“Who’s Got the Power? Understanding the Role of Privilege and Oppression in Counseling”
Scheduled for May 18 at 3PM EST
Training Contact: cpihelp@nyspi.columbia.edu
In this thought-provoking webinar, entitled “Who’s Got The Power: Unraveling the Interplay of Privilege and Oppression in Counseling,” participants will learn about the role of power and oppression in counseling relationships and explore ways in which these forces shape counseling spaces. Designed to expand participants’ understanding of power and oppression, raise awareness of their effects on mental health, and provide strategies for enhancing multicultural competence in counseling, we will examine the implications of power and privilege within the therapeutic space, focusing on the inequalities present across hierarchical counseling relationships. Upon completion, participants will be able to:
· Define counseling within a historical context that acknowledges systemic racism and discrimination;
· Recognize the power dynamics pervasive in Western counseling approaches;
· Identify strategies for addressing these power dynamics to promote equity and inclusivity in counseling;
· Enhance multicultural competence by engaging in self-interrogation and challenging the presumptive universality of conventional assessment and treatment methods.
Dr. Ebony White, PhD, LPC, NCC, ACS, is a counselor, advocate, activist, speaker, trainer, researcher, and mental health expert. he has devoted her career to supporting under-resourced, under-served, culturally rich, competent individuals, families, and communities. Her varied personal experiences, extensive education, and expertise in research and practice have uniquely positioned her to counsel, teach, and train in ways that lead to transformation.
Dr. Ebony’s impact reaches across the globe. As an expert in her field, she has been quoted in numerous news outlets, including Newsweek, Medium, the Philadelphia Inquirer, PopSugar, and the Times. She has been a repeated guest expert on CBS News in Philadelphia and was featured on TVC News Nigeria. Furthermore, she has done trauma work in Croix des Bouquets, Haiti, provided training to leaders in the healthcare system in Gombe State, Nigeria, and created a mental health course for students in Tarkwa, Ghana.
She has published several articles in peer-reviewed journals. She appears in the advocacy-focused video from Alexander Street Press titled Helping Counselors and Psychologists as Advocates and Activists: Strength, Solidarity, Strategy and Sustainability. Dr. Ebony also gave a TEDx talk titled “You Don’t Get to Name Me.” In 2007, Dr. Ebony received the Woman of the Year award from the Mercer County Commission on Women. She also received the Community Service Award from the NJ State Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs and the Carver Youth and Family Center in 2018. In 2021 she was awarded the Dr. Judy Lewis Counselor for Social Justice award from the American Counseling Association. She received the Outstanding Service and Advocacy to the Profession of Counseling award from the North Atlantic Region of the American Counseling Association.
Dr. Ebony is the President of Counselors for Social Justice, a national organization, and was appointed to the ACA Anti-Racism Commission. Her identities are more important than her educational achievements and awards as a daughter, granddaughter, sister, cousin, friend, godmother, and niece. She lives by Ubuntu, “I am because we are and because we are, I am.”