The African Americans were considered as people of the underserved population in America. Several people of African descent were adversely affected by the type of frustrations that they were facing in the ancient time of slavery and increased levels of racism. African Americans were psychologically tormented, and they still experience trauma from the past events of racial segregation. To stay healthy and have a smooth living in society, African Americans need healing. The modalities of healing are on the psychological effects that they experienced from the past trauma which affects their social lives through a negative transformation in their behavior. Currently, in the US, the police are complaining of the rising levels of crimes which are committed by the African Americans. The crimes committed ranges from murder, drug trafficking to theft and burglary. There is a problem somewhere that needs to be fixed, and it is primarily in the mental healing of the African Americans with the aim of streamlining their behaviors and making them become productive people in the society. Psychological experts have identified various healing modalities that are more specific to the African America population.  The African Americans are always reluctant to seek for a solution to their psychological problems since most of them are stigmatized and cannot attend similar facilities to other Americans. The African Americans still have a high number of unmet needs as compared to the whites in relation to seeking therapy for mental health issues. Among some of the recognized methodologies by psychologists encompasses the healing power of music, African Dance, spiritual (through prayers), stories, memories, and indigenous healing. African Americans can benefit from the proposed healing methodologies when they are effectively applied to the population.

Healing Methodologies for the people of African Descent

Religion (Prayers)

Spirituality has a value in the treatment of African Americans who experienced the adverse effects of slavery and racial segregation.  American Families prefer using their religion and the bible during moments of challenges so that they can cope well with their stress and troubles. Studies have estimated that African Americans report increased levels of church and religious involvement than the whites.  Since most of the black Americans’ population in America highly values spiritual seeking during troubles, they do not view treatment for mental health problems as culturally accepted and desirable. The Black Americans believe that when one seeks assistance from a therapist, they must be spiritually weak. The families of the Africa Americans believe in the power of prayers as a solution towards physical health problems and mental distress such as unusual social behaviors. When an African American is faced with a stressful situation, they have a core spiritual belief that is said to empower them during the awkward moments. There is a common phrase that the African Americans often state when they are confronted with a stressful situation “God will provide me the strength to overcome all obstacles.” A therapist must be observant of the spiritual belief of the African families as they strive to provide a positive outcome on the African Americans who experienced trauma from past experiences. Psychologists are often bound to the Ethics Code which compels them to respect the cultural and religious beliefs of the clients. It is thus imperative that all the professionals observe this issue so that they are able of attaining good results. The psychologists should understand the spiritual belief of the African Americans and then become their advocates through coordinating with the state to promote prayer services in most of the churches so that a good number of the target population can get a consolation.

Indigenous Healing (Traditional healers)

Traditional healers always share the cultural aspects of the client and are hence individuals whom individuals can get healings and guidance. Indigenous healing does not follow the same procedures as psychotherapy, but it considers a holistic perspective towards well-being. The methods of traditional healing are natural, help giving and informal pathways available in the cultures that promote interdependence in healing. The groups who are referred to as indigenous healing are always assigned to only particular members within the society. Because the literature shows that African Americans try to escape obvious needs through using indigenous and interdependent form, it is clear that African Americans do not feel comfortable with Western Psychological Services. Several studies have provided tangible evidence to express how much willing these people are towards receiving informal services of care from the clergy, traditional healers, family, and friends. The Americans of African descent often rely on ministers who play an essential role in counseling the people and guide them mentally. Several studies have reported that Native Americans who did not have an opportunity to see a native healer say that they should be provided the chance to see a native healer. The native healer can offer excellent psychological guidance towards the stability of the mind of the traumatized African Americans. Native healers can control and understand the memory of the Americans of the African descent hence provide better healing services that offer comfort to the people. Indigenous healing significantly improves the physical status of the African Americans, and the recovery process was found to be faster as compared to when the same person was subjected to psychological therapy of the western people.

The psychotherapy services are not relevant ways to heal the African Americans since; the psychotherapists do not understand how cultural biases can affect their services. Psychotherapy excludes the people from the interdependent cultures, collectivistic relationship, and emotional expressiveness and this is why they are not most preferred for the African Americans.  The use of traditional healers is a culturally appropriate method that should be applied to the individuals and families of African Americans. Engaging and treating the African Americans by including the services of the traditional leaders may seem to require a more significant investment of resources, but it can also result in improved future benefits to the people.

The healing power of music

The technology through which people experience music has gone through several advancements over the last century. The digital evolution of music has dramatically disrupted established business models. However, just like technology has gone through several improvements, so must music also evolve to awaken, empower, inspire and heal humanity?  Historically music has played significant roles in the lives of those who are frustrated with life and are not having the hope of living in the world anymore. For example, the African Americans had several problems with the American ways of treating the black Americans, and in the process, most of them were starting to lose hopes with the living that they were undergoing during such moments. Music was used as a powerful means of communication among the people since it transcends the bridges, cultures, language and unites the African Americans through how it creates an excellent emotional feeling.  Music can bypass the head’s intellect and successfully pierce through our emotional core. In the past, those who were most associated with music were the Negroes who were often using music to boost their morale to continue the fight and inspire their happiness during moments of mystery.  For example, the Negro Spirituals were critical during slavery times since they were used to soothe the distraction that the people were experiencing during slavery times. Music types like Jazz of Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington, and Armstrong were used during the great depression, and the inspirational Calypso and work songs were outstanding during the early civil rights movements.  Music was liberating especially during the tough times when certain music could be played, and the people would feel just okay and relieved from their problems.

