The author presents a personal narrative about the pandemic and Black Lives Matter (BLM), integrating multiple data sources, such as news, research, social media, drawings, graffiti, photographs, and observations by psychotherapy clients. Stress, loss, grief, and PTSD are considered. Individuals, couples, families, and communities demonstrated everyday creativity and use of the arts for personal growth, strengthened relationships, heightened resilience, and contributions to needed social change.
Profiles in Psychotherapy and the Arts
Our time of coronavirus and Black Lives Matter: Loss, grief, trauma, resilience, and healing change
Using creative nonfiction and arts-based inquiry, Benyshek offers a personal narrative that weaves together the experiences of individuals, families, and society during the initial wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, growing awareness of systemic racism and police brutality, and the upsurge of Black Lives Matter protests.
Cite this
Benyshek, D. (2021, March). Our time of coronavirus and Black Lives Matter: Loss, grief, trauma, resilience, and healing change. Psychotherapy and the Arts. https://www.apadivisions.org/division-32/publications/newsletters/psychotherapy/2021/03/narrating-pandemic