Racism is a public health crisis for African Americans in the United States. Negative racial experiences compounded over the lifespan create a racial trauma resembling Post Traumatic Stress Disorder driving multiple physiological and mental disparities. Racial trauma has been linked with alarming declines in African American marriage, and increasing rates of distressed relational functioning, yet culturally relevant interventions for this population remain elusive. This exploratory study examines the feasibility of utilizing a culturally adapted Emotionally Focused Therapy with African American couple sample. Results show that the treatment was acceptable with significant improvements in relationship distress, attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance for couples. Results also show significant reductions in levels of stress, and racial stress for women from pretest to posttest. There were no significant changes in emotional regulation or relationship satisfaction for couples, and no changes in levels of stress or racial stress for men.

Emotionally Focused Therapy with African American Couples: Love Heals is an essential guide that integrates emotionally focused therapy (EFT) with cultural humility. It provides a pathbreaking, evidence-based model of couples work that reinforces the bond between partners in the face of race-based distress. Guillory explores and brings a deep understanding of the legacy of racial trauma, and the cultural strengths of African American couples by using real-life case studies. The chapters in the book focus on several key clinical issues in the field, such as communication problems, anxiety, infidelity, depression, and porn. Each case study is enhanced by a consultation with EFT master therapist Sue Johnson. The book is an essential text for students and mental health professionals looking to provide culturally competent therapeutic interventions. It will also appeal to psychologists, mental health workers, social workers, marriage and family therapists, and religious leaders.

"Regarded as the authoritative reference and text, this handbook presents the most effective, widely studied approaches to couple therapy. The distinguished coeditors bring together other leading experts, most of whom developed the approaches they describe. Adhering closely to a uniform structure to facilitate study and comparison, chapters cover the history, theoretical and empirical underpinnings, and techniques of each model. The volume also describes cutting-edge applications for particular relationship contexts (such as blended families, LGBT couples, and separated couples) and clinical problems (such as partner aggression, psychological disorders, and medical issues)"--

This book provides a clinical guide to the psychiatric assessment of infants and young children, birth through five years, and their families. It offers a comprehensive, data-rich framework for conducting mental health assessments of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. The book includes a step-by-step guide for evaluation and assessment, reviewing relevant literature and best practices for working with very young children. It begins with an overview of the purpose and principles of psychiatric assessment and offers a protocol for planning and executing a thorough evaluation. Chapters examine critical aspects of the assessment process, including children’s relationships with parents/caregivers, assessment of parents, cultural considerations, and play behaviors. Chapters also provide illustrative case vignettes and information on specialized tools that can be adapted for use in a private office or training clinic. Topics featured in this book include: Play-based assessment models for accessing the inner world of young children. The effect of caregivers and their reflective functioning on the mental health of young children. The use of adult-report rating scales in the clinical assessment of young children. Psychopharmacologic considerations in early childhood. The Clinical Guide to Psychiatric Assessment of Infants and Young Children is a must-have resource for researchers, clinicians, and related professionals, and graduate students in infancy and early childhood development, pediatrics, social work, psychiatry, and public health. “The volume is both highly practical and up to date, impressively bridging the gap between science and practice. The book is an invaluable guide for students and trainees and an important reference for seasoned clinicians.” David Oppenheim, Ph.D., University of Haifa “The book integrates relational, developmental and social-emotional health dimensions within each chapter, reviewing subjective and objective measures in a range of domains. The book is clear and user-friendly. I wholeheartedly recommend it!” Daniel S. Schechter, M.D., New York University School of Medicine “This important new volume provides multiple perspectives on the entire range of assessment methods and procedures used in early childhood mental health. This is a vital read for students and practitioners.” Charles H. Zeanah, M.D., Tulane University

“A manual for fixing our culture…In writing that is elegant and penetratingly simple, [hooks] gives voice to some things we may know in our hearts but need an interpreter like her to process.”—Black Issues Book Review New York Times bestselling author, acclaimed visionary and cultural critic bell hooks continues her exploration of the meaning of love in contemporary American society, offering groundbreaking, critical insight about Black people and love. Written from both historical and cultural perspectives, Salvation takes an incisive look at the transformative power of love in the lives of African Americans. Whether talking about the legacy of slavery, relationships and marriage in Black life, the prose and poetry of Martin Luther King, Jr., James Baldwin, and Maya Angelou, the liberation movements of the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, or hip hop and gangsta rap culture, hooks lets us know what love’s got to do with it. Combining the passionate politics of W.E.B. DuBois with fresh, contemporary insights, hooks brilliantly offers new visions that will heal our nation’s wounds from a culture of lovelessness. Her writings on love and its impact on race, class, family, history, and popular culture will help us heal and create beloved American communities.