The Cost of Healing in Silence

An up-to-date and expert discussion of how to create a more culturally responsive mental health care system In The Cost of Healing in Silence: Navigating Racial Trauma and the Call for Culturally Responsive Care, veteran psychotherapist and trauma specialist Ashley McGirt-Adair delivers an effective roadmap for culturally responsive mental health care that acknowledges, understands, and begins to heal the ways racial bias and stereotypes infiltrate counseling. Blending contemporary research, practical tools, and searing personal stories, McGirt-Adair offers both a personal narrative and a comprehensive guide to more equitable mental health care. The Cost of Healing in Silence offers techniques for culturally responsive care that demonstrates how mental health care can be improved by offering therapy that is reflective of and sensitive to a range of identities. McGirt-Adair helps readers uncover the impacts of racial trauma and navigate the scars it leaves behind, offering culturally attuned techniques for healing and restoration that honor identity and community. You'll also find: Actionable guidance for recognizing and addressing racial bias in therapeutic settings Inspiring amplifications of marginalized voices, including those whose pain has often been overlooked and dismissed Strategies for improving access to Black therapists and implementing changes that prioritize cultural responsive care Perfect for people of color who have faced discrimination, bias, or unequal treatment in healthcare settings and are seeking guidance on how to heal from these experiences, The Cost of Healing in Silence is also a must-read for healthcare professionals, educators and allies committed to transforming healthcare into a more equitable system.

Epigraph xi Opening Note: A Message to the Reader xiii Chapter 1 Spanish Harlem 1 Chapter 2 Liquor Stores on Every Corner 21 Chapter 3 Cracks in the Foundation 41 Chapter 4 The Price of Silence: A Grandmother's Final Struggle 69 Chapter 5 Safe Enough to Speak: Stories Held Gently—Janelle’s Story 91 Chapter 6 The Weight of Racial Trauma 101 Chapter 7 In the Absence of Reflection 111 Chapter 8 Misnamed Shadows: When the Blues Turn Silent 137 Chapter 9 A System Not Built for Us 155 Chapter 10 The Power of Being Responsive 167 Chapter 11 Tending to the Wound 175 Resources and Next Steps 183 Acknowledgments 187 About the Author 189 Index 191