On Becoming a Black Family Therapist

  In the article, Burton and colleagues (see footnote for full reference) address the idea of “homeplace” in working with African American clients in family therapy.   First, the authors describe the concept of homeplace for Black Americans as a space of nurturance, created by a sense of community anchored by a shared sense of struggle and triumph.   Homeplace is a construct, originally coined by the feminist activist bell hooks, who argued that African Americans, because their ancestors were uprooted from their original lands and placed in a country in which they were unwelcomed and marginalized, lack a sense of belonging to the country and culture in which they abide. Therefore, Black Americans must deliberately create a space, where they can be nurtured physically and spiritually, and feel safe to connect with other African Americans authentically. Honoring the Homeplace in the Therapy Room Next, the authors explain how African Americans often yearn for a homepla...

  When I first heard the term ecofeminism several thoughts went through my mind. What does feminism have to do with ecology? Does the term imply that nature is indeed a female? How does one combine two things that seem so different? My interest in this type of feminism was heightened after watching the webinar on Indigenous Feminisms. As I listened to some of those speakers in the webinar talk about being “keepers of life” and leaning into the womanly roles they carry, I felt great resonance and wanted to learn more. What is Ecofeminism? The term ecofeminism could be described as a philosophy that seeks to understand the connection between gender and nature. Moreover, the “eco” part of the word is better understood as ecology, not nature itself.   Ecology, as Pompeo-Fangnoli (2018) describes, is a world of interconnected relations in which everything is related to everything else, in both small and large ways. Because of this foundational understanding of ecology, ecofemin...