Toward a Psychological Framework of Radical Healing in Communities of Color

Bryana H French,Hector Y Adames,Nayeli Y Chavez-Dueñas,Della V Mosley,Helen A Neville,Jioni A Lewis,Grace A Chen

doi:10.1177/0011000019843506

Abstract

Advancing beyond individual-level approaches to coping with racial trauma, we introduce a new psychological framework of radical healing for People of Color and Indigenous individuals (POCI) in the United States. We begin by providing a context of race and racism in the United States and its consequences for the overall well-being of POCI. We build on existing frameworks rooted in social justice education and activism and describe a form of healing and transformation that integrates elements of liberation psychology, Black psychology, ethnopolitical psychology, and intersectionality theory. We briefly review these conceptual foundations as a prelude to introducing a psychological framework of radical healing and its components grounded in five anchors including: (a) collectivism, (b) critical consciousness, (c) radical hope, (d) strength and resistance, and (e) cultural authenticity and self-knowledge. We conclude with a discussion of the applications of radical healing to clinical practice, research, training, and social justice advocacy.

Highlights

Significance of the Scholarship to the Public Advancing beyond individual-level approaches to coping with racial trauma, we call for a new multisystemic psychological framework of radical healing for People of Color and Indigenous individuals
Rooted in social justice education activism (Ginwright, 2010), radical healing is grounded in health-promoting practices and transformation that integrates elements of liberation psychology, Black psychology, and intersectionality while drawing on Comas-Díaz’s (2007) concept of ethnopolitical psychology
Before introducing the proposed psychological framework of radical healing, we describe the context of racism in the United States and ways People of Color and Indigenous individuals (POCI) have navigated this context, after which we describe the foundational theories informing our conceptualization of radical healing

Summary

A Psychology of Radical Healing

The term radical healing can be traced back to 1851 when Augusto Vidal utilized it as the title of his book to describe a medical treatment for varicocele (vein enlargement). Ginwright (2010) wrote about radical healing in his book Black Youth Rising, which highlights his work with Black youth in Oakland, California. He described radical healing as building the capacity to act upon one’s environment in ways that contribute to the common good. Ginwright’s sociological and educational model of radical healing offers an opportunity for psychologists to think critically about the ways POCI strive for wellness. In his conceptualization, Ginwright suggested that wellness is achieved through social, community, and individual mechanisms. Fostering a sense of agency and solidarity, engaging in resistance, and transforming systems of oppression are processes that help to achieve wellness on multiple levels that are congruent with the call for social action among counseling psychologists (Toporek, Gerstein, Fouad, Roysircar, & Israel, 2006)

A Psychological Framework of Radical Healing

Findings

Conclusion