Conversations' Commitment to Equity

Conversations Therapy and Supervision, PLLC wants to recognize and show appreciation for the Land Acknowledgement created by the City of Dallas' Planning and Urban Design Department. 

It acknowledges the traditional territory of North Texas occupied by multiple American Indian groups because of the Trinity River which provided seasonal homes and trading exchanges. 

Most notably, it was inhabited by the Caddo, Wichita, and nomadic tribes such as the Comanche and Kiowa, and ancestral tribes including the Arkikosa, Atakapa, Karankawa, Tawakoni, and others. We recognize the American Indian peoples as original stewards of this land and all the relatives within it. 

The acknowledgment is a small gesture, to a larger commitment to showing respect through ongoing awareness and action.

Many people do not understand the term "implicit bias". The American Psychological Association defines it as: “a negative attitude, of which one is not consciously aware, against a specific social group”. But how do you know if you have any implicit biases and what they are? 

For a better understanding, check out Project Implicit. 

Here's how they explain it, as well as providing an assessment to help you learn about your own implicit biases. 

“People don’t always say what’s on their minds. One reason is that they are unwilling. For example, someone might report smoking a pack of cigarettes per day because they are embarrassed to admit that they smoke two. Another reason is that they are unable. A smoker might truly believe that she smokes a pack a day or might not keep track at all. The difference between being unwilling and unable is the difference between purposely hiding something from someone and unknowingly hiding something from yourself.

The Implicit Association Test (IAT) measures attitudes and beliefs that people may be unwilling or unable to report. The IAT may be especially interesting if it shows that you have an implicit attitude that you did not know about. 

For example, you may believe that women and men should be equally associated with science, but your automatic associations could show that you (like many others) associate men with science more than you associate women with science.

We hope you have been able to take something of value from the experience of taking one or more of these tests. The links above will provide more information about the IAT and implicit attitudes; we will periodically update the information to reflect our current understanding of the unconscious roots of thought and feeling.” Project Implicit – Overview. https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/education.html. 2011.

Curious to Know About Yourself?

If you are  18 years or older, go here to test your own Implicit Biases.