Asexual adults have distinct cultural and clinical considerations that shape their mental health needs and responses to psychological interventions. This webinar draws on emerging empirical research and clinical practice recommendations to provide a framework for psychologists to integrate cultural competence into assessment and treatment with asexual clients. Participants will learn evidence-informed strategies for affirming asexual identities, addressing clinician assumptions, and tailoring interventions to support client autonomy and well-being. Clinical examples and practical recommendations for reflective practice and reducing bias will be included. The webinar aims to equip clinicians with skills to create more inclusive, culturally responsive care for asexual individuals across therapeutic contexts.

Racial trauma is often not addressed within trauma informed training, leaving lived experiences overlooked and untreated in many therapy settings. This article introduces the adaptation of Dr. Yosso’s Community Cultural Wealth (CCW) model to guide the professional development of therapists as they integrate racial trauma support into their clinical practice. The cultural capitals that make up this model (aspirational, linguistic, familial, social, navigational, and resistance), when considered through a clinical lens, can be used to conceptualize salient questions and discussion points to process a client’s experiences and honor their unique strengths and stressors. This article explores how the CCW model can be used to gather information, conceptualize treatment, and intentionally create space in the therapy room for racialized experiences to be appropriately validated and addressed.

Dr. Erlanger “Earl” Turner will explore the psychological impact of racial discrimination and cultural stress on Black youth. Despite the prevalence of these stressors, approximately 80% of Black youth in need of mental health services do not receive care. With racism accounting for 63% of media-reported and 33% of educator-reported incidents, the need for culturally responsive support is critical. Dr. Turner will emphasize the importance of equipping parents with tools to recognize and respond to racial stress, while also promoting resilience and emotional well-being in their children. Strategies discussed can inform clinical practice and enhance family-based interventions.

Dr. Wiyatta Fahnbulleh will focus on the critical role of cultural humility in delivering effective and inclusive care for patients navigating obstetrics and reproductive medicine. She will examine how cultural dynamics, systemic barriers, and communication styles influence patient experiences and clinical outcomes. Using case studies and research-informed strategies, she will explore actionable approaches to enhance cultural sensitivity and patient-centered care. Dr. Fahnbulleh will aim to equip professionals with the tools needed to improve patient care and collaboration within interdisciplinary reproductive health settings.

Many respected models of cultural competence focus on othering clients who come from racialized communities, locally and globally, with the focus of cultural competence being on understanding how clients may be different from who we are. This anthropological view of addressing clients who belong in our communities not only offends and alienates them but also increases barriers to equity and decreases the quality of the therapeutic working relationship. Dr. Rehman Abdulrehman will discuss how developing our cultural competence as practitioners depends on developing an understanding of ourselves and our privileges—and on increasing our awareness of the diversity and culture in our communities—to help increase trust between client and professional.

Dr. Heather Taylor will break down outdated grief models and introduces modern grief concepts designed to reflect the nuanced, real-world experiences of those navigating loss. Through the lens of grief states and the spectrum of grief responses, Dr. Taylor will discuss how to support clients in recognizing the fluid, non-linear nature of grief. She will cover essential strategies for addressing overlooked grief experiences, such as disenfranchised and non-death losses, using inclusive and compassionate language. Dr. Taylor will also present practical, adaptable tools that demystify grief, normalize diverse responses, and empower clients to navigate their ever-changing grief journeys with greater confidence and clarity.

The psychological experience of racism, or racial trauma, impacts an individual’s wellbeing, life satisfaction, and identity development. The anxiety, depression, hypervigilance, and physical symptoms that often manifest from enduring direct and vicarious racial trauma have the potential to rupture one’s self and group esteem. As a result, it is important for racial trauma therapy to be rooted in helping clients explore the strengths, values, and resourcefulness that exist within them, their ethno-racial identity, and their communities. Dr. Handford will use the Community Cultural Wealth Framework to explore the value of using strength-based and culturally informed practices when helping client’s process and navigate their racial trauma.

Over the past two decades, the number of research articles investigating yoga for health has increased substantially. This interest in yoga is mirrored in the general public, with reports of yoga engagement growing at a greater rate. Health providers remain hesitant to discuss yoga with patients due to perceptions of inadequate information or experience to appropriately counsel patients. There is a discrepancy between the general population's utilization of yoga and the rigor of current literature. As more robust research emerges about yoga for health, mental health clinicians can prepare to discuss yoga with patients. This paper reviews types of yoga practices, an overview of current literature on yoga for mental health, and cultural factors to consider to promote health equity.

Institutional racism in health care negatively impacts health outcomes and quality of life and contributes to health disparities for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. Studies suggest that training can be efficacious in changing attitudes regarding racism; however, literature on the implementation and outcomes of training for healthcare providers is scarce. The authors describe the development and implementation of a now publicly accessible, experiential antiracist training, Dialogues About Race, and include a vignette to model how this training could be applied in a clinical healthcare setting. Highlighted antiracist strategies aim to facilitate positive changes in healthcare providers’ perceived antiracist knowledge, beliefs/attitudes, and skills. Implications for advancing antiracist training in health care and future applications are also discussed.

Asexual patients face unique healthcare challenges that result in and maintain health disparities. Among health professionals, a general lack of cultural competence related to asexual identities perpetuates negative healthcare experiences and subsequent avoidance of care. This article provides an overview of asexual communities, the related culture of compulsory sexuality, and healthcare challenges facing asexual patients. Following the overview, the authors outline the necessity of providing asexual-affirming and person-centered mental health care through the presentation of a clinical vignette about a patient questioning whether he identifies as asexual. Through the vignette, a comprehensive, asexual-affirming framework for mental health practice with asexual patients is reviewed, which addresses culturally competent assessment and psychotherapy practices, ethical considerations, common clinical challenges, and incorporation of intersecting minoritized identities.