The Healing Racial Trauma Initiative

Resource Library

Navigating life in a society that centers white supremacy can lead to feelings of depression, anxiety, otherness and isolation. Our research indicates that in order to ameliorate the impacts of racial trauma, it is important to reconnect with culturally affirming people, places, practices, and practitioners. The HRTI team has gathered a collection of resources for People of Color (POC) to learn more about how racial trauma may be impacting our lives and access the resources needed to practice healing daily.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Psychologists Holistic Wellness Educational Literature Black Owned Resource List

Interested in becoming a therapist and working with marginalized populations? Jeremy, a student in Ms. Green’s class, found the first excellent resource and we’ve added a few more! (Thank you Jeremy!) Prospective students are welcome to reach out to Mindbridge for any support we can provide to help you navigate this process.

Psychologists/Therapists of Color in Maine

Finding a therapist who shares the same cultural background can be an important first step for starting therapy.

Below are therapists who identify as Persons of Color in Maine. They specialize in a range of issues, including anxiety, depression, relationship issues, self-esteem, trauma, and multicultural therapy.

Maine needs therapists!

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“Rarely, if ever, are any of us healed in isolation. Healing is an act of communion” 

bell hooks

Holistic wellness

Taking back agency over your emotional atmosphere is a challenging endeavor for those who have experienced trauma and flow between states of survival mode. Below are a few holistic avenues toward arriving at and maintaining emotional equilibrium.

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Educational Literature

The following literature selection delves into the exploration of systems and impacts associated with white supremacy. These works offer valuable insights into the potential for psychological healing and liberation.

  • "My Grandmother’s Hands" Resmaa Menakem

  • “Understanding an Afrocentric World View: Introduction to an Optimal Psychology" Linda James Myers

  • "In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts" and "When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress" Gabor Maté

  • "The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma" Bessel van der Kolk

  • “Undrowned: Black Feminist Lessons from Marine Mammals” Alexis Pauline Gumbs

  • "Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto" Tricia Hersey

  • "Ain't I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism", "Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center", "Black Looks: Race and Representation", "Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom", "All About Love: New Visions", and "Belonging: A Culture of Place" bell hooks

  • "Misogynoir Transformed: Black Women's Digital Resistance" Moya Bailey

  • “This Bridge Called My Back” Cherríe Moraga and Gloria E. Anzaldúa

  • “The Next American Revolution: Sustainable Activism for the Twenty-First Century” Grace Lee Bogs

  • “Borderlands/La Frontera” Gloria E. Anzaldúa

  • "The Trayvon Generation" Elizabeth Alexander

  • “SKH From Black Psychology to the Science of Being” Dr. Wade W. Nobles

  • "The Intersectional Environmentalist: How to Dismantle Systems of Oppression to Protect People + Planet" Leah Thomas

  • "Sister Outsider," "The Cancer Journals," "Zami: A New Spelling of My Name", and “Uses of the Erotic” Audre Lorde

  • "Women, Race, & Class," "Freedom Is a Constant Struggle," "Are Prisons Obsolete?", and “The Meaning of Freedom” Angela Davis

  • "Black Feminist Thought" by Patricia Hill Collins

  • "Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds" and "Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good." adrienne maree brown

  • "I Write What I Like" Steve Biko

  • "Between the World and Me" Ta-Nehisi Coates

  • "Black is the Journey, Africana is the Name" Maboula Soumahoro

“In today’s America, we tend to think of healing as something binary: either we’re broken or we’re healed from that brokenness. But that’s not how healing operates, and it’s almost never how human growth works. More often, healing and growth take place on a continuum, with innumerable points between utter brokenness and total health. “

Resmaa Menakem

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Black Owned Business Directory

Black Owned Maine is a local non-profit dedicated to providing Black businesses with the support needed to thrive. Please click on the link below to access their directory for restaurants, beauty salons, and other services run by Black Mainers.

What are the signs and symptoms of declining mental health?  

In order to support yourself or someone you love, it’s important to pay attention to certain signs and symptoms of declining mental health. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the first few warning signs of deteriorating mental health are:

Sleep or appetite changes — Dramatic sleep and appetite changes or decline in personal care

Mood changes — Rapid or dramatic shifts in reactions or depressed feelings

Withdrawal — Recent social withdrawal and loss of interest in activities previously enjoyed

Drop in functioning — An unusual drop in functioning, at school, work or social activities, such as quitting sports, failing in school or difficulty performing familiar tasks

Problems thinking — Problems with concentration, memory or logical thought and speech that are hard to explain

Apathy — Loss of initiative or desire to participate in any activity

Feeling disconnected — A feeling of being disconnected from oneself or one’s surroundings; a sense of unreality

Nervousness — Fear or suspicion of others or a strong nervous feeling

Substance Abuse— drinking more than usual or using illicit drugs

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If you, or someone you love is struggling with any of these symptoms it may be time to reach out for help. If you are struggling with thoughts of harming yourself or others, please call or text Blackline (prioritizing BIPOC) 800-604-5841, Trans Lifeline 877-565-8860, Wildflower Alliance Peer Support Line 888-407-4515, NAMI Helpline 24/7 Text "NAMI" TO 741741, or Lines for Life 800-273-8255. If you are in Maine call The Maine Crisis Line at 1-888-568-1112 or go to the nearest emergency room for help. Talking about mental health can be uncomfortable and at times, unfamiliar but opening up and leaning on someone for support can help make a difference in getting us through our darkest days.

Disclaimer for helplines: some crisis line workers are mandated reporters (to the police and other carceral interventions). You have the right to ask about their reporting policies before sharing anything.