Examining Whiteness

Aims/ Agreements

Examining Whiteness is open to and welcomes Psychotherapists and Counsellors from all

backgrounds, cultures and ethnicities who want to actively address the injustices and

inequalities of racism through personal and collective work on white identity, power, privilege,

and complicity.

Before attending, white participants need to have taken steps towards learning about their

own racialized identity via suitable reading, peer, and supervisory discussion, and having

attended antiracism courses or workshops. This group is not suitable for white attendee’s

who have yet to begin this work. In addition, white participants need be prepared to

participate in and stay with, uncomfortable and difficult conversations in a respectful

environment. Our aim within the group is to de-centre our whiteness, own our complicity as

benefactors of racism both individually and structurally, and practice deep-listening and

centering of our colleagues of the global majorities’ lived experiences should they choose to

share them.

The group upholds the concept of confidentiality and aims to function with mutual respect

whilst offering sufficient challenge and support to allow the work to progress. Participants

need to know how to support themselves in this process. As therapists and trainee’s, we

need to monitor our own emotional and mental well-being vigilantly as this work takes us into

a field of historical, intergenerational, and ongoing trauma. By doing this work together we

hope to provide a starting point for dismantling the internal, relational, and structural racism

that persists within the profession.

Facilitators

White psychotherapists and facilitators, Frances Basset, and Brennan Holt, will hold the

group, which runs four times a year for half a day. All profits from this group are donated to

BAATN (The Black African, Asian, Psychotherapy Network)

Frances Basset is a Transpersonal Psychotherapist, Supervisor, and group facilitator with 20

years’ experience in private practice in Brighton and is a former Senior Lecturer at University

of Brighton where she led courses and modules in anti-oppressive practice across a range of

health care professions.

Brennan Holt is a Person-Centred Counsellor and Lecturer in Counselling. He has spent

years working in various group settings and believes strongly in their therapeutic potential.

Facilitators Statement:

We are facilitating this group because we no longer want to be part of a therapy profession

and world where clients, trainees and practitioners of colour continue to experience

oppression, discrimination, and harm, where their experiences are not heard and valued and

where white practitioners do not do the necessary internal and relational work to stop this

happening. We believe that if we, as white people, are going to grow personally and

professionally we need to confront where we come from and be willing to show up and take

responsibility for our complicity to our colleagues of the global majority in more respectful,

sensitive, and ethical relationships.

N.B. There will be a maximum of 20 Places at this event.

Please direct any further questions to Frances or Brennan on

email: frances@bassetconsultancy.co.uk

email:brennan@sussexcounsellingcollective.co.uk