I presented my dissertation research last May and the title was ‘Black Minds Matter: What is the impact of Colour-Blindness on Black African and Afro-Caribbean Clients in Therapy’. I was excited about creating research and the dissemination of research whilst I was studying.

Disseminating research was something my tutors highly encouraged. Also, as someone who had struggled to find their voice throughout my training, I felt that finally I had a medium to be heard and share aspects of theory and topics that felt relevant to me. Presenting at the BACP Research Conference had been a long-time ambition of mine.

It was a shock to go from an in-person presentation to an online one, because of Covid, but the whole process was fun and handled so professionally. The BACP team ensured that I didn't have to worry much about the technical side of things and guided me every step of the way. I felt like I was a TV presenter. We did a few takes which helped me relax into it. It felt strange at first not having an audience when it was recorded but I knew a huge audience would be watching at some point. 

For a long time, I've been a workshop host and public speaker supporting different charitable events outside of being a psychotherapist, so I enjoyed having the chance to share the research I'd put a lot of toil and effort into. I also enjoyed listening to the wide range of topics from the other presenters - it was a great chance to top up my CPD. It was a wonderful experience and crazy to think at first, I didn't want to make the focus of my dissertation race, as I thought very few people would be interested in exploring or understanding that in the context of therapy.

Attending the research conference has opened so many doors, as a wide range of therapists and organisations soon after approached me to do talks and share my knowledge in this area. Based on the demand for more discussions on this topic, I was inspired to develop a business around my research and knowledge. I now run my company called Kaemotherapy, a training and consultancy company for therapists. We offer webinars on a wide range of topics which look at popular mental health issues through the lens of race and culture.

Along with the timing of the horrific George Floyd murder that had a global impact, my findings seemed to be more relevant than ever with practitioners wanting to find out how to better support their black and BAME clients. I found that the selection of topics for the conference were timely and relevant.

It's a great honour that my research presentation remains accessible on BACP's working with race and diversity resources page for therapists to learn from.

If you're unsure about attending, I would strongly suggest you get a ticket to the 2021 BACP Research Conference - it’s an invaluable experience.

Views expressed in this article are the views of the writer and not necessarily the views of BACP. Publication does not imply endorsement of the writer’s views. Reasonable care has been taken to avoid errors but no liability will be accepted for any errors that may occur.