Cary Ann Rosko, MA, MFT

"The first rule of running a long-distance race is to acknowledge that the race will in fact be long and hard. If you envision a race that is over quickly and without pain, you are setting yourself up for unnecessary frustration. This is true off the pavement, too. [...] The point is this: If you know something is going to be a protracted grind and you go into it with that expectation odds are you’ll feel a lot better throughout the entire ordeal. Also understand that t...here will be highs and lows. Your job is to stay present throughout them, so you can respond, not react. When the highs occur, tell yourself: This is what is happening right now. When the lows occur, say the same thing: This is what is happening right now. When the best endurance athletes hit low points, they take productive action eat, drink, adjust their plan as needed and then they keep going. They also replace negative self-talk with kindness." https://www.nytimes.com//coronavirus-athletes-marathons-tr

"Nobody, regardless of race, says Kendi, is simply racist or anti-racist in a static way. What we say and do about race in each moment determines what, not who, we are. It isn’t helpful to fall into essentialist categories around race, says Kendi, because we all have the ability to change our behavior as we gain awarenessand we have the ability to admit when we’ve made mistakes: Essentially, to be anti-racist is to admit when we’re being racist. [...] Holding ourselves a...nd others accountable for racist actions is critical, but feeling shame for having acted in racist ways is not helpfuland here’s the difference between the two. Kendi uses a powerful analogy to explain why we need not bring shame to the effort of dealing with our own racist conditioning. In America, says Kendi, it’s as though racist ideas are constantly rained on your head: You have no umbrella, and you don’t even know that you’re wet with those racist ideas, because the ideas themselves lead you to believe that you’re dry. Then someone comes along and says, ‘You know what, you’re wet, and these ideas are still raining on your head. Here’s an umbrella.’ You can be like, ‘Thank you! I didn’t even realize I was drenched.’" https://www.mindful.org/4-lessons-on-anti-racism-from-bren/

"[Resilience is] not a trait that’s hard-wired, and you have it or you don’t, said Karen Reivich, the author of The Resilience Factor and the director of resilience and positive psychology training programs at the University of Pennsylvania. Nor is it that reservoir I had imagined, with a fixed, finite capacity. I define resilience as the ability to navigate adversity and to grow and thrive from challenges, Dr. Reivich added. And, she emphasized, it is an ability that ca...n be learned. So how do we learn? It is about small shifts in action and outlook. One critical step: Take meaningful action. Ask yourself, what’s something I can do today, even if it’s small, she said, that reminds me that I am not helpless? During a lockdown, that could mean something as mundane as doing the dishes, imposing some order on your environment. Step two: Connect to others. Our social relationships can be a critical factor in building our resilience which, of course, is part of what makes the restrictions in place to weather the coronavirus pandemic so hard. But, Dr. Reivich added, even if you’re not physically present with them, knowing that there are people somewhere on this globe that are cheering for you, and that you can reach out to, is a driver of resilience." https://www.nytimes.com//resilience-trauma-emdr-treatment.

"Over the last 30 years, I believe, these changes in the workplace have been slowly taking a psychological toll, though in a more diffuse, less detectable way than with any one traumatic event. To a degree that they may not be aware of, people feel less hope and more stress; their self-regard is damaged; they believe they are fated to take what they can get; they exist in a state approaching learned helplessness. [...] My sense is that psychotherapists are playing a significa...nt role in directing this blame inward. Unfortunately, many therapists, because they have been trained not to discuss political issues in the consulting room, are part of the problem, implicitly reinforcing false assumptions about personal responsibility, isolation and the social status quo. [...] Too often, when the world is messed up for political reasons, therapists are silent. Instead, the therapist should acknowledge that fact, be supportive of the patient, and discuss the problem. It is inherently therapeutic to help a person understand the injustice of his predicament, reflect on the question of his own agency, and take whatever action he sees fit." https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com//why-therapists-sho/

"For Khúc, a decolonized mental health system would be one that allows communities to decide what is considered suffering, rather than having the system decide for them. When I say decolonizing, I want to question and interrogate the ways that these larger forces and institutions have told us what counts as mental health and what counts as suffering, says Khúc. In order to interrogate that, I have to draw on community and think about the kinds of knowledge that come out o...f our own communities around what suffering is. How do we disrupt those systems of power to have people be able to claim their own knowledge and experiences?" https://calgaryjournal.ca//4982-decolonizing-mental-health

To be crystal clear, racism is a therapy topic for all people, especially White people. Today I offer Therapy For Black Girls as a resource for Black women and girls in particular during this painful and tumultuous time. Check out Dr. Joy's podcast, blog, and Facebook page for wise and real support. https://therapyforblackgirls.com/