ABSTRACT
Historically, there has been very little consideration given throughout the field to the interrelatedness of culture, oppression, and trauma. The field’s insistence on rather narrow and lineal definitions of trauma has impeded our ability to fully grasp the pervasive and multitudinous ways in which trauma permeates the lives of marginalized groups. While it may not be uncommon for a clinician to astutely identify traumatic experiences within the interactional patterns of an immigrant family, for example, it would be uncommon for that same clinician to consider the very process of immigration through a prism of trauma. When culture is considered within the context of trauma, or trauma considered within the context of culture, the underlying dynamics are usually the same. The mindset is usually one that posits that “culture and trauma” are two discrete entities that may be related under some circumstances. It is rare, if ever, that aspects of culture, especially (socio-cultural) oppression, is conceptualized as a form of trauma. The failure to consider socio-cultural oppression as a manifestation of trauma, and trauma as a manifestation of socio-cultural oppression, has made it difficult, if not impossible, for clinicians and supervisors to respond effectively to the complex and multifaceted needs of many clients from oppressed backgrounds. Clients from marginalized and oppressed backgrounds are often misunderstood, misdiagnosed, and consequently underserved. The bifurcation of culture and trauma, and by extension, socio-cultural oppression, has made it difficult for many clinicians to conceptualize and respond appropriately to the oppression-related subtleties that often underpin and undermine effective clinical engagement and treatment. A much more expansive and broader notion of trauma is necessary, particularly one that highlights the dynamics of oppression.
