This panel inaugurates COMBINE's series of panel discussions focusing on building cultural humility and cultural competence for all therapists, Diverse Counselors' Voices.

This series aims to promote education and increase knowledge to reduce harm experienced by BIPOC, LGBTQ+, Veterans, Asian and Pacific Island, Latina and Latino, and Christian, and other historically marginalized communities and to create a healthy understanding of the role of the White therapist. Throughout the series, White therapists can engage with diverse therapists to address personal barriers, limited lenses, imposter syndrome, defensiveness, white privilege, colorism within cultures, and more.
June 14th 2023 Diverse Counselors' Voices: Avoiding Harm Panel Information
Diverse Counselors’ Voices: Avoiding Harm has been approved by NBCC for NBCC credit. COMBINE (Colorado Medicaid Behavioral Health Provider Network) is solely responsible for all aspects of the program. NBCC Approval No. SP-4263. 1.5 CE hours.
Diverse counselors invariably hear about interactions with white counselors from their clients. This panel assembles diverse counselors who will recount the stories they've heard from clients and discuss.
White counselors are encouraged to listen and learn, and ask questions. White counselors will learn from others' mistakes and take away a new cultural sensitivity.
Diverse counselors will hear stories similar to their own experience and learn and offer strategies to process what may have been harmful experiences.
The panel will discuss topics for an hour and the Q & A will last 30 minutes.
Learning Objectives
- Learn about the experiences of BIPOC, LGBTQ+, Veterans, Asian and Pacific Island, Latina and Latino, and Christian, and other historically marginalized communities in therapy.
- Identify the ways in which white privilege can impact the therapeutic relationship.
- Develop strategies for building cultural humility and cultural competence as a therapist.
- Learn from the mistakes of others and avoid perpetuating harmful stereotypes and biases in therapy.
- Participate in creating a safe space for diverse counselors to share their stories and experiences.
- Understand ways to develop a community of support for therapists who are working to be more culturally competent.
Panelists
Yakitta Renfroe, Moderator
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Yakitta Renfroe, LPC, COMBINE Board Chair
Yakitta has put in work for years to educate and increase the cultural competence and humility in society, including educating cadets at the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.
Military Family Life Counselor (MFLC)
Substance abuse counselor
Trauma therapist
Mental Health Therapist within a prison / jail
Residential co-occurring /dual diagnosis counselor
Adolescent group therapist focusing on suicide prevention and self-harm
Private practice outpatient counselor
United States Air Force
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Andy Rose, LPC, COMBINE Education Committee Chair
Andy began his anti-racist work long ago with organizing against South Africa apartheid in 1985 at Cornell University. Since then Andy has participated and facilitated workshops for Challenging White Supremacy, Alternatives to Violence Project, and anti-oppression workshops in Colorado and California. Andy's counseling Masters is from Naropa University '08, and he also has a high school teaching credential (San Francisco State '03) and a BA in Mathematics '90.