AFFIRM Reads Book Club: Racism and African American Mental Health: Using Cognitive Behavior Therapy to Empower Healing

Click the following link to view full course information: Racism and African American Mental Health: Using Cognitive Behavior Therapy to Empower Healing

This course is grounded in Steele’s text, which examines the impact of racism—including historical oppression, systemic inequities, and ongoing discrimination—on African American mental health through a culturally responsive CBT framework. Participants will explore key constructs such as racial trauma, internalized racism, and stereotype threat, and how these experiences contribute to depression, anxiety, and PTSD (Williams et al., 2020; Comas-Díaz et al., 2019). The course emphasizes adapting core CBT interventions to incorporate sociocultural context, validate lived experiences, and promote psychological empowerment, resilience, and identity integration. Clinicians will also develop skills in multicultural orientation, including addressing implicit bias, broaching race in therapy, and integrating advocacy and social justice into clinical practice (Mosley et al., 2021; Hook et al., 2021).

CEU/CE Information:

NYSED: AFFIRM Mental Health, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0196 and State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0695. 21 contact hours for NYSED Licensed Social Workers and Psychologists

NBCC: AFFIRM Mental Health LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7580. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. AFFIRM Mental Health LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. 21.50 Continuing Education Credits

ASWB: AFFIRM Mental Health, LLC, provider #1929, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: July 18, 2025-July 18, 2028. Social workers completing this course receive 21.50 clinical continuing education credits.