The Impact of Racial Trauma in Children and Youth Mental Health

Society has always argued that race is a social construct. Although race is a social construct, the question is, “Does racism hurt?" The answer is yes. Racism is a violent act that “scars the soul and punctures the psyche” (Hardy, 2013). The impact of racism leaves people emotionally convoluted and, at times, lacking the words to express their feelings. The trauma caused by ongoing racism can impact children and youth mental health in very significant ways. This workshop will explore Racial Trauma and its impact on children and youth mental health.

We will explore not only the impact of racism on children and youth mental health but also actionable steps for helping professionals and parents alike to help with not only naming racial trauma but also finding ways to assist in naming and healing racial trauma.

D ate: Thursday October 24, 2024

T ime: 12:30pm – 4:00pm EST (Toronto time)

For more information, please visit: https://georgehullcentre.ca/institute/training/the-impact-of-racial-trauma-on-children-and-youth-mental-health-2024/

Speaker: Charmaine Lane

Charmaine Lane PhDc, M.Sc., RP is the founder and CEO of CLR Lane Consulting & PsychoSocial Services Professional Corporation and a registered Psychotherapist practicing in the city of Toronto. Charmaine is an experienced client-centred therapist providing counselling and psychotherapy using a holistic approach; treating the “whole person, taking into account the mental and social factors, rather than just the symptoms of the disease.” She believes that people can heal and grow when given the ability and environment to speak their truth and have it facilitated. She believes that she is merely the facilitator and that each person can find the answers they need.

With over 18 years of experience in the mental health and counselling fields, she has worked with children, adolescent, and adult clients with a wide range of presenting issues including, but not limited to, adjustment disorders, self-esteem, body issues, anxiety, depression, trauma, racial trauma, childhood trauma, grief and loss, cultural identity, partner abuse, career and life transitions, immigration, family reunification, as well as relationship and family conflict.

She holds a Master of Science degree in Counselling Psychology with a concentration in Marriage and Family Therapy and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. Her training is from a psychosocial perspective, giving her not only clinical, psychological, and emotional insight into people’s behaviors and needs but also looking through the lens of social determinants and how that contributes to a person’s psychological health. Charmaine is trained in several modalities including but not limited to, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Culturally Adapted Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for English-speaking Caribbean and African populations in Canada, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Solutions Focused Therapy ensuring an Anti- Oppressive/Anti-Racism framework is utilized in the therapeutic journey with her clients.

She is an advocate for Young People of color and has rallied on their behalf. She experienced in Trauma and how it affects Racialized Youths and most specifically youth of African descent. She is Co-Founder of Millan and Associates (past), an organization dedicated to the Reunification of Black Children in Child Welfare(care) with their families, and she is presently an associate of Balanced Living Message and Wellness Centre where she practices Psychotherapy as part of a multidisciplinary team on a part-time basis and is a part-time Professor at Humber College where she is a part of the Faculty of Community and Social Services teaching Mental Health and Additions in the Post Graduate Program and a part of the Faculty of Interdisciplinary Studies at Durham College teaching Conflict, Colonization and Courage: First Nations, Metis and Inuit in Canada. She is also a sessional Equity Trainer for The Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies where she trains on Equity in Child Welfare as it pertains to anti-black and anti-indigenous racism. She is also a Sessional Trainer for Safeguards Trauma Informed training, where she has developed and trained on the topic “Trauma and the Black Youth Experience” looking at the trauma that Black youth face on account of racism and the impact on mental health with the effort of re-authoring their stories.

She is experienced in children and adult mental health. Charmaine spent 4 years as a Clinical Supervisor in children's mental health focusing on dual diagnosis. She specializes in Racial trauma and its contribution to other mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. She is experienced in assessment, testing and long and short-term interventions.

Please send any questions to Lucy Yazar at institutetraining@georgehull.on.ca and do not reply to the Eventbrite email since we may not receive the email in a timely manner. We will do our best to reply to emails within 2 business days.

For more information, please visit: https://georgehullcentre.ca/institute/training/the-impact-of-racial-trauma-on-children-and-youth-mental-health-2024/

For our refund policy, please visit: https://georgehullcentre.ca/institute/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Institute-of-Childhood-Trauma-and-Attachment-Refund-Policy.pdf