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Our member Dee Albert says a powerful documentary in which former footballer Anton Ferdinand explores racism in the game is already helping people deal with their racial experiences.

Dee took part in the BBC documentary , in which ex-Premier League defender Anton spoke for the first time about the events and repercussions surrounding the highly publicised racism storm involving John Terry in 2011.

Terry, the then England captain, was acquitted in a criminal case of racially abusing Anton during a Premier League game. The Football Association, however, found him guilty of using racially abusive language and he was banned for four matches and fined 拢200,000.

Dee said she has been contacted by several people who鈥檝e said the documentary has supported them with their experiences.

Helping people

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 helping people already,鈥� said Dee, a psychotherapist based in Middlesex.

鈥淲hen I think about the amount of calls I鈥檝e received from people saying we saw you talking to Anton Ferdinand. Many are saying they were racially abused five years ago, or were racially abused last year.

鈥淚鈥檝e received calls from people who鈥檝e grown up in rural communities, where they may be the only black person in their environment. I can tell this programme is already helping people.

鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely hit the spot supporting others to talk about the impact racism has had on them. Encouraging them to talk about their differences, their isolations, their pains, which I hope can lead to their healing.

Ripple effect

Dee added: 鈥淚t makes me proud to be involved in a stigma that many people fear discussing. The ripple effect of this documentary will continue to support those impacted by racism for years to come.

鈥淚鈥檓 happy he found some support in what I was saying.鈥�

Dee said the documentary was an opportunity to support not only former West Ham, QPR and Sunderland star Anton, but other people from all walks of life, who鈥檝e been impacted by racism both black and white

鈥淭his is an area of work I really want to develop, because it鈥檚 not being talked about,鈥� she said.

鈥淧eople are saying yes we know racism exists, we know that it鈥檚 awful, we know that it鈥檚 happening. Many question what can we do about it. Sadly, people aren鈥檛 not talking about the impact, the trauma

鈥淚 want to be able to give it a voice and this was an ideal opportunity to do that.

鈥淚t was also an opportunity to help someone in pain, to bear witness to what is going on for them and help them 鈥榥ormalise鈥� it in a sense, and find some comfort knowing they are no longer alone.鈥�

Impact of racism

Dee describes the impact racism can have on a person.

鈥淢any have shared racism has impacted their careers and ability to work,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t can impact their ability to function in society.

鈥淪ome have shared, losing their voice, and this can be 聽debilitating.

鈥淪ome clients have shared 鈥榠s this really happening?鈥�. They鈥檙e having conversations in their 聽head with themselves about the situation they鈥檙e in. For many it feels surreal.

鈥淩acism leaves many feeling ashamed, numb, tired, guilty, tearful.

鈥淢any people have shared experiencing flashbacks of the situation.

鈥淚n practice I talk about the nursery rhyme many were taught as children that sticks and stones may break their bones but words will never hurt me, 聽and I question how many of us use that as armour?

鈥淲ords hurt even more than a cut on the arm, a bruise, because those heal and people can see that and tend to it and nurture it. My mum would put Vaseline on my wounds because Vaseline cures everything, but how do you put Vaseline on the internal wounds of racism?鈥�

In the documentary, Anton talks about his reasons for not speaking about the incident until now.

Trust

Dee said that when you do open up, it鈥檚 important to find someone you can trust to talk to.

鈥淲hen I think about it culturally, if you鈥檝e been impacted by racism you may well be from a culture telling you don鈥檛 tell others your business,鈥� she said.

鈥淪o when you鈥檙e nearest and dearest tell you not to talk about something, that silences you more.

鈥淭he reason those around us tell us not to talk about it is to keep us safe from the backlash and uncertainty of how others will respond to our pain.

鈥淥ur loved ones are telling us not to talk about it for a reason, to keep us safe, so who are you supposed to talk to?

鈥淚t鈥檚 a juxtaposition, where we鈥檙e not going to talk about it in order to stay safe, but if I don鈥檛 talk about it, how long can the pain be safely suppressed and how much damage is being done in that time?鈥�

Dee said that one of the reasons she became a psychotherapist was because of her own experiences of talking therapies.

Healing

And she has offered people advice on how to begin to 鈥渉eal from the impact of racism鈥�.

鈥淚 had depression when I was in my 20s,鈥� she said. 鈥淢y brother-in-law took me to the Samaritans. I met with a counsellor for six weeks and after six weeks I felt better, so I kept on going.

鈥淚 know talking therapies work.

鈥淚鈥檓 from a community that鈥檚 encouraged us not to talk about our private lives in order to stay safe.

鈥淚 wanted to give my community a voice, and I want to support the healing.

鈥淭he healing of my community, being the black community, goes back hundreds of years.鈥�

She added: 鈥淧art of healing from the impact of racism is knowing who you are and where you came from.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 important when we鈥檙e impacted by racism that we empower ourselves in our culture.

鈥淰isit your old neighbourhood or place of birth. Speak to or be with your elders. Read the story of our heroes and sheroes. Support your spiritual wellbeing through mediation and developing a spiritual practise.

鈥淭his enables clients to build confidence and self-esteem, making it easier to wade through the pain, anger and silence and onto the path of healing.鈥�

Counselling and psychotherapy

And Dee said counselling and psychotherapy can help people process what they鈥檝e experienced.

鈥淚t makes them realise that they鈥檙e experiencing trauma," she said. "It鈥檚 not to be brushed under the carpet.

鈥淚 came into psychotherapy to support my community, to help people live their best lives, and to facilitate change. I know it works,鈥� she added.

If you鈥檝e been affected by any of the issues in this article and want to speak to a therapist, you can find a 香港六合彩精准资料 member near you via our directory.

Image credit: BBC / Wonder TV / Chris Bull