Many of us were taught to avoid certain topics—sex, religion, and politics—especially in polite conversation. But there’s another unspoken subject: race.
For white people, discussing race can bring discomfort, as it means acknowledging historical and systemic injustices. For Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC), it can be painful to relive experiences of racism. As a result, race often remains undiscussed until the pain builds up, leading to conflict or race-based traumatic stress. This post explores how therapy can help you heal from race-based trauma.
What Is Race-Based Traumatic Stress?
David Archer, LCSW, describes race as creating a caste system,[i] granting privileges to some while denying them to others. Racism can be individual—such as exclusion or violence—or systemic, like underfunded schools in marginalized communities.
It also appears in microaggressions, the subtle but harmful assumptions people make based on race. Over time, these experiences create what legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw calls minority stress. Many argue that racism itself is inherently traumatic, as it denies people a sense of security and self-worth.
Experiencing racism—whether directly or indirectly—can trigger strong emotional and physical reactions. BIPOC individuals, in particular, may carry the weight of these experiences without realizing how deeply they affect them. Symptoms can include:
Emotional distress – anxiety, anger, hypervigilance
Avoidance – withdrawing from people or situations that feel unsafe
Physical symptoms – stomach discomfort, muscle tension.
When discrimination is layered with other forms of oppression, such as gender-based bias, the impact is even more profound. Crenshaw highlights this as intersectionality,[ii] the way different identities compound oppression and trauma.
Why Talk About Race in Therapy?
Talking about race can be uncomfortable, especially if your therapist is of a different racial background. You may have experienced racism from therapists who didn’t understand or appreciate your racial experience, or you might have held back, not wanting to make the therapist feel uncomfortable.
Conversely, you might have been a Caucasian person who was confronted about your racism by a therapist of color. This might have felt uncomfortable for you because you never examined or considered your implicit racism or your racial identity.[iii] White people rarely have to do that, because the whole country is structured for our advantage.
Regardless of background, race influences many life experiences—discrimination, bullying, police profiling, and violence still happen today. These events leave deep emotional wounds, and avoiding race in therapy can result in incomplete healing. Processing trauma means addressing all aspects of it, even when it’s difficult.
What If Discussing Race Feels Uncomfortable?
Confronting race-based trauma is challenging, both in therapy and daily life. But therapy provides a safe space to navigate these difficult emotions. Unlike casual conversations, therapy allows you to sit with discomfort, process it, and work toward healing.
Racism is deeply embedded in society, and therapy won’t erase that reality. However, it can help you acknowledge your pain and find ways to empower yourself despite the injustices around you.
How Can Therapy Help Heal Race-Based Trauma?
An experienced therapist—one who has explored their own racial identity and biases—can hold space for your pain without minimizing or dismissing it. They can help you:
Process past racial trauma and recognize its emotional and physical impact
Develop coping strategies for racial stress triggers
Turn pain into empowerment through self-awareness and self-compassion
Make conscious choices about how to respond to racial experiences
Therapy encourages self-reflection and self-awareness, giving you tools to care for yourself in the face of racial trauma.
Are You Ready to Address Race in Therapy?
Race-based trauma is real, and avoiding it won’t make it disappear. If race has shaped your experiences in painful ways, therapy can provide a space to process, heal, and move forward.
As a white therapist, I am actively working to recognize my biases and understand how my position in society influences my approach to therapy. I am committed to social justice, inclusivity, and making all clients feel seen, heard, and respected.
If you’d like to explore race-based trauma therapy with me, I invite you to reach out at 661-233-6771. You deserve a place to heal.
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