Episode 25 | Helping Kids Navigate Racial & Cultural Stress with Dr. Ryan C.T. DeLapp, PhD

**Want CE/CEUs for this episode?**

Earn continuing education credit for this episode here: https://www.affirmmentalhealth.com/courses/9a72358a-f788-4361-8dd0-926bae594801    

Looking for more? Explore our convenient, affordable CE bundles or browse our full library of podcast courses, on-demand webinars, and live virtual trainings at affirmmentalhealth.com.  

In this powerful and thought-provoking episode, Shaina sits down with Dr. Ryan DeLapp, a clinical psychologist specializing in racial and cultural stress, to discuss how clinicians can better support young people experiencing racism-related stress and trauma. Dr. DeLapp introduces practical tools and frameworks, including his Empowered Coping Process and the Beat Diagram, to help young people identify, process, and navigate their experiences.

The conversation also delves into:

• How to introduce racism to young people in a developmentally appropriate and culturally sensitive way
• The impact of systemic racism on youth mental health and how clinicians can create affirming spaces
• The importance of cultural pride and identity as a protective factor
• The retrenchment effect—why DEI backlash is harming mental health care & what clinicians can do
• Practical exercises from REACH that help young people develop coping strategies

Whether you're a clinician, educator, or parent, this episode provides evidence-based strategies to help young people process racial stress in a way that fosters self-confidence, emotional regulation, and resilience.

Dr. DeLapp’s newly released book, Empower Yourself Against Racial and Cultural Stress: Using Skills from the REACH Program to Cope, Heal, and Thrive, is an essential resource for youth but also an invaluable adjunctive tool for therapy.

This workbook offers step-by-step strategies and downloadable worksheets to help young people:

• Identify their own cultural stressors
• Cope with big and uncomfortable emotions caused by racial stress
• Stand up to injustice while protecting their mental health
• Build self-love, confidence, and cultural pride
• Engage in meaningful conversations about racial stress with people they trust