Ep. 236: Beyond Racial Stress: Empowering Teens to Navigate Cultural Identity and Build Resilience with Dr. Ryan DeLapp

We warmly welcome Dr. Ryan DeLapp to Diverse Thinking Different Learning to discuss how to help teens manage and overcome racial stress. Dr. Ryan C.T. DeLapp is a licensed psychologist and the founder of the REACH program at The Ross Center, specializing in helping individuals cope with racial and cultural stress. With more than ten years of research and clinical practice, he has developed evidence-based treatments to build resilience in teens and adults. Dr. DeLapp has also authored more than twenty publications and delivered over 100 presentations on assessing and treating racial and cultural stress. His insights are also compiled in his workbook, Empower Yourself Against Racial and Cultural Stress.

Dr. DeLapp joins us for this episode to discuss the