Practical, compassionate guidance for White therapists wanting to be more effective in their work with people of Color

This interview features Frank Baird, LMFT, LPCC, a White therapist; he is an expert on the topic of Whiteness and racial awareness. Clearly Clinical's board encourages dominant culture people to further this conversation amongst ourselves, and to drive change. This course was produced with the consultancy of compensated non-White clinicians.

Please also check out free CE courses: When Client/Therapist Values Clash: The Diversity Training EVERY Clinician Needs Right Now and Lifting Black Voices: Therapy, Trust, and Racial Trauma. We will continue releasing content featuring and highlighting interviewees and presenters from historically-marginalized communities, including on topics like racial awareness, among many others. Supporting diversity is one of our founding missions.

Interview-style, with Elizabeth Irias, LMFT (also a White therapist)

  • Course Description

    As racial tensions rise around the country, caring and reflective white therapists may be wondering, "How do I help? Where do I start?  How do I not make things worse?"  We mental health professionals have a fundamental responsibility to support equality, but many white clinicians don’t know what or how to make a difference. “Do I bring politics into the therapy room? Will I trigger a client if I ask about how world events are affecting them right now? Am I missing a valuable therapeutic opportunity by avoiding such questions and conversations?”

    This interview is a primer about the themes white therapists can begin exploring to be more aware of their own racial identity, cultural conditioning, and the effects on white people and people of color.

    This interview offers practical and compassionate guidance and interventions to white therapists wanting to be more effective in their work with people of color.

  • Learning Objectives

    Upon completing this course, participants will be able to: Describe the concept of 'white privilege'; Recite two or more ways white therapists can improve their cultural competence; List two or more clinical interventions/conversational skills related to discussing racial inequity in therapy with clients of color


    Target Audience and Instructional Level
    This course is intended for psychologists, therapists, social workers, clinical counselors, and addiction counselors. Instructional level: Introductory

  • How To Take This Course

    In order to receive a certificate of completion reflecting the associated CE credit hour, you must:
    #1: Have an active paid Clearly Clinical membership
    #2: Listen to the corresponding course podcast
    #3: Achieve a passing grade on the post-presentation test (the test has up to ten questions and you must earn a score of at least 80%; users can re-test up to three times. After three attempts, users are advised to re-listen to the audio course in its entirety and then subsequently re-test. Psychologists who are seeking CE credit may not be awarded credit if they attempt to pass the post-test more than three times.)
    #4: Complete the requested course evaluation.

    Course elements (including the course audio, post-test, and requested course evaluation) can be completed on a computer or mobile device via your Clearly Clinical account.

  • Course Format

    This high-quality and interesting course contains a one-hour, non-interactive audio podcast presentation which is available for free via all major public podcast providers. You can also listen to and download the file via our course player.

  • Commercial Support

    There is no known commercial support or conflict of interest for this CE program, content, sponsor, or instructor.

  • Certificate Access Details

    Once you've completed the course, your certificate will automatically populate in the 'Certificate' section of your account; it will also be emailed to you. Access to completion certificate will expire 365 days after issuance. Course certificates will be on file for ten (10) years from date of course completion.

  • Course Access Expiration

    Please note that you will have access to this free course for 30 days from when you sign up. If your access lapses, you are able to re-enroll.

  • Accommodations

    If you have special needs or need an accommodation, please email us at [email protected] and we will do our best to assist you.

What Your Colleagues Have to Say About This Course

Very Relevant & Insightful

Lauren Brya

Listened to the podcast and took notes while doing so. Incredible insight for white therapists and students alike. A must listen to experience.

Listened to the podcast and took notes while doing so. Incredible insight for white therapists and students alike. A must listen to experience.

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Hey White Therapists, Take This Course

Erica Brown

I thought it was very insightful for two people that are white to assist with how to educate white people on how to educate themselves on race relations.

I thought it was very insightful for two people that are white to assist with how to educate white people on how to educate themselves on race relations.

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Excellent Course

Elizabeth Gutierrez

Very relevant to what is currently going on. I recommend it.

Very relevant to what is currently going on. I recommend it.

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Expert Interviewee and Interviewer

Frank Baird, LMFT #35419, LPCC #218

Cultural Diversity and Mindfulness Expert

Frank Baird is a UCLA MARC-certified Mindfulness Facilitator, and the previous Clinical Director and Founder of NOW House Mindful Awareness Center in Westlake Village, CA. He is also the founder of Venture Humanity, Inc., an organization dedicated to developing and facilitating peace, violence prevention, and community projects. He is a national trainer on the topics of mindfulness, race relations, and gender and racial equality. He is Kaiser Panorama City's Program Developer and Principle Therapist in Mindfulness Treatment Service, providing mindfulness training to clients and mentoring and training to colleagues. He teaches Mindfulness classes/groups weekly in a healthcare setting at Kaiser Permanente in Reseda, CA and in corporate settings that have included Amgen in Thousand Oaks, CA, Disney in Burbank, CA and Fox Studios in Culver City, CA. He is a mentor for UCLA MARC's Long Distance Intensive Practice Program.

Elizabeth 'Beth' Irias, MS, LMFT

Interviewer & Clearly Clinical Founder

Elizabeth 'Beth' Irias (she/her) is a licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and the Founder and President of Clearly Clinical. She has specializations in Clinical Documentation, Best Practice, and Utilization Review, and works closely with clinical teams across the US as a trainer and national conference presenter; Beth was formerly an adjunct professor at Pepperdine University in the Graduate Psychology and Education department. Licensed in California and Oregon, she provides therapy via her private practice to young adult and adult clients, members of the LGBTQ population, and those with addictive disorders. She has two young children, a super cool spouse who helps out with Clearly Clinical's tech, and a rescue dog.

Why is Clearly Clinical the nation's premier CE provider?

  • CONVENIENT: All courses are 1-hour podcast episodes, available on all public podcast platforms

  • AFFORDABLE: We offer quality CE courses through a reasonably-priced membership

  • SOCIALLY-RESPONSIBLE: We donate to The Trevor Project for LGBTQIA+ youth suicide prevention

  • WOMEN-OWNED: We are founded and run by Elizabeth Irias, LMFT

  • DIVERSE: We highlight experts from historically-marginalized populations

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Quick Note: Are you confused about the difference between a Continuing Education Unit (CEU) and a Continuing Education (CE) Credit Hour?  You're not the only one! Visit our Frequently Asked Questions page for clarification!