good thing because we’re talking about balance. However, homeostasis can also refer to the utilization of maladaptive strategies as a way to maintain that balance.
So if I injure my leg, my body will seek to find a way to create homeostasis by shifting more weight onto the other leg, which even though that could serve as a good thing in the short term, that could also lead to all types of issues because I’m placing more weight on that leg, which means that could lead to other physical health types of challenges. And so for many of us, we’ve been using maladaptive ways to cope and because we feel like we’re achieving balance, we feel like those things are actually working for us, but the difficulty with all that is that if we continue to use maladaptive coping strategies, similar to balance, you know, one leg if the other leg is hurt, that could then lead to all types of long term chronic related illnesses or challenges.
So those have been the two ways in which many folks have attempted to cope with these experiences of racism is by essentially just lying down and giving up like the antelope or by shifting to more maladaptive strategies and thinking that we’ve achieved balance. But not realizing that the ways in which we’ve achieved that are actually harmful and will lead to chronic issues later.
Tiffany Farmer:
Yeah. When you gave the example of the antelope, I was also thinking it also doesn’t help in the same way because the threat doesn’t just stop. Right. Like it gets stronger. And you come back only to discover that it’s more insidious than it was when you laid down.
Dr. Steven Kniffley Jr.:
Yep. The lion is still waiting for you in the end.
Tiffany Farmer:
Absolutely. Thank you. That was really helpful. The only other question I have is if I am thinking that it’s probably time for me to go ahead and seek some sort of treatment. What are some questions that I might want to ask a potential therapist or counselor that I’m seeking out to just make sure that they are actually culturally competent, that they’re able to handle what I have because I know that research really bears out that a lot of People of Color really would like to see someone who is also a Person of Color. And there’s only so many of us to go around if that makes sense. I’ll do a shameless plug to say, we do have several clinicians that are at Best Life who would be happy to help, but I also know even if you’re sitting with someone who has the same skin color as you, you still wanna make sure that you feel safe in that space. So are there any specific questions or things that we should be looking for when we’re making those calls?
Dr. Steven Kniffley Jr.:
Sure. Someone should always remember that you have the power to interview your therapist. You don’t just have to accept someone just because they’re there. There are also questions that we should always be asking, especially in the conversation that we’re having now. Do you have any experience or training in race based stress or trauma? And then asking folks, what’s your approach to treating race based stress or trauma and do you have training? What’s your approach? Have you worked with someone that looks like me? And then what challenges have you seen working with folks that look like me and how have you addressed those?
All those are really beautiful questions to ask, especially the last one. If someone says that they haven’t had any challenges working with different types of folks, they’re not being honest with you. I’ve been doing this for almost 10 years at this point. I could tell you that there have been some hard folks and I would share with the client as well because they need to know that we’re still trying to figure things out as well and that we’re trying to learn.
So have you had training on race based stress or trauma therapy? What has been your approach to racial trauma therapy? Have you ever worked with people that look like me? And then, what challenges have you had and how have you addressed those challenges?
Tiffany Farmer:
Yeah, that’s super helpful. Thank you very much. Is there anything else that you would like to share this time?
Dr. Steven Kniffley Jr.:
Sure, two things I think that would be helpful to note here is that we do offer service specifically around the treatment of race based stress or trauma for folks ages six and up. Those services are all free. And we offer individual, group, and family therapy.
We also offer training for folks that are interested in learning more about how to assess and treat race based stress and trauma, and will certainly be willing to support you in those areas as well. So let us be a resource for you either in terms of training or service. We’re here to help.
Tiffany Farmer:
Yeah. I will also say the staff of Best Life is getting trained in racial trauma treatment and that’s through the Collective Care Center. So thank you for the opportunity with that. And you know, we’re happy to help you all work through the various issues that can be connected to incidents like these.
So thank you so, so much for your time, Dr. Kniffley.
Dr. Steven Kniffley Jr.:
It’s my pleasure. Thank you.
To learn more or find support:
Collective Care Clinic
behavioralhealth.spalding.edu/collaborative-care-clinic-healing-racial-and-intersectional-trauma
Phone: 502-792-7011
Best Life Mental Health Services
