Name: Cultural Insights: Understanding Arab American Mental Health through the Lens of Cumulative Cultural Trauma
Start: 2025-07-16T14:55:00-0500
End: 2025-07-16T16:55:00-0500

Wednesday July 16, 2025 2:55pm - 4:55pm CDT

301A

Objectives:

Develop a better understanding of the mental health challenges facing Arab and Arab American individuals in the United States.
Develop an understanding of the Micro- and Macro-level factors leading to cumulative cultural trauma for Arab American immigrants and refugees.
List and dispel three negative generalizations (i.e., stereotypes) about Arab, Muslim, and individuals of Middle Eastern and North African descent.
Understand the impact of degrees of acculturation and generation status on psychotherapy process and outcomes for AMENA individuals

Abstract:
The dynamic growth of the Arab, Middle Eastern, and North African (AMENA) immigrant and refugee populations in the United States makes the need for multicultural competence and consciousness more urgent than ever. Yet, there is confusion and anxiety about who Arabs, Muslims, and Middle Easterners really are, particularly in the context of the current global climate. How large is that population in the United States? What are their needs and what barriers prevent these needs from being met? What challenges do they face? What negative generalizations has American society implicitly adopted about them? The current seminar will delve into these questions, as well as examine the cumulative cultural trauma facing the AMENA community by utilizing a model developed by Awad et al., 2019. The model allows for the exploration of both micro- (e.g., interpersonal discrimination) and macro-level (e.g., historical contexts) factors that contribute to mental health challenges and disparities experienced by AMENA individuals in the United States. With an understanding of the impact of cumulative cultural trauma on AMENA immigrants and refugees, attendees will then be invited to explore frameworks for determining appropriate therapeutic strategies within the context of treatment informed by family systems and attachment theories.

Statement of need:
The dynamic growth of the Arab, Middle Eastern, and North African (AMENA) immigrant and refugee populations in the United States makes the need for multicultural competence and consciousness more urgent than ever. The first step to developing multicultural competence and knowledge of diversity issues is to gain an awareness of the barriers and systemic challenges facing these minority communities. The presentation will examine these barriers and challenges that are facing individuals of Arab, Middle Eastern, and North African (AMENA) descent. Effective psychotherapy with AMENA individuals must incorporate a broad view of the historical, global, national, societal, and institutional contexts that shape these individuals’ lived experiences. The proposed presentation also aims to raise awareness of the cumulative cultural trauma impacting these communities in various contexts. Knowledge of barriers and biases impacting the communities help mental health providers to prevent perpetuation of insidious trauma and to create a safe space for AMENA individuals to receive care.

Speakers

Reem Eissa, PhD

Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Clarity Child Guidance Center

Reem Eissa, Ph.D. obtained her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Detroit Mercy. She then completed her pre-doctoral internship at UT Health San Antonio in the Department of Psychiatry where she trained in the Child, Adolescent, and Family track before completing... Read More →

Wednesday July 16, 2025 2:55pm - 4:55pm CDT
301A

Breakout session

Tickets

claritycon2025

Reem Eissa, PhD