ACA MEMBER BLOGS

In any given community of color, the title of this blog sounds very familiar. Spanking, or formally known as corporal punishment, is a very common disciplinary action. Culturally and historically, it is considered quite normal and rather accepting for discipline to be handed out through some form of physical action like spanking, hitting with a belt, slapping etc.

When I woke up Wednesday November 9 I had an eerie feeling in the pit of my stomach. When my wife turned on the news we both learned in horror that Trump was president elect. Truth be told I had not thought about how I would address a Trump win with my daughters because I did not believe it would happen at all.

I am still trying to wrap my head around what has occurred during this past election week. As a staunch supporter of minority rights in all capacities, I and many others in the nation have been stunned to realize that those very rights are in jeopardy once again.

I live in a university town with an increasingly large student body (over 11,000 this last year!) so it stands to reason that college students are a population I’m seeing more of in my work.

The demands of my master’s program, internship, working on my book, and being a single mom kind of caught up with me. I’m not sure the magnitude yet of the ramifications of my stress and exhaustion, but the past few weeks have been testing my limits physically, emotionally and intellectually.

As both a combat veteran and a mental health counselor, I often talk to other mental health professionals and community members who are not veterans about the need to develop cultural competence and an understanding of veterans. One of the challenges that veterans experience regarding seeking mental health treatment is the thought that “they don’t understand” or that one has to have experienced combat or been in the military before they can work with veterans.

There is an enormous amount to digest from the elections and very little to go on yet in terms of specifics.

With this week including voting and elections, this toolkit strategy is timely. As I’ve worked with clients and spoken with friends, I hear how election weary so many people are. There have been times I’ve felt fear rising in me because it’s around me.

As I write this the USA has elected its 45th president via the Electoral College if not by popular vote. Across this nation many of our clients especially those from marginalized populations such as people of color, immigrants and from the LGBTQ are scared. They are scared due to the vile dehumanizing language that the then candidate used to describe them.

The truth is, every family is different. Even the semantics of what “family” is for each person and group is diverse. For instance, my family consists of me, my husband, and one male 16 year old that we conceived together. And six cats, two dogs, and a fish, but who’s counting? I have been married before, but am widowed.