Naja Druva, LPCC
Behavioral Health Therapist
Las Cumbres Community Services, Inc.
My father is Black, my mother is Puerto Rican and I grew up here in Santa Fe. Being a woman of color and a therapist has given me a unique perspective on the recent events inciting calls for racial justice. The week George Floyd was murdered my husband took our 4-year-old son to a park and captured a gleeful picture of him on a tire swing. The picture called to my mind an image of my son, being arrested, having an officer kneel on his neck until he used his last breath to call out for me. I am not sure white mothers were having the same reaction. When I told my mother that I was feeling traumatized by Floyd’s death and subsequent events, her response was to chide me for being weak. “You can’t let this traumatize you.” she said lovingly but forcefully. I realized that, without training in behavioral health, when I said “traumatized” my mother heard “broken”. She was saying to me “You cannot let them see they have hurt you.” But I am in fact hurt, as are my friends and colleagues of color. That idea was the seed that became this group. My intention is to create a safe space for people of color to express our grief and anger, to help us share our unique experience of this time, and to get evidence-based skills rooted in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to help each other cope.
The DBT group is a great opportunity to:
connect in a safe space
develop skills in dealing with stress
address social and racial justice ideas
form ideas to do positive activities in the community·
Group meets every Tuesday starting July 14th from 12 pm to 1 pm via Zoom. Join the email list to get the latest on meetings and activities.
If you have any questions contact Naja at 505.795.2865 or Naja.Druva@lccs-nm.org
