A Clinician’s Guide to Healing the Wounds of Racial Trauma: A 12-Session CBT-Based Protocol

When racism is the cause of PTSD, how do you treat it?

Although racial trauma is a common form of PTSD among Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC), few therapists know how to treat it—leaving traumatized clients without the support they need to heal from the devastating effects of oppression and discrimination.

A Clinician’s Guide to Healing the Wounds of Racial Trauma fills this gap by providing a 12-session, step-by-step approach for treating race-based trauma from a cognitive behavioral (CBT) perspective. Written by Dr. Monnica Williams—an internationally recognized expert on trauma and racial health disparities—it is filled with sample scripts, worksheets, tips, and guiding questions to help clients:

• Defuse from the shame and self-blame tied to their trauma
• Process trauma memories through exposure and habituation
• Develop a stronger, more positive ethnoracial identity
• Consolidate their trauma into a cohesive and meaningful narrative
• Build coping skills and social support needed to combat the stress of racism
• Identify effective strategies to combat racism over the long term
• Push back against racism and be a force for change

Racism makes people question their reality. With this protocol, you can ensure clients feel seen and heard, helping them survive, heal, and thrive in a society where the odds are stacked against them.

Monnica T. Williams, PhD, ABPP, is a board-certified licensed clinical psychologist, specializing in cognitive behavioral therapies. She is a professor in the School of Psychology at the University of Ottawa, Canada Research Chair in Mental Health Disparities, and director of the Laboratory for Culture and Mental Health Disparities. She is the clinical director of the Behavioral Wellness Clinic in Connecticut and the Behavioural Wellness Clinic in Ottawa. She has also founded outpatient clinics in Kentucky, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, including a mental health clinic for refugees. Her work has been featured in major media outlets, including NPR, CNN, and The New York Times.