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.