August 5, 2020
In this episode, Wendy speaks with clinical psychologist Doris Chang about her work on race, ethnicity, culture, and other dimensions of social identity as they shape psychological experience and mental health treatment. They discuss a number of topics, including:
- Critical Consciousness as the ability to recognize and analyze systems of inequality, and the commitment to take action against these systems;
- that race is a social construct, not a biological fact;
- the impact of race on measures of well-being and health;
- how she brings critical consciousness into the classroom, and how it unfolds with students;
- the role of contemplative practice in becoming aware of systems of oppression;
- her research on these training programs;
- where contemplative science needs to go next, and other topics.
Doris Chang is Associate Professor at the New York University Silver School of Social Work and a Co-Investigator at the Center of Excellence for Cultural Competence, New York State Psychiatric Institute. A clinical psychologist by training, her research seeks to improve the well-being of racial and ethnic minorities by a) clarifying the role of race, ethnicity, language and culture in mental health and quality of care; b) identifying strategies for improving interracial processes and outcomes; and c) developing inclusive, culturally-grounded interventions for clinical and educational contexts that integrate mindfulness and other contemplative traditions. Doris is also a licensed psychologist who maintains a private practice in New York City.
Resources
Website: dorisfchang.com
Interview on Mind & Life blog: Preventing Racial Bias in the Classroom: What One Researcher Hopes to Learn (2018)
Research article: Taoist cognitive therapy: Treatment of generalized anxiety disorder in a Chinese immigrant woman (2016)
Research article: Making cross-racial therapy work: A phenomenological study of clients’ experiences of cross-racial therapy (2009)