That’s what clinical therapist Paul Bashea Williams tells himself and his clients as they struggle with the distressing images now resurfacing during the Derek Chauvin trial.
The proceeding churns up a persistent trauma. The replay of George Floyd’s final moments can feel inescapable, leaving many feeling raw, vulnerable and without relief. There are places you can turn for immediate help.
• The National Alliance on Mental Illness — 1-800-950-NAMI (6264)
• The Association of Black Psychologists — 1-301-449-3082
While the evidence surrounding Floyd’s death is distressing for most audiences, it is overwhelming for African Americans — and especially excruciating for Black men who see their very humanity reflected in him.
“Sometimes you are visualizing you,” says Williams, lead clinician and owner of Hearts in Mind Counseling in Prince George and Montgomery County Maryland. 90 percent of his clients identify as Black.
In the immediate aftermath of George Floyd’s murder, and…
