Whiteness on the Couch

Duration: 50m 19s

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When the issue of whiteness comes up in therapy sessions, it often feels uncomfortable and is thus often ignored in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. But why? Author of “Whiteness on the Couch,” Dr. Natasha Stovall, joins Francesca to explore whiteness, how it shows up in the therapy room, and how to use therapeutic tools to process conversations pertaining to race with a greater sense of curiosity, grace, and insight. Francesca and Natasha also discuss race as a variable, dynamics of perceived and structural superiority and power, our individualistic culture, and the difference between a person’s internal experience and outward actions.

Natasha Stovall, PhD, is an adult, adolescent and child psychologist and author of “Whiteness on the Couch” who uses psychodynamic, mindfulness, cognitive behavioral (CBT) and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) techniques to help people strengthen their capacities for healthy self-reflection and coping, so that their problematic patterns diminish and their creative growth blossoms.

Francesca Maximé, LMSW, is a Haitian-Dominican Italian-American licensed somatic psychotherapist, mindfulness teacher, anti-racism educator, and award-winning poet/author in Brooklyn, New York. She received her undergraduate degree from Harvard University and her Master’s in Social Work from Fordham University. Maximé offers services to help address trauma, process grief, and reduce stress for adults, groups, and organizations. She is the host of the ReRooted podcast on Ram Dass’s Be Here Now Network. In 2019, Francesca received the International Society of Traumatic Stress Studies Outstanding Student Advocacy & Service Award.