Engaging with Oppression in Practice, Supervision and Training

Friday 12th December 2025, 5.00pm – 8.00pm (online) &
Saturday 13th December 2025, 9.30am – 5.00pm (online)

Outline

This workshop is presented by BIPOC Masters trained by Dr Isha Mckenzie-Mavinga in a ‘Black Empathic approach’ to therapy and the challenge of racism. This training is currently running online.

The workshop supports participants to develop a framework for therapeutic understanding based on concepts such as Recognition Trauma and a black empathic approach presented in Dr Isha Mckenzie-Mavinga’s books – Black Issues in the Therapeutic Process (2009), The Challenge of Racism in Therapeutic Practice (2016) and A Black Empathic Approach to Psychotherapy (2025).  www.ishamm.com 

Participants will be offered an opportunity to discuss and explore an antiracist framework for therapeutic engagement, that offers clarity about white privilege and practicing a black empathic approach. This approach models use of dialogue about emerging from the impact of racism and internalised racism.

Dialogue and exploration will enhance therapists’ and professionals’ insight and practice when working with the impact of racism in training, CPD and professional support. Participants will be supported to make the therapeutic space safe enough for a dialogue about racism.

AN APPROPRIATE GAZE – Isha Mckenzie-Mavinga

One of the main challenges for therapists is addressing the powerful feelings that racism evokes and being able to accept that these are normal feelings about an abnormal situation, that we can work through and empower ourselves.

The workshop offers an opportunity for participants to:

• Explore a framework for professional support, training and therapeutic practice that addresses the traumatic impact of racism
• Develop confidence in engaging in dialogue that addresses the impact of racism, white privilege, colourism and shadism 
• Enhance existing training, practice and supervision and move towards an ethical, relational framework that includes an appropriate and manageable level of compassionate care and support on how racism impacts ourselves and others.

Full attendance and participation on both days is essential.

Participants will be asked to produce a creative response after the first session to discuss/share at the start of the following day.

Programme:

Friday December 12th 5pm-8pm – Identifying and emerging from the traumatic impact of racism.

Saturday December 13th 9.30am – 5pm – Practicing a black empathic approach: Addressing Identity, Colourism and internalised oppression.

Who should attend the training?

The workshop is open to Psychotherapists, Counsellors, Psychologists, holistic therapists, psychiatrists and individuals involved in the mental health field, caring professions, students and those concerned about black mental health.

Open training and event – open to those of all heritages, including therapy professionals, students, those in the helping professions and members of the public.

Facilitators

Moriam Grillo and Sharon Hastings

Moriam and Sharon are BIPOC Masters trained in the Black empathic approach to therapy by Dr Isha Mckenzie-Mavinga

Venue

(Online) – Meeting via Zoom. Zoom is free to download and use. For more information about Zoom click here.