Mindfulness and compassion-based interventions promote effective stress reduction via meditative practices that enhance nonjudgmental and compassionate attention to present-focused thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations. Yet, these approaches have been predominantly normed on White Americans without attending to the salient sociocultural determinants of health that contribute to African Americans’ pervasive and persistent stress-related illnesses.
This talk will present data from several studies about the acceptability and feasibility of mindfulness and compassion-based approaches with African Americans across the lifespan. Also, guided by a Black feminist, intersectionality framework – a framework that interrogates how multiple, interlocking oppressive systems shape one’s lived experiences – this talk will highlight the strengths and limitations of the findings from a Black feminist, intersectionality framework to offer recommendations for continued research in this area.
About the Presenter
Dr. Watson-Singleton received her Ph.D. in clinical/community psychology from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She completed her clinical psychology pre-doctoral internship at Emory University in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. She is currently a faculty fellow at Emory University/Grady Health System with the Grady Nia Project and an assistant professor at Spelman College.
Dr. Watson-Singleton strongly identifies as a clinical-community psychologist, which is reflected in her teaching, scholarship, and clinical-community work. She is passionate about teaching courses related to clinical psychology and mental health, often seeking opportunities to incorporate values, like intersectionality and Black feminist theory, into her courses. Dr. Watson-Singleton is also committed to sustaining an active program of research related to topics on Black women’s health and wellness (e.g., self-efficacy, depression, anxiety) and culturally relevant applications of mindfulness- and compassion-based interventions. Her research is also translational; she works to bridge science and practice in order to develop and implement treatment programs that are innovative and culturally relevant.
