Overlooked

Book excerpt: American treatment systems overlook some of the most salient issues in Black mental health. The global social justice movement brought attention to obvious issues, but all challenges of living Black are not obvious. Much remains deeply embedded in overlooked historical factors, overlooked identity issues, overlooked clinical bias, overlooked losses, and overlooked strengths. LaVerne Collins brings those unspoken issues of Black life to the forefront of counseling conversations. The author looks deep into Black identities and unhides the psychological impact of Black racialization. The book considers the emotional weight of the historical presumption of guilt and the impact of shorter lifespans. Collins unearths the hidden sorrow, disenfranchised grief, and ambiguous losses imposed by racism. Each chapter brings overlooked and unspoken considerations into view; helping counselors develop culturally-sensitive case conceptualizations and interventions. The book invites counselors to reverse the deficit narratives associated with Black families, Black resistance, and the Black Church and see these as overlooked strengths.