AEDP Vision Collective

Our vision is to build a diverse cohort passionate about developing initiatives and innovative approaches to “AEDP & Healing Racialized Trauma.” Recognizing the historic and current oppression of global Black communities, especially in the USA, we have focused on self-identified Black AEDP members leading efforts to reimagine how AEDP addresses racialized trauma.

The Initial Call

Our passion and commitment to the initiatives and innovative approaches to “AEDP & Healing Racialized Trauma has led to the emergence of a group of 12 members of our self-identified Black AEDP community members who responded to an initial call to work this initiative in the early fall of 2021.

Over the months, the groups cohered and the AEDP Vision Collective was born. Here is one description of the group in their own words: we are “a wise, committed and thoughtful group of Black-Identified therapists laying the foundation for a new vision of creating a more diverse and inclusive body of understanding within the AEDP Institute. This Collective has a lot of heart, a lot of grit, and a broad base of experience and knowledge to draw from. We embrace this opportunity to think outside the box of power and privilege and acknowledge that this is the time for AEDP to grow and expand the diversity of the contributors to its emergent growth.“

Now called the AEDP Vision Collective, this group (supported by the four AEDP Institute Consultants) are leading exploratory groups that meet focus on specific topics related to the application of AEDP to the healing of racialized trauma in the context of anti-Black racism.

Each of these groups function independently, in partnership with our AEDP Vision Collective, are Black led or co-led by members of the AEDP Vision Collective, and include at least one person who is AEDP certified, or an AEDP supervisor or faculty member as an AEDP consultant and support.

Invitation to our self-identified Black AEDP community members

If you are (i) a member of the AEDP community, (ii) identify as Black and (iii) are interested in joining us in this AEDP & Racialized Trauma Initiative, joining an Exploratory Group is a step toward potential membership in the Vision Collective. Participation in an Exploratory Group allows you to engage with the collective’s work, full membership is a separate process with additional considerations. If you wish to join a particular group, please email your interest directly to the address provided for that specific group. For general questions, contact the AEDP Vision Collective at VisionCollective@aedpinstitute.org.

AEDP Vision Collective Groups

Please Note: If you and other AEDP clincians are interested in exploring a different topic than the ones listed, and wish to create an additional exploratory group, please contact the AEDP Vision Collective at VisionCollective@aedpinstitute.org and we would be happy to work together with you and support you.

Racialized Trauma & Relational Aspects
Racialized Trauma & Spirituality
Racialized Trauma & AEDP. Black Liberation / Black Joy

Gerald Brooks; Peter Muhwati
To contact Members of the group please email Relationalhealing.VisionCollective@aedpinstitute.org

Relational healing: What is effective validation in the context of racialized trauma
a. By Black men for Black men: Black male with Black male relational healing
b. Black therapist /White client, White therapist /Black client: What should these dyads do: Evolving guidelines
for these dyads; Implicit and explicit biases; Therapist accountability
c. Black therapist/Black client: Addressing Black on Black disconnection
d. Racialized trauma for those with a colonial history background
e. Sexual racialized trauma (intergenerational) in the context of white supremacy and misogyny

Nicky Cameron; Marsha Elliott; Sonya Parker; Lois Ridley; Connie Rhodes; Tabitha Azor
Consultants: Steve Carroll and James Santos

To contact Members of the group please email Spirituality.VisionCollective@aedpinstitute.org

The role of Spirituality in working with racialized trauma in AEDP
The Racialized Trauma & Spirituality in AEDP Exploratory Group led by Sonya Parker, Lead Chair, and Nicky Cameron, Co-Chair, explores the intersection of spirituality and AEDP psychotherapy. The Group is developing tools that leverage the power found at the meeting point of spirituality and AEDP psychotherapy to mitigate the suffering and oppression of racialized trauma in clinical and other micro, mezzo, and macro practice.

Kosu Boudreau, Jennifer Jackson, Alana Tappin
To contact Members of the group please email BlackJoy.VisionCollective@aedpinstitute.org

Transforming the pathogenic affects of racialized trauma into the transformational affects of embodiment, empowerment and Black joy.
How to transform the pathogenic affects of racialized trauma (helplessness, disempowerment) using AEDP’s transformational theory: Working to support the emergence of embodiment, empowerment, and Black joy.