Power, Oppression, and Privilege in Mental Health Care
Black History Month & Clinical Consultation
This month in our Colorado group clinical supervision, we are focusing on anti-oppressive practice as a clinical competency. This is ongoing work of noticing how power operates in our settings, theories, systems, and relationships with clients, then building the skills to respond in ways that reduce harm and increase dignity.
We are offering this topic twice, virtually on Zoom, so clinicians statewide can attend:
If you are a social worker, counselor, or therapist who wants to feel more grounded in translating values into real clinical moves, you are in the right place.
Why are we covering this in group supervision?
Many of us were trained in models that prioritize neutrality, individualism, and “objectivity” without naming how those values can erase lived realities. When we ignore the ways systems are harmful, we risk mislabeling survival responses as pathology or treating oppression like a “cognitive distortion” instead of a real, repeated experience that shapes safety, identity, and health.
Anti-oppressive practice asks us to do two things at the same time: hold ourselves accountable for the power we carry in the clinical relationship, and expand our ability to locate client distress in context, not just in symptom checklists.
What we will explore together
We will examine our social location, training, and institutional power in ways that strengthen clinical humility rather than defensiveness. This happens by reflecting on how we hold positions of power and privilege, and how that impacts our relational dynamics with our clients, colleagues, and the systems we are part of.
Validating oppression without minimizing or over-intellectualizing
Many clients are navigating racism, ableism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, classism, medical stigma, religious harm, and other forms of systemic oppression. It’s our responsibility to name how our clients experience harm, struggle to advocate, and feel unseen.
We will practice ways to validate lived experience that do not collapse into platitudes, premature reframes, or “both sides” language that quietly invalidates. We will also explore how to track power dynamics in the room, especially when clients have been dismissed, punished, or “explained away.”
Our preparation materials for this month
To support a shared foundation, we invite participants to review a few core resources before the group. We are using:
Dr. Jennifer Mullan, Decolonizing Therapy video
Why We Need to Decolonize Psychology, Dr. Thema Bryant, TEDx
Barbara J. Love, Developing a Liberatory Consciousness
Optional materials are available for those who want a deeper somatic and cultural context, including reflections on rage and silence, resources on medical racism, and content on gender-affirming care as part of anti-oppressive, trauma-informed practice. This is available to participants in your Google Classroom.
Reflection questions
We will use these prompts to guide discussion and connect the material to real clinical work in Colorado:
How do I examine and acknowledge power and privilege in my clinical interactions, especially in assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning?
How do I validate someone’s lived experience of oppression or discrimination in a way that supports dignity, reality, and agency?
How am I integrating intersectionality into case conceptualization, especially when symptoms are shaped by ongoing stressors rather than only past events?
What has changed in my clinical approach since the racial uprisings of 2020, and what still needs to change?
What you will walk away with
Because this is group supervision, we will keep the tone practical, reflective, and honest. You can expect to leave with:
More confidence in naming systems without losing clinical grounding
Sharper awareness of how power and privilege show up in everyday practice
Language you can use when clients name oppression or discrimination
Greater capacity to stay regulated when you feel activated, uncertain, or protective (and maybe defensive)
Who this group is for
This supervision space is for Colorado social workers, counselors, and therapists who want to deepen clinical development while staying aligned with the values of equity and accountability. You might be a great fit if you work with trauma, anxiety, depression, identity-related concerns, or chronic stress, and you want your clinical lens to include the systems that shape people’s lives.
Join us in February
We are offering the same topic twice, statewide and virtually via Zoom:
Monday, February 2nd, 5 to 7 pm MST
Monday, February 16th, 5 to 7 pm MST
If you are looking for Colorado group clinical supervision that supports both clinical skill building and values-aligned practice, we would love to have you join us.
