What Is Racial Trauma? Understanding Its Impact and Why Therapy Helps

Racial trauma isn’t just something you “get over.” It can live in your body, shape your thoughts, and quietly drain your emotional energy, especially when ignored, minimized, or normalized.

If you’ve experienced racism, discrimination, or the cumulative stress of navigating oppressive systems, you may be carrying racial trauma. And you deserve a space to unpack it, with a therapist who sees the whole picture.

What Is Racial Trauma?

Racial trauma refers to the psychological and emotional harm caused by direct or indirect exposure to racism. This can include:

• Personal experiences of discrimination, harassment, or violence

• Microaggressions in school, work, or healthcare

• Vicarious trauma from witnessing violence or injustice (e.g., news, social media)

• Chronic stress from code-switching or navigating white-centered spaces

• Feeling unsafe, unseen, or devalued in your identity

Racial trauma is real, and its effects can mirror those of other forms of trauma.

How Racial Trauma Can Show Up in Daily Life

You may experience:

• Hypervigilance or feeling “on guard” in specific environments

• Fatigue or numbness from constantly pushing down on reactions

• Imposter syndrome or self-doubt rooted in systemic bias

• Anxiety, depression, or feelings of invisibility

• Anger or grief that feels hard to name or express

• Physical symptoms (headaches, sleep disruption, body tension)

Often, people don’t realize these reactions are connected to racialized experiences, especially if they’ve never had the space to process them.

You Don’t Have to “Tough It Out” Alone

For many BIPOC clients, there’s a pressure to be resilient at all costs. But healing racial trauma doesn’t mean proving your strength; it means reclaiming your right to softness, safety, and joy.

Therapy offers a space to:

• Speak freely about your experiences without educating your therapist

• Explore how identity, history, and systemic harm intersect

• Build emotional regulation skills for race-related stress

• Reclaim your voice, your boundaries, and your rest

• Be seen, heard, and affirmed in your full humanity

Work With Cardelia Dischert, LMHC

Cardelia Dischert, LMHC, brings over 18 years of experience as a culturally responsive therapist supporting BIPOC clients, immigrants, and individuals navigating identity-based harm. She understands how racial trauma impacts your mental health and how to help you heal with care, skill, and respect.

You Deserve a Space That Sees All of You

Racial trauma isn’t “too small” or “too big” to bring to therapy. If you’re feeling heavy, disconnected, or invisible, you don’t have to carry it alone.

Book a consultation with Cardelia Dischert, LMHC, and start your healing on your terms.