10 Reasons to decolonise your healing with group therapy

I’ve lost count of the number of times a BIPOC person has told me they won’t engage in group work because they don’t want to ‘air their dirty laundry in public’. And, I totally get it. Our parents probably told us it’s what white people do, so it’s inappropriate, right? We don’t want to be seen as ‘weak’ when everyone tells us we should be strong and the world expects that of us. Unfortunately, this is simply the impact of colonialism on our thinking because that keeps us suffering, isolated and ashamed. Our ancestors fought for survival in groups, shared everything (including problems) and lived to serve the collective.

How did we get so far away from that? Well, hundreds of years of slavery where sowing mistrust in our communities was a tactic used by slave owners to control us psychologically for generations. Unlearning this conditioning is a journey that will take time and persistent work. Sometimes, it simply might be too confronting to trust and that needs to be O.K. What’s important (when possible) is that we learn over time how to be vulnerable with one another and how to connect through that vulnerability. ⁣

Colonisation has taught us to suppress our true feelings to survive and view those in our community as competition. As we decolonise ourselves and our surroundings, it becomes possible to challenge these tropes. Our BIPOC siblings can become our closest cheerleaders, providing the connection, support and nourishment we need to fight white supremacy.

When we are resourced enough, we can lean into something different and experiment with seeing each other and being seen. We can experiment with speaking our truth or showing solidarity and care through silence, and we can create boundaries for what feels good to share and what doesn’t. ⁣⁣
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Research has shown that BIPOC individuals often have better outcomes in therapeutic groups than one-to-one therapy. In my opinion this is due to the following:⁣⁣
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1. Group work aligns with our long history of tribal and community-based interdependence. ⁣
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2. Experiences are normalised when others either share similar experiences (e.g. with racism) and/or can relate to what is being shared. ⁣
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3. Group intention can be a very powerful driver for individual change. There is long history of group work for addiction recovery (e.g. 12 step fellowships and NHS smoking cessation services).⁣
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4. Hearing the experiences of others helps us to learn and get clearer on what we want/don’t want even though every experience remains different.⁣
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5. Group work tackles isolation and loneliness, it creates connection, builds friendships and long-term bonds that go beyond the parameters of the group itself.

6. Historically, BIPOC folks have used groups as the birthing place for social action, organising and making the change that was needed in the community. If we use groups to facilitate outer change, then why wouldn’t we use them to facilitate inner change?
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7. Hearing real stories of courage, survival and thriving from people who are not mental health professionals instils hope. Hope is a crucial ingredient in a hostile world and gives us the courage to take another breath. ⁣

8. Many minds are better than one! Group wisdom and collective problem-solving yields unparalleled results with everyone bringing different knowledge, talent and life experience in support of one another.

9. Group spaces can be a practice ground for those who have experienced dysfunctional dynamics in the past (e.g. at school or with family) and are looking for a more positive, affirming and safe experience.

10. For those who are introverted, new to therapy or looking for a therapeutic space that is less intense than one-to-one work, groups provide a much more gentle solution. Sitting back and listening to the experiences of others can be just as healing and life-changing.

Black Psychotherapy runs weekly group therapy courses for BIPOC women and gender non-conforming folks. For more information and to register click here.