What about us? Cultural Awareness in Clinical Psychology WhatAboutUs

In this episode, we are joined by Dr Jiedi Lei who discusses her experiences of moving to the UK after spending her early childhood in China, and how her natural curiosity about the culture clash she experienced led her to a desire to study human behaviour. She talks about the importance of findings similarities between different cultural groups, while acknowledging difference. Jiedi also discusses falling between different cultural groups having moved to the UK at the age of 10, and how she has harnessed this experience and subsequent self exploration in her research and clinical work.

In this episode, we are joined by Dr Romana Farooq and Mma Yeebo from the Clinical Psychology Doctorate Programme at Newcastle University who discuss the experiences of children and young people from racially minoritsed backgrounds in secure settings and within the criminal justice system. They talk about the adultification bias towards racially minoritsed children and young people, as well as racial trauma, institutional racism and social inequalities. Suggestions for culturally sensitive and culturally responsive services are offered.

In this episode, we are joined by Professor Dawn Edge, the first Black woman to be made a Professor at the University of Manchester. Dawn talks about what it's like having colleagues who mostly don't look like her, after growing up in Jamaica, as well as her circuitous (and fascinating) journey to becoming a professor, and doing collaborative mental health research with communities who have been let down by both mental health services and research in the past.

In this episode, Dr Irtiza Qureshi talks about his research project (UK-REACH) on the mental health impact of Covid-19 on UK ethnic minority healthcare workers. Irtiza unpacks intersecting and accumulative factors such as socio-economic disadvantage, institutional racism, and healthcare inequalities. Irtiza also touches upon his keen interest to explore the implications of the pandemic on children and young people during such unprecedented times.

In this episode, we are joined by Dr Jolel Miah, lecturer in psychology, who talks about his journey to completing an undergraduate degree and PhD as a first-generation Bangladeshi student. We discuss the process of learning and representation within psychology.

In this final episode for 2021, we are joined by Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist Leila Lawton who draws upon her research with ethnic minority populations and raises a crucial question "Is CBT only for White people?". Leila offers advice on how to adapt therapy and discusses the importance of cultural humility and sensitivity in clinical practice.