Welcome back to BeREAL! This week, Diana and Ednesha are joined by LaTanya Tolan to discuss Soul Care for Black Clinicians.
LaTanya Tolan, LCSW, MA Ed. is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Life Coach and is the Founder and CEO of Soul Care for Black Clinicians. Since 2011, she has maintained a private mental health practice devoted to healing Black people. LaTanya has always been and will always be committed to inspiring and empowering Black people towards healing, growth, change and goal attainment, so they can ultimately reach their optimum potential.
LaTanya begins the episode by discussing her calling. She outlines her work at Soul Care for Black Clinicians and emphasizes that “clinicians” does not just mean therapists. She also cares for the wellness of Black massage therapists, coaches, and all types of healers. She traces her work back to being a social worker in the second largest school district in the country. Seeing that there are a minority of Black clinicians in the social work field, she formed a small coalition with the other Black social workers in the district.
Ednesha jumps in to talk more about Black clinicians in education settings. She talks about how social work school does not meet the needs of Black clinicians or Black patients. LaTanya discusses how Black clinicians need to prove themselves outside of their credentials to non-Black patients, but with Black patients their connection is what is most important. However, she also stresses that patients should not worry about their clinicians wellbeing. Even though life happens for therapists as well, many have their own therapists and that allows them to show up to their consultations and focus solely on the patient.
Lastly, LaTanya talks about her work at Soul Care for Black Clinicians and as a professor. She talks about the issues she works on with her clinician clients, specifically self-esteem and anxiety issues. She also emphasizes the importance to lead by example in both fields of her work. She finishes off the episode by telling about how she modeled self care as a professor to her students.
Thank you for tuning into BeREAL! Make sure to check out last week’s episode about Pride Month 2021. Also, stay tuned for an all new minisode this Thursday.
For more information on LaTanya or Soul Care for Black Clinicians, visit the links below:
Website: www.soulcareforblackclinicians.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soulcareforblackclinicians/
For more information on BeREAL (our mental wellness podcast) and BeWELL (our psychotherapy office in New York City and Hoboken, NJ) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
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