ABSTRACT
I n the United States, the term “soul food” has become synony-mous with the tantalizing mix of fl avors and textures that originally came from southern black cooks who were short on money and long on creativity and innovation. At the heart of this “comfort food” is the feeling of safety, knowing there are those who “have your back,” and a good feeling clear down to the bone. Th ese resilient families didn’t need brain science to tell them what they needed to survive. Intuitively, a number of southern black traditions, such as the blues and jazz music, became mainstays in white culture precisely because of their resonance. Th ey felt good. Th ey fi t. Th ere is something brain-friendly that springs from the survival strategies of those who are threatened with extinction. Mainstream America may not have been in touch with the threatened part of the self, but the popularizing of soul food and emotional music speaks to this unmistakable voice in everyone’s body. If therapeutic relationships provide nothing else, let them bring to our clients these three elements: comfort, caring, and a deep affi rmation of self.
