Complex Trauma as a Mediator for Suicidality Among Women of Color

Abstract
The relationship between trauma, such as Adverse Childhood experiences and other forms of complex trauma and negative health outcomes has been well established. Emerging research now suggests that complex trauma may be a mediator of suicidality among women of color. With suicide continuing to be a leading cause of death and the increase in suicide among Black women and other BIPOC populations, clinicians must begin to explore the relationship between complex trauma and suicidality in the BIPOC population. Moreover, a culturally responsive trauma-informed lens, when addressing suicidality among women of color, is essential to decreasing vulnerability and increasing protective, promotive, and facilitative factors. In addition to a culturally responsive trauma-informed lens, clinicians would be well advised to examine the role of toxic masculinity, patriarchy, and other barriers to health social determinants of health. A competent examination of patriarchal forces and toxic masculinity would require that the counselor, at the bare minimum, come at the challenge of suicidality with a lens of fourth-wave intersectional feminism. Historically, feminism has ignored women of color and their unique intersectional and communal needs in favor of a more individualist white feminist approach. In doing this, feminists have left open a gap in which clinicians and researchers alike were placing a culturally irresponsible framework into session and dealing with highly complex and traumatic problems. This created a distrust between feminists and women of color who might need to seek mental health services. This workshop aims to educate clinicians on the mediative relationship between CPTSD and suicidality among women of color and ways to promote post-traumatic growth when working with women of color to decrease suicidality. In addition, this workshop will discuss ways in which the mental health profession can work as advocates to bridge the historical failures of clinicians and feminists in working with women of color.

Potential to Distress: No

This recorded conference session was originally presented as part of a live conference in March 2025.

Target Audience

Those seeking to participate in this webinar must be licensed mental health professionals (psychiatrists, psychologists, clinical social workers, mental health counselors, accredited psychotherapists, etc.). ISSTD staff will audit license information prior to the start of the course and may request additional documentation for your license.

We do accept students enrolled in a program of study leading to a degree or certification in the mental health field and who have an interest in trauma and dissociation. Students must submit proof of student status such as a transcript or registration record. For those who have completed their degree and are currently in the pre-licensure stage practicing under the license of another clinician, you must provide the name and license information for the person you are working with. Documentation should be sent to ISSTD staff at [email protected] before registering. 

This webinar content is at the beginning/introductory level.

Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this session participants will be able to:

  • Name ways in which CPTSD is a moderating factor in suicidality in Black, Indigenous women of color
  • Identify ways in which traditional feminism failed to address issues of intersectionality in the community and thus ignored the needs of Black Indigenous women and women of color
  • Discuss strategies for reducing suicidality in BIWOC who also have CPTSD
  • Name ways in which toxic masculinity and patriarchy contribute to the gap between the mental health needs of the BIWOC and the services they receive
  • Identify concrete ways to advocate for Black Indigenous Women of Color

Course summary

Available credit: 
  • 1.50 APA
    The International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
  • 1.50 ASWB ACE
    The International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD), #1744, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 08/20/2024 – 08/20/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 1.50 continuing education credits.
  • 1.50 ISSTD Certificate Program
    This program is eligible for 1.50 credits in the ISSTD Certificate Program. No certificate of completion is generated for this type of credit.
Course opens: 
01/21/2025
Course expires: 
12/31/2050
ISSTD Member cost:
$35.00
Your Price:
$55.00
Part of: 
From Invisible to Visible - Day One
Rating: 
0

Dr. Laura Dawson-Fend

Dr. Laura Dawson-Fend received her Master of Arts in Community Counseling at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (2008), and her PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision from Texas Tech University (2014). Laura has spent much of her clinical career working in community mental health with underserved populations. She has worked in substance abuse, crisis response and assessment, housing first, and integrated care environments. Laura was an Assistant Professor of Counseling at Eastern New Mexico University and taught online as an adjunct for New Mexico Highlands University in both the Counseling and Social Work departments. Laura is an assistant professor at Thomas Jefferson University’s Community and Trauma Counseling program in Philadelphia. Dr. Dawson-Fend’s research interests are in the areas of trauma, crisis, human trafficking, effective models for working with law enforcement and first responders to prevent burnout and PTSD and closing the gap between what we know about trauma and effective interventions and how we treat and to avoid trauma in the field. Laura is currently leading the Strategic Planning Committee for the American Mental Health Counseling Association. Laura is involved with the International Association for Trauma and Resilience in Counseling and various ACES interest networks. Laura is currently serving in a co-mentorship role for the ACES Leadership Academy. Laura is deeply concerned with the intersections of gender, gender expression, and sexual trauma. Laura also works on advocacy issues both at the state and national levels, dealing with creating trauma-informed systems. Laura is a mother of two girls, a wife to a US Army veteran, and a dog momma.

 

Shernell Elibox, Ph.D., M.A

Shernell Elibox, Ph.D., M.A. is an Afro-Caribbean clinical mental health counselor who received her PhD in Counselor Education from The Pennsylvania State University in 2023. She is an Assistant Professor and Director of Clinical Development of the Thomas Jefferson University Community and Trauma Counseling Program. Shernell spent three years as the first and only Clinical Suicidologist Counsellor on her home Island of Saint Lucia. While working for Saint Lucia’s Department of Health and Wellness, she sat on the island’s clinical team. She was responsible for designing and implementing many mental health and suicide prevention and intervention campaigns. During her doctoral studies, she was the Lead Clinic Supervisor of the Edwin L Herr Counseling Training Clinic at Penn State. She was instrumental in updating crisis counseling and training policies and procedures for in-person and telehealth counseling. Shernell’s research investigates the relationship between intersectionality and suicidality and focuses on cultural humility in suicide intervention and prevention. Most recently, she undertook a 122,465-participant study investigating suicidality among college students of color. She brings her expertise as a suicidologist, international clinician, and scholar into the classroom to enrich the experiences of the students she serves. Shernell continues to work on her research while helping her students begin to look into the possibility of being clinicians and scholars.
Shernell believes in creating community and champions efforts for the self-care and wellness of helping and healing professionals. She believes that an integral aspect of trauma-informed practices and approaches is understanding social positioning and intersectionality.

You can always find her day-dreaming about being on a beach in Saint Lucia.

Available Credit

  • 1.50 APA
    The International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
  • 1.50 ASWB ACE
    The International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD), #1744, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 08/20/2024 – 08/20/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 1.50 continuing education credits.
  • 1.50 ISSTD Certificate Program
    This program is eligible for 1.50 credits in the ISSTD Certificate Program. No certificate of completion is generated for this type of credit.

Price

ISSTD Member cost:
$35.00
Your Price:
$55.00
Please login or register to take this course.

"Your Price" above reflects your final price based on your membership status and career level. 

  • ISSTD defines a student as those enrolled in a program of study leading to a degree or certification in the mental health field and who have an interest in trauma and dissociation. 
  • ISSTD defines an emerging professional as mental health professionals who have completed an advanced degree and are in the first three years of their career (or first three years after graduation for researchers).
  • If you do not fall into one of the above categories please register as Professional/Retired. 

These prices are for Tier I countries. For a list of countries by Tier click here. If you are located in a country that falls into Tier II-VI please contact ISSTD at [email protected] to receive the appropriate discount code.

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