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Decentering Whiteness in Teaching Psychopathology: Challenges and Opportunities

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Book cover Developing Anti-Racist Practices in the Helping Professions: Inclusive Theory, Pedagogy, and Application

Abstract

Teaching of psychopathology or abnormal psychology is one of the first and fundamental formative classes in a graduate program within the counseling and clinical psychology field. Hence, there is importance and urgency for instructors to set the tone of how to teach this topic without reiteration of White supremacy that is embedded and are the building stones of the medical model of diagnosis and diagnosing. This chapter will discuss the key challenges for teaching this course, opportunities, and practical tips and considerations to decenter the medical model and White narrative with the larger goal of teaching students in their journey as culturally-informed, and antiracist counselors and clinicians.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Such as Marriage Family Therapist (MFTs), Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCCs), Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Clinical and Counseling Psychologists.

  2. 2.

    Color-evasiveness is the more current and inclusive language that has replaced the former and ableist term of ‘color-blindness’. For further analysis, read through Annamma et al.’s work (2017).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Wright Institute, Berkeley, CA, USA

    Stephanie Z. Chen

Authors
  1. Stephanie Z. Chen
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Educational Studies, Counselor Education Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA

    Kaprea F. Johnson

  2. Department of Counseling and Human Services, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA

    Narketta M. Sparkman-Key

  3. Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA

    Alan Meca

  4. Department of Counseling and Human Services, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA

    Shuntay Z. Tarver

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Chen, S.Z. (2022). Decentering Whiteness in Teaching Psychopathology: Challenges and Opportunities. In: Johnson, K.F., Sparkman-Key, N.M., Meca, A., Tarver, S.Z. (eds) Developing Anti-Racist Practices in the Helping Professions: Inclusive Theory, Pedagogy, and Application. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-95451-2_9

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