2015 Association for Women in Psychology Conference

Health disparities among African American females persists for several health outcomes, particularly around mental health and well-being. The race paradox in mental health further problematizes this issue of measurement, resilience mechanisms and coping strategies (Mouzon, 2013). Researchers have suggested Black females’ interactions with social structures have contributed to these phenomena (Abdou et al, 2014; Deguzman & Kulbok, 2012; Douglas, 1992; Kothari et al, 2014; Williams, 2002). Research that employs theoretical and empirical work from the humanities, social sciences and public health to explain mechanisms of psychosocial and environmental stressors contributing to health inequality, is integral to advancing Black women’s health. Because Black women have been forced to prioritize either their gender or race in the ongoing quest for social equality in the United States, and historically have had minimal agency over their bodies, an intersectional feminist approach towards mental health research represents an interpretive framework in which to better understand Black women’s health with respect to race, class, gender, citizenship and geography. Audre Lorde’s seminal quote on the necessity of self-care as an act of political warfare for Black women living in America (1988) is the motivation for this presentation. This interactive presentation will a) briefly describe the mechanism in which Black women engage in the health industrial complex, including health and body politics, as well as how the amelioration of Black midwives/nurses in Black communities’ have contributed to Black women’s poor health today; and b) interrogate intersectional perspectives to discuss Black women’s agency in organizing around health, or acts of political warfare. This approach acknowledges the complete health and well-being of Black women, not merely their reproductive health, which has traditionally been the focus.

At-risk, female adolescents are negatively impacted (e.g., personally, vocationally, and academically) by environments that do not foster their unique needs (Blumer & Werner-Wilson, 2010; Bulanda & McCrea, 2013). Research shows that girls can benefit from programs that teach leadership, relationship, and social engagement skills and include a component that allows girls to be a part of a mentoring relationship (Bulanda & McCrea, 2013; Deutsch, Wiggins, Henneberger, & Lawrence, 2013; Hirsch et al., 2000). Although some research has been conducted on the mentoring relationship, more research is needed that focuses on how the mentoring relationship is perceived by the participants as well as the span of the relationship (Deutsch, Wiggins, Henneberger, & Lawrence, 2013), particularly among African American/Black girls. Method Nine African American/Black adolescent females were interviewed to examine how client and staff mentoring relationships are formed and maintained as well as the extent to which they engaged in conversations about gender, ethnicity, and social justice with the staff at the agency. Results The responses to the open ended questions were analyzed by a team of researchers using grounded theory (Charmaz, 2006, 2014). The themes that emerged from the data include 1) reason for attendance, 2) quality of relationships with staff, 3) behaviors of a mentor, 4) qualities of a mentor, 5) factors that support the development of trust, 6) conversations about gender, 7) conversations about race/ethnicity, 8) conversations about social class and 9) whether the girls are mentors. Frequencies of the individual categories and quotes from the girls will be reported. Discussion We will present our findings in light of the importance of mentoring relationships and the ways in which our study fills gaps in the literature regarding the experiences of African American girls. We will also discuss ways in which researchers and clinicians can apply our findings to their own work.

This study aims to further understand the experiences of urban African American women who have experienced trauma in their lives. Prior research suggests that city dwelling non-Whites are more likely to experience violent traumas (e.g., Breslau, et al., 1998), and symptom severity and coping strategies may differ among women of various racial backgrounds (e.g., Ford, 2011). Other studies have addressed the importance of the neighborhood environment for mental health outcomes among African American individuals (e.g., Gapen, et al., 2011). As part of an undergraduate community-engagement course, interviews were conducted with African American residents of a low-income inner-city neighborhood. Teams of students and the course instructor conducted these interviews in response to a request from the community to learn about residents’ experiences of trauma and recovery. Prior to analysis, excerpts of the interviews were shared with the community anonymously in a public reading. A total of 11 interviews were conducted with African American women who are residents of an inner-city community. The semi-structured interviews began with an open prompt inviting interviewees to describe meaningful experiences in their lives; these experiences frequently included multiple traumas. At this stage in the project, all interviews have been conducted and transcribed. The Listening Guide (Gilligan, Spencer, Weinberg, & Bertsch, 2006) will be used to analyze these interviews. Preliminary analysis suggests that the major themes of trauma, resilience, and the importance of community will be highlighted. This project will add to the current literature by utilizing a qualitative framework in order to underscore the role of community in African American women’s stories of trauma and resilience. The Listening Guide is an ideal method for this study, as it will allow us to be more attuned to the complex and nuanced ways in which these women experienced trauma in the context of their community. References: Breslau, N., Kessler, R.C., Chilcoat, H.D., Schultz, L.R., Davis, G.C., & Andreski, P. (1998). Trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder in the community. JAMA Psychiatry, 55(7), 626-632. Ford, J.D. (2011). Ethnoracial and educational differences in victimization history, trauma-related symptoms, and coping style. Psychological trauma: Theory, research, practice, and policy, 4(2), 177-185. Gapan, M., Cross, D. Ortigo, K., Graham, A., Johnson, E., Evces, M., Ressler, K.J., & Bradley, B. (2011). Perceived neighborhood disorder, community cohesion, and PTSD symptoms among low-income African Americans in an urban health setting. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 82(1), 31-37. Gilligan, C., Spencer, R., Weinberg, M. K., & Bertsch, T. (2003). On the Listening Guide: A voice-centered relational model. In P.M. Camic, J.E. Rhodes, & L. Yardley (Eds.). Qualitative research in psychology: Expanding perspectives in methodology and design (pp. 157-172). Washington, D.C.: American Psychology Association.