Currently, it is essential that as a psychotherapist are trying ways to heal those who were affected by their past when the black Americans were going through tough moments, it is imperative to use music to make the people recover from their history. There certain types of music that were used in the past by the people to as assist them to go through the awkward moments and when the same music is played the traumatized African Americans will be able to think through their lives and feel motivated of how far they managed to come through their struggles. When an individual can reflect into their lives through the memories that they get in music, they will be able to heal faster as compared to the ordinary means of psychotherapy. When the music of the African descent is played especially those that were performed during the moments of struggle and slavery, most of the African Americans will be able to appreciate their culture, strength, and personality and hence the instances of an individual developing low self-esteem will be rare. African Americans often engage in several criminal issues due to the tough moments their people faced in life and hence as a means of recovery most of them develop selfish behavior that does not promote healthy living among the people. Playing music will help in shaping personality, attitude and developing positive self-esteem among the affected individuals so that they can live a happy life.

Dance healing (“Sankofa” Healing)

Sankofa is a form of traditional dance that was mostly used by the African American women to reach back into their African Ancestry, retrieve the heritage rituals and transform them to initiate the healing of their present communities.  The integral of the Sankofa healing process is the establishment of the community. The healing process requires the participants to retrieve the traditions of the Africans and bring them back so that they can be used in healing for their communities. There is a necessary procedure that requires the first identification of the participating communities before any hills are identified. Through the dance, the communities can have conservations on the ills that plague them, but this requires that the participants must first come into terms with the racial identity conflicts of their childhood. The core principle of the dance is that it compels all the women who were majorly the participants to focus upon their work on the liberation of all the people, but this was explicitly the African American women.  The dance was done in a way to restore the balance between the environment and the people and also to help in reconciling human life and spiritual dimension. Drummers also play a significant role in the dance since they maintain the rhythmic integrity of the movement and in the process, they can control spiritual disturbances for the performers. Dancing is also meant to fix the African Americans through solidifying their roles of becoming committed to the community.  Through regular dance training, African Americans become the keepers of the history, religion, and culture of traditions of the society.

Dance has curative and functional properties, and this is why most African Americans should use them to go through their trauma successfully. To dance is said is to human and technically humanity always expresses itself in dance through its ability to interconnect with other human life aspects like communication, social relations, political dynamics, belief systems, learning, loving, fighting, and change.  Dance when used in rituals, it plays a significant role in the social and spiritual development of several communities throughout the world especially the African cultures. Dancing is not only regarded as a form of healing but as a symbol of the communal, personal and social narrative of the African American societies. Trauma among African Americans is destructive and results in a mental breakdown. Trauma which is experienced among the African Americans is mainly associated with past adverse experiences that the African Americans faced. As a means of restoration, dance is essential in the re-establishment of stabilization. The African American dances have meaning, and symbolic making dimensions of the African centered healing processes with the spiritual transformation and the availability of a sacred space. The transformative religious role of dance allows individuals to be equipped with therapeutic properties which are necessary for ensuring that the healing process is possible among the African Americans.

Memory as medicine

Memory as a means of healing is attained through the establishment of the National Memorial for Peace and Justice (NMPJ) and this act as a healing of the unspeakable acts in the history of the African Americans. Such an establishment is a milestone towards the endeavors to ensure successful healing among the people of African ancestry. Through documentation of the gravity of the massacres, the NMPJ can give names to the nameless, count the uncounted and also give freedom to the victims who were mistreated by the perpetrators of the atrocities of the racial terror. The methods that NMPJ has applied are intended at promoting social justice important in liberating and validating the people of African descent.  The aim of the establishment of memories through the NMPJ is to free the African mind, illuminate the African Spirit and empower the people of African ancestry. The most psychologist believes that the restoration of memory is a form of healing which requires the establishment of a story in which the victim is not held accountable for the infliction of abuse which is essential in rebuilding a sense of independence and self-efficacy.  To assist the African Americans to restore resilient, stories can be used to help them negotiate the distress of historical trauma and this is most appropriate when the focus is placed on their strengths so that they can learn ways in which they can use to overcome challenges through self-determination

In conclusion, the people of Africa descent are really in need of the most appropriate ways to assist them in recovering from the historical mystery that they faced in life. Several studies conducted by psychologists suggest that most of Africa Americans do not prefer psychotherapy as a solution to the trauma. After a series of research conducted it was found that applying much of the traditional means of healing, the use of music, dances, and memories can assist in the restoration of the mind for the African Americans. The healing modalities discussed have significantly impacted the lives of the African Americans since they have successfully healed from their past and developed positive self-esteem that propels their modern living.

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