Despite the multicultural and inclusion training that psychologists receive during graduate school, postdoctoral fellowship, and continuing education, racial micro-aggressions toward clients can still occur. This workshop will highlight common but stealth missteps that non-Black providers may make towards Black clients that can contribute to both suboptimal mental and physical health. Proactive solutions to help increase cultural awareness and insight will be discussed. At the conclusion of this workshop, participants should be able to better recognize where and how racial micro-aggressions toward Black clients enter the therapy space as well as develop their own personal strategies for reducing the likelihood of these cultural missteps happening in the future. **3  Diversity CE credits available**

• Learning Objectives:

  • 1.     Define racial microaggressions and discuss their biopsychosocial impact on Black clients.
  • 2.     Demonstrate how unconscious bias towards Black clients can enter the therapy or assessment space as microaggressions and discuss the ethics around addressing this issue using the APA ethics code.
  • 3.     Discuss ways that providers can commit to ongoing self-assessment as it relates to an inclusive therapy practice.

Dr. Keri Kirk is an assistant professor and licensed clinical psychologist at Georgetown University School of Medicine. She received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Howard University in 2018. She completed a Clinical Psychology Doctoral Internship at the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center in Detroit, MI.

 She also completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Health Psychology at the Atlanta VA Medical Center. Dr. Kirk’s scholarly research interests include using mixed methods clinical interventions to address psychosocial mechanisms of health behavior change in health disparities related to metabolic diseases. Additionally, she is interested in examining the role of provider communication and racial discrimination in the perpetuation of obesity and heart disease among Black adults, particularly Black women. Further, she is interested in exploring how the promotion of psychological wellness can mitigate the impact of race-based, health-related stress among Black women as well as among Black, Indigenous, and other psychology trainees of color. Dr. Kirk was raised as a military ‘brat’ with roots in both Ann Arbor and Detroit, Michigan. She is an avid fitness enthusiast, certified personal trainer, and YouTube DIY aficionado.