Racial and Race-Related Stress

“If there is going to be racial justice, there has to be social action.” – Dr. Charles W. Thomas II

Who we are is embedded within our racial and ethnic identity, family background, and the environment in which we grow and learn. Sometimes society sends messages to us and those around us that conflict with our own identities. Racist rhetoric, mistreatment of racial and ethnic minorities, and false narratives and images within the media and political arenas can cause worry, anxiety, fear, depression, isolation, and stress. These, in turn, can cause a disruption in finding oneself as a racial being in the world. Race-related stress can be something experienced due to how racism is impacting you and where your racial identity is in this process.

The therapists at MPTS are here to listen, validate, support, and help individuals create a healthy coping system to buffer the effects of race-related stress through how one self-identifies racially and ethnically.