Ferguson and Gaza raise complex political issues that impact personal and communal experiences. These events are iconic reflections of the ways structural violence dehumanizes people with less social and political power. When those in power control the discourse, reality is distorted. Some people use the dominant narrative to justify racist and inhumane treatment. Others experience dissonance as they try to integrate their sense of justice with conflicting loyalties to racial, ethnic or national identity. As feminist teachers and clinicians we are committed to interventions that challenge dominant narratives and encourage alternative dialogue. Circles -a gift from Native Nations widely used throughout the world- are natural tools for this endeavor. The use of Circles is auspicious at a time when feminism has found a place in Academia yet strayed from grassroots forms of consciousness raising. Circles, used in restorative justice practice, reflect feminism¹s grassroots and are powerful in extending feminist ideals to the exploration of challenging societal events. The use of Circles in feminist practice engages us in a healing process addressing dissonance and offering a space to consider possibilities for transformation of oppressive structures promoting exploitation. In this workshop participants will have the opportunity to join a Circle experience that highlights its use as a tool for feminist exploration and possible restoration. The Circle will focus on recent events in Ferguson and Gaza. It will provide a context for reflection and action through the use of four questions: How are you affected? How does your community respond or not to these events? What is your understanding of why these events happened? Considering the systemic forces causing these conditions, how can you contribute to change and/or restoration? Participants will be encouraged to bring Circles into their local communities to continue dialogue and to address the oppressive forces impinging on our lives.

Cognitive flexibility is conceptualized as the ability to perceive options and alternatives in a given situation (Martin & Rubin, 1995). While linked with a variety of positive outcomes, including mental health and life satisfaction (Konik & Smith, 2011), there has been no published research regarding the relationship between cognitive flexibility and attitudes toward gender and sexuality. This present study uses the conceptualization of ambivalent sexism proposed by Glick and Fiske (1996), who view sexism as consisting of both hostile sexism (i.e., “traditional” views of women as inferior to men) and benevolent sexism (i.e., viewing women in a constricted gender role that ostensibly seems positive). Our research proposes that cognitive flexibility promotes favorable attitudes toward both women and sexual minorities. Perhaps individuals who imagine many options for themselves and the world in general are less constrained by traditional ideologies concerning gender and sexuality. This hypothesis was tested with a sample of 75 women and 20 men recruited through an online survey. Their mean age was 36 and they were predominantly Euro-American (92%) and heterosexual (89%). Standard measures of cognitive flexibility (Martin & Rubin, 1995), sexism (Glick and Fiske, 1996), and homophobia (Wright, Adams, & Bernat, 1999) were administered. Using regression, our hypothesis was largely supported. Women who reported greater levels of cognitive flexibility scored lower on measures of both hostile (b=-.36, p

Attendees interested in developing and evaluating culturally and contextually mindful programming (CCMP) for youth will gain from this interactive presentation. The theory, process, results, and examples of youth work produced in an efficacious resilience-raising intervention will be used as a framework to help attendees conceptualize their own CCMP.

One of the most devastating and often persistent challenges facing breast cancer survivors involves coping with changes to their functioning and appearance. These challenges are more pronounced in younger breast cancer survivors who are at an increased risk of poor quality of life (QOL). The illness can disrupt the connection between survivors’ pre-illness identities and post treatment self-perceptions, and challenge survivors who feel unable to live up to their pre-illness ideals. To date, no studies have investigated identity as a predictor of psychosocial adjustment. The aim of this investigation is to examine whether identity integration, defined as the reformation of post-illness identities in a way that integrates the illness experience and allows for constructive shifts in one’s identity, especially in relation to traditional gender roles, is a significant predictor of psychosocial adjustment among young breast cancer survivors. As a first step, a pilot qualitative study explored survivors’ self experiences in relation to the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer with ten young women. An ongoing study, using a mixed methods design has further assessed identity integration as a predictor of psychosocial adjustment. To date, the findings reveal that women who are supported, and able to develop a critical gender perspective on societal beliefs surrounding gender role and appearance “norms”, have greater opportunities to engage with the world adaptively after a mastectomy. By exploring innovative research on identity integration as a predictor of adjustment, this research can aid health practitioners in providing counselling and educational services that empowers young women to learn to maximize their health, QOL, and longevity. In turn, these services may support and foster self-nurturing appraisals for young women that build self-worth, increase acceptance of past trauma, and grieve for aspects of a former self to make room for a reintegrated self.

The topic of culture and depressive experience has attracted a large number of theoretical and clinical publications (e.g., Chentsova-Dutton & Tsai, 2009). Although depression has been found cross-culturally, the symptoms of major depression that are described by the DSM and measured by clinicians may not be equally culturally sensitive to depressive experience in all populations in the U.S. (Kalibatseva & Leong, 2011). Somatization refers to “complaints about, or the appearance of, physical symptoms such as headaches, stomach pains, inability to concentrate, chronic fatigue, sleep difficulties, loss of sensory functioning, and so on that have a strong psychological basis” (p. 348, Chun, Enomoto, & Sue, 1996). A common pattern that has been proposed in cross-cultural psychopathology is that people of Asian descent somatize psychological distress, and depression, in particular. This proposition has been mostly researched with Chinese, Chinese Americans, and Chinese Canadians. The current study investigated the relationship between culturally relevant factors, such as independence, interdependence, loss of face, and emotion regulation, and depression and physical symptoms among Chinese American and European American students. The study examined whether Chinese Americans report more somatic and depressive symptoms than European Americans and the role of gender as a moderator. The sample consisted of 521 participants from two large Midwestern universities. There were 205 (39.3%) participants who self-identified as Chinese American and 316 participants (60.7%) who self-identified as White or European American. An independent t-test revealed that European Americans reported higher scores than Chinese Americans in physical symptoms but not in depressive symptoms. A 2x2 ANOVA with gender and ethnicity as independent variables and somatic symptoms as a dependent variable revealed main effects for gender and ethnicity and an interaction. Post-hoc analyses showed that European American women reported the highest level of somatic symptoms. The importance of examining gender in cross-cultural phenomena is discussed.

Throughout life, individuals experience a wide array of adverse and meaningful events that play an integral role in shaping one’s identity and sense of self. One of the major characteristics of well-formed life stories is a sense of meaning or integration of one’s experiences and of oneself (McLean & Pratt, 2006). In particular, storytelling is one form of meaning making that individuals integrate to gain a sense of deeper understanding of their own identity development (Scott, 2011). Given the innate power of storytelling, it is the goal of this workshop to create a dialogue and explore how graduate students and professionals integrate past and present experiences to inform their current and future work and how these experiences have shaped their overall identity as social justice advocates. Presenters will guide participants to construct a timeline of these important experiences and moments of impact that have occurred in their life and will be given an opportunity to share their timeline with other program participants. In this workshop, participants will: 1. Explore past and present experiences and the ways in which these events have shaped their overall identity and inform their social justice agenda with marginalized and oppressed communities; 2. Utilize culturally competent techniques and gain a multicultural perspective on related issues that are raised and shared among participants; 3. Use a supportive interpersonal alliance to provide a space that will empower graduate students and professionals through the discussions of multifaceted issues that may arise during the workshop. Furthermore, it is the goal of this workshop to encourage participants to integrate the skills learned in this workshop to empower diverse, oppressed and marginalized communities as storytelling and meaning making have been found to be powerful agency granting tools for those who have been hidden from history or left on its margins (Scott, 2011).

The Be Present Empowerment Model® provides tools for constructive dialogue and collaborative problem-solving among people with diverse viewpoints, values and needs. It supports individuals, families and institutions to sustain transformative change. Presenters will describe how the Model supports restorative justice work in the courts, the prison system, and after release.

Historically, eating disorders and disordered eating have been framed as a problem that happens to young, white, heterosexual, middle- and upper-class women (Schlundt, 1990). Despite a growing recognition that eating problems affect women across sociocultural locations (Harris & Kuba, 1997; Kuba & Harris, 2012; Lester, 2007; Thompson, 1994), there remains a dearth of research or treatment models which attend to multicultural issues in the treatment of eating disorders and disordered eating. This workshop proposes the incorporation of a post-structural feminist lens into the practice of relational-cultural therapy (RCT), specifically for the treatment of women with disordered eating. RCT is a feminist and social justice oriented therapeutic approach, which pays particular attention to relational connections and disconnections, the central role of social context, and the importance of therapist responsiveness and authenticity. Feminist post-structural theory may enhance the practice of RCT as it supports a more complex and layered understanding of the self and of the individual’s experiences, allowing for greater depth and authenticity in psychodynamic exploration. Special attention is given to the concepts of “the multiple and contradictorily constituted self” and “multiple gazes” (Eckermann, 2009, p. 13). The second portion of the workshop will present a clinical case study of a client with disordered eating, highlighting the importance of attending to sociocultural issues as an integral part of treatment. In the final portion of the workshop, participants will apply the model to the clinical case study and their own case material, in order to explore how the proposed model may enhance therapeutic process. Works Cited Eckermann, L. (2009). Theorising self-starvation: Beyond risk, governmentality and the normalising gaze. In H. Malson & M. Burns (Eds.), Critical Feminist Approaches to Eating Dis/Orders. Routledge. Harris, D. J., & Kuba, S. A. (1997). Ethnocultural identity and eating disorders in women of color. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 28(4), 341–347. Kuba, S. A., & Harris, D. J. (2012). Understanding the Role of Gender and Ethnic Oppression when Treating Mexican American Women for Eating Disorders. Women & Therapy, 35, 19–30. Lester, R. J. (2007). Critical Therapeutics: Cultural Politics and Clinical Reality in Two Eating Disorder Treatment Centers. Medical Anthropology Quarterly, 21(4), 369–387. Schlundt, D. (1990). Eating Disorders: Assessment and Treatment. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Thompson, B. W. (1994). A Hunger so Wide and so Deep: American Women Speak Out on Eating Problems. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.

In this workshop we explore what feminist psychotherapists can learn from The Body Positive’s model for cultural transformation. Elizabeth Scott, psychotherapist and Co-director of The Body Positive will share powerful resources developed through 25 years of listening to middle school, high school and college-aged women as we worked together to resist body hatred, recover from eating disorders, and build Body Positive communities. The Body Positive is a non-profit organization that transforms cultural ideas about body image, weight, and identity through peer leadership in collaboration with secondary schools, community organizations, and colleges. Together we reverse our passive internalization of aggression directed at our bodies, and embrace beliefs and actions that promote confidence and excellent self-care. We begin to transform the violence directed at our bodies by speaking truth to power, and this starts by learning to confront the critical voices inside ourselves. We challenge thin privilege and its intersections with race, gender and class and declare our own beauty and worthiness. With fierce self-love we are equipped to stand up to the critical voices inside and outside of our bodies and transform them into powerful allies. We use creative arts to expand our imaginations related to beauty, beginning with the beauty in one's own ancestral inheritance. Because our path is based on individuals learning to trust their own bodily wisdom, it can be used by people from diverse cultures, body sizes, and gender identities. Results from research on The Body Positive’s leadership model conducted at Stanford University will be released in spring of 2015. In this workshop psychotherapists will learn about The Body Positive’s five powerful competencies that support the development of a peaceful and satisfying relationship to the body.

A sex-positive approach is one that acknowledges and celebrates the immense cultural diversity in sexual practices while simultaneously recognizing and respecting individual variations in sexual preferences and meanings (Williams, Prior, & Wegner, 2013). This 60-minute workshop will encourage attendees to consider what it means to be sex-positive and how to embody this philosophy in their daily lives. In a safe space, attendees will be encouraged to consider their own sexual practices and explore whether these behaviors are congruent with their ideals. Social, cultural, and media messages about what “good” sex is will be discussed. Workshop attendees will explore how their intersectional identities influence their constructions of “good” sex, as well as their role in their own sexual practice. The androcentric, genital-oriented sexual script will be challenged, as will the notion that certain sexual behaviors belong to particular orientations. Workshop attendees will be encouraged to consider the wide range of activities involved in sexual expression, and explore which of these sexual and relational behaviors are congruent with their identities. Agency and authenticity in one’s own sexual decision making will be emphasized. Barriers to “good” sex, including consent, physical and emotional safety concerns, and communication will be discussed. Workshop attendees will foster a new sense of what “good” sex is for them, and will consider how to attain their ideal level and style of sexual expression. Individuals of all gender identities, sexual orientations, cultural backgrounds, and ages welcome.