Racism in the Profession of Clinical Psychology
There has been a profound reaction of anger and distress by, and on behalf of, some of the audience who watched the performance by Capoeira for All, Remembering Slavery, after dinner at the Annual Conference of the Group of Trainers in Clinical Psychology (GTiCP) on 5th November 2019. The ACP-UK Board greatly admires those who spoke out about the impact of the performance during the conference and thanks them for doing so. The Board commends and wishes to express its support for all those who have subsequently written about their experience and trauma. The Board thanks the ACP-UK members who have been in contact about this event.
From its start, ACP-UK has recognised the vital importance of working with the GTiCP and Trainees and therefore secured Board Director positions to represent them. An ACP-UK Director was present at the GTiCP conference. The conference had a welcomed theme of human rights, social justice and clinical psychologies of resistance, facilitated by many people well-known for their stand against racism, discrimination and exclusion. The programme explicitly explored issues concerning the importance of racial and ethnic diversity within the profession.
Remembering Slavery is a dramatic portrayal of the transatlantic slave trade. During the performance the process of dehumanising a person through reducing them to an object in a slave auction scene, is particularly powerful and emotive as the performers engage the audience through addressing them directly. It was performed as part of the evening’s social programme, and introduced with no content warning, no opportunity to discuss its relevance to the conference, and no planned provision for those affected by the content at the time. The ACP-UK Board fully support the work of Capoeira for All and does not believe that the conference organisers intended to hurt anyone. However, pain and harm were caused and this has shaken the profession deeply.
Silence is not an option
There have been several responses published online (see links below) from those who experienced the conference, the conference organisers, and Capoeira for All. Please read these to provide more context to this response.
Why is ACP-UK commenting at all? The ACP-UK is a professional body for clinical psychologists. The work of clinical psychologists is to alleviate psychological distress, which is closely associated with social inequalities. Our profession must lead the way in overcoming these. This recent event and subsequent reactions to it have exposed race as a fundamental inequality not only within society but within our profession. It is also clear that efforts to address this have so far been deficient.
Some issues to address
Within clinical psychology, how can the intention to demonstrate antiracist, anti-oppressive action lead to further exacerbation of racism?
What will the profession do differently in the future?
How do clinical psychologists make sustainable change when initiatives aimed at improving racial and ethnic equality and equity are often time-limited, under-funded and/or subsumed under global equality policies and initiatives?
How do clinical psychologists remain non-defensive and engage actively in this work and especially avoid giving most of the responsibility for change to those with the least power?
How do clinical psychologists remain connected to the wider political and social context of the work? Slavery and human trafficking are not only historical; they happen today, in varied forms, in the UK.
A catalyst for change
Addressing the issues above is the business of all professional clinical psychologists and the event should serve as a catalyst for change. It is time clinical psychologists thought about what needs to be done differently to address inequalities, particularly race inequalities. In doing so, clinical psychologists must draw on the expertise and experience of the communities we serve, our professional bodies and on allies of the profession, to assist us with the challenges of cultural change, and hold us to account.
The ACP-UK Board response
The ACP-UK is fully committed to overcoming inequities and inequalities, including racial inequities and inequalities, within our organisation, within our profession and within clinical psychology services. The ACP-UK Board will develop policies and action that demonstrate this commitment. This will include action to:
- increase awareness within our profession of racist practices;
- improve diversity within the Clinical Psychology workforce;
- promote equity of access to Clinical Psychology Services for diverse communities.
We cannot walk alone
Responsibility cannot be left to individuals or single organisations, but it will take individual and collective responsibility to make this happen. For any measurable, sustainable success leading to procedural, policy and process change, ACP-UK must work with partners inside and outside of the profession. ACP-UK will invite and collaborate with its members and stakeholders to identify, shape and act on its commitment.
Next steps
Work has already begun on ACP-UK’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategy. This will include:
- How ACP-UK develops a member forum to actively participate in the strategy development.
- Identifying which organisations, professional bodies, and countries outside of UK clinical psychology the profession can learn from.
- Working with partners to ensure standards concerning racial equality and equity are both relevant and evidenced.
- Ensuring ACP-UK adheres to existing national standards.
- Examining how the profession is scrutinised from within and outwith.
- Providing examples of good practice in the areas of scrutiny, learning from others, pre-qualification, training and continuing professional development.
ACP-UK members will receive updates and information of how they can be involved via The Buzz. Updates will also be made available to the general public via our website, Twitter and Facebook.
Ché Rosebert, Director of External Relations
James Randall, Director for Early Careers
Bandana Datta, Assistant Director for Early Careers
Conor O’Brien, Joint Director for Trainees
Leila Jameel, Joint Director forTrainees
Arabella Kurtz, Director of Operations
Mike Wang, Chair ACP-UK
Ruth Stocks, Director for Scotland
Mike Berger, Director for Retired Members
On behalf of the ACP-UK Board