I am delighted to introduce our Black History Month special issue and the panel of talented and committed practitioners who have contributed to shaping it this year. It’s an issue packed with topical, challenging and vital content, relevant to every BACP member. We start with an uplifting and important ‘Big issue’ report from Helen George, spotlighting the individuals and initiatives making a difference to black mental health at grassroots level. Another highlight is our ‘Big interview’ with Anjula Mutanda, Relate President, psychotherapist and broadcaster, who talks to Rakhi Chand about resilience, black female leadership and her experience of fleeing persecution in Idi Amin’s Uganda.
There is a thread of mentorship and peer support that runs through this issue, starting with David Weaver’s ‘From the President’ column, which announces the new BACP mentorship scheme, and continued in Anthea Benjamin’s exploration of what it means to be a ‘good elder’, Mark Williams’ ‘Experience’ piece on supporting black students in the predominantly white space of academia, and our ‘Talking point’ section. I’d also like to thank author and activist Beverly Gooden for her raw and honest ‘It changed my life’ column on the good and bad therapy she experienced while suffering and recovering from domestic abuse, and Sheila Mudadi-Billings for sharing her ‘Analyse me’ column. And don’t miss the excellent contributions from our panel members, as detailed.
I hope there is something here that engages you and supports your practice – as ever, do send your feedback to therapytoday@thinkpublishing.co.uk
Sally Brown, Editor
