Psychiatrists, psychologists, and counsellors play a vital role in helping individuals process and respond to their negative race-based experiences. Despite longstanding awareness of the mental and emotional impacts of racism, training for mental health professionals in identifying and treating race-based traumatic stress (RBTS) remains inadequate. This gap particularly affects individuals racialised as “White”, who have been subjected to racial harassment, discrimination, or hate crimes – targeted due to their perceived Whiteness.

White victims of racism often face systemic inequalities in accessing support for RBTS compared to individuals from other racial backgrounds, who may have greater access to culturally relevant recovery resources. A form of systemic racism-blindness has hindered equitable mental health service delivery. Therapists and coaches from all racial backgrounds have a legal right to participate in providing high-quality trauma counselling, therapy, and recovery resources for these victims.

The need for racial trauma-informed care

Racial trauma-informed care ensures that all racism survivors, regardless of their background, are represented in public discourse and treated with respect and dignity. The mental health of young people is particularly vulnerable to identity-based violence. Professionals working with youth should be trained to handle these experiences with care, fostering inclusion and helping them develop a healthy sense of self.

Myths surrounding racism against White people

Several persistent myths need addressing to ensure fairness in discussions about racism:

• The myth that “White people can’t experience racism” persists, despite over 40% of race hate crime victims in England and Wales being White.
• The myth that “Only White people can be racist” remains, even though only 17% of race hate crime perpetrators are White.
• The myth that “White privilege means White people aren’t treated worse because of their skin colour” is contradicted by historical evidence, including the Barbary slave trade and modern examples of anti-White discrimination.

Denying the existence of anti-White racism violates human dignity and undermines the importance of addressing all forms of racial discrimination.

The role of antiracism training

Effective antiracism training can:

• Teach fairness, understanding, and shared humanity.
• Acknowledge the severe impacts of racism on people racialised as White.
• Equip professionals with the knowledge to support racism survivors without dismissing or invalidating their experiences.
• Explain the legal framework surrounding race hate crimes, racial harassment, and discrimination.

The law balances freedom of speech with restrictions against incitement to racial hatred, reflecting the seriousness of racial abuse and its potential consequences.

Racism as a mental health issue

Racism can have profound mental health consequences, including anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and race-based delusions or paranoias. Survivors may also experience stress-related conditions, exacerbating their overall distress. In some cases, cultural idioms such as “post-traumatic slave syndrome” are used to describe the intergenerational impacts of race-based oppression.

Racism is also a national security issue, as extremism and violence are often rooted in racial demonisation and dehumanisation.

Preventing extremism through counselling

Counselling can disrupt pathways leading from racial trauma to extremist ideologies. Victims of racism may be drawn to extremist groups offering protection or solutions to perceived racial threats. With appropriate support, they can be guided towards healing, healthy self-identity, and constructive relationships. Safeguarding children is especially critical to prevent racial exploitation by extremist groups for financial, sexual, or political purposes.

Addressing racial grievances

Children exposed to racial phobia indoctrination – an “us vs them” mentality – may become vulnerable to exploitation. Professionals need to be equipped to identify and counter these risks. Criminal justice bodies must remain vigilant against race-based crimes and use antiracism resources to rehabilitate offenders.

Supporting racism survivors in therapy

Psychologists and counsellors can adopt models such as the “five stages of grieving” (based on Dr Elizabeth Kubler-Ross’s stages of grief). Facilitating movement through these stages, individually or in groups, is key to resolving racial trauma.

Practical methods to aid recovery include:

• Self-care, self-compassion, and daily affirmations.
• Challenging internalised racial stereotypes.
• Providing advice on avoiding harmful products aimed at altering skin appearance.

Antiracism coaches can teach strategies for responding to race-based microaggressions, avoiding racial exploitation, and preparing children to defend themselves against racial abuse.

Measuring and managing racial trauma

Professor Robert T. Carter’s Race-Based Traumatic Stress Symptom Scale (RBTSSS) is a valuable tool for assessing the impact of racial abuse. This 52-item measure evaluates depression, anger, physical reactions, avoidance, intrusion, hypervigilance, and low self-esteem. Mental health professionals should be trained to use this scale to measure both harm caused by anti-white racism and progress during recovery.

The way forward

Education that is critical of racism, and antiracism training, should strive to achieve three key objectives. First, they must empower professionals with the skills and knowledge to support survivors effectively. Second, they should play a crucial role in preventing racial exploitation and extremism by addressing the root causes of division and inequality. Finally, these initiatives must ensure that all survivors of racial trauma have equitable access to recovery resources, fostering a society where dignity and justice are upheld for everyone.

Psychologists, counsellors, and safeguarding professionals must collaborate to address the complex mental health and societal impacts of racism, ensuring that all individuals are able to live with dignity and equality.

Dr Ella Bridges (pseudonym) MBBCh, is a retired medical doctor with a background in paediatrics, psychiatry, and general practice. Her legacy as a Racial Trauma Awareness Coach and content creator (2022–2024) continues to inspire survivors of anti-White racism to seek equitable mental health care and to stand up for their race-based rights.