Learning to celebrate and cope with professional success, workplace challenges.

Learning to celebrate and cope with professional success, workplace challenges. Have you had your mental health "tune-up" today?It's not such a strange question when you think about stress levelsbrimming over and the frenetic pace of our professional pursuits inthese tumultuous economic times. As African-American clinicalpsychologists This list includes notable Clinical Psychologists and contributors to Clinical psychology, some of whom may not have thought of themselves primarily as Clinical psychologists but are included here because of their important contributions to the discipline. and academicians, we understand the tireless commitment ofhigh-achieving professionals of color not of the white race; - commonly meaning, esp. in the United States, of negro blood, pure or mixed.See also: Color and the precarious balancing actsthat can test our sanity. We know, we've been there, and wecontinue to get our regular tune-ups. We believe more pointedconversations are needed among us about the psychology of our successand what keeps us motivated. It is important that we continue toacknowledge and celebrate our successes. We strive to build an intricatenetwork of support including family, friends, mentors, peers andtherapists. Further, our attention to wellness and our spiritualgrounding solidify our reserves of resilience. These resources canprovide the critical advice and collaboration needed to cope with thechallenges of our complex lives and workplaces. Yet, many of us hesitate to reach out, confide in each other orestablish networks that nurture and support personal and careerdevelopment because these choices can carry a stigma. Sometimesit's the most successful among us who resist seeking help. We havelearned from our clients and students that as we celebrate ourhard-earned successes we must also fortify for��ti��fy?v. for��ti��fied, for��ti��fy��ing, for��ti��fiesv.tr.To make strong, as:a. To strengthen and secure (a position) with fortifications.b. To reinforce by adding material. our coping strategies bydeepening our insight and developing more effective strategies forself-care. We are in awe of our clients who share their struggles withus in our consulting rooms. A glimpse into their psychology of successilluminates the ongoing internal dialogue that fuels their persistenceand allows them to tolerate the tensions often associated with beingprofessionals of color. We know how to make it look easy, but thriving professionally cancome with an emotional toll the higher we climb and despite the rewardsof our achievement. An additional stressor can be the financial demandsthat come with being the family "crisis worker" or bank.Sometimes, these sacrifices extend to our immediate families when weuproot them from familiar environments to advance our careers. Feelingsof alienation resulting from dislocation can feed into a keen sense ofisolation and "assimilation blues," according to Dr. BeverlyTatum, president of Spelman College. For example, our clients disclose their ambivalence about beingperceived as "exceptional" because of their accomplishments,the number of languages they speak or their intellectual prowess. Thefaces of their White colleagues (and sometimes people from their ownracial and ethnic group) can register curiosity or contempt as theycontemplate working with someone who is different from their stereotypesof African-Americans. And at other times, our high-achieving clientsreveal, despite being perceived as exceptional and curiously different,they are ignored or rendered invisible. The cumulative stressors associated with working and living inhighly competitive environments contribute to depression, insomnia,anxiety and other health/mental health concerns. Upon deeper reflection,our clients sometimes identify underlying psychological issues rangingfrom imposter syndrome and survivor guilt, to social class changeanxiety. Further, Dr. A.J. Franklin, professor of psychology andeducation at Boston College, has written about another phenomenonhe's observed in African-American men and boys called "theinvisibility syndrome." Other noteworthy patterns may includeissues of tokenism to��ken��ism?n.1. The policy of making only a perfunctory effort or symbolic gesture toward the accomplishment of a goal, such as racial integration.2. , exaggerated self-sacrifice and fear of envy relatedto attaining high levels of success. We sometimes see in our clients adissonance between their authentic selves and their institutional roles.This double consciousness can sometimes feel like an out-of-bodyexperience when we sense that we are apart from the group or at itsmargins. Double or multiple consciousness can impact how we interpretand navigate our professional lives. Once uncovered, our clientseventually find relief by working through these difficult issues oftenassociated with breaking through racial, class and ethnic barriers. How do we move from merely coping to thriving? How do we developand sustain feelings of power, inspiration and energy in the face ofinternal and external roadblocks? We can start by creating safe spacesfor conversations as we build new communities and cooperative venturesthat yield high-quality, robust results and benefits. So, what will your mental health tune-up look like? With a morenuanced and sensitive understanding of our psychology of success, we cangarner all the resources at our disposal to recast our unique strengthson our own terms Our Own Terms was the first full-length by Subterfuge and it was released on Pride Recordz. After its release on January 28, 2001, this CD helped propel Subterfuge to the top of the LIHC scene. Tracks1. Intro2. The Way It's Always Been3. Til The End4. . Let's continue to tap into our personal andcollective imaginations to clear new pathways to empowerment forourselves and the generations to come. --Dr. Lisa Whitten is an associate professor of psychology anddirector of the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities at theState University of New York (body) State University of New York - (SUNY) The public university system of New York State, USA, with campuses throughout the state. , College at Old Westbury. Dr. LindaAnderson is a professor and the chairperson of Behavioral and SocialSciences at Hostos Community College Eugenio Mar��a de Hostos Community College of The City University of New York is a community college in the City University of New York system. Located in the Bronx, New York City, Hostos Community College was created by an act of the Board of Higher Education in 1968 in response to , City University of New York The City University of New York (CUNY; acronym: IPA pronunciation: [kjuni]), is the public university system of New York City. (CUNY CUNY City University of New York ).