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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 Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¾«×¼×ÊÁÏ 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 Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¾«×¼×ÊÁÏ 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 Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¾«×¼×ÊÁÏ'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 Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¾«×¼×ÊÁÏ Research Conference - it’s an invaluable experience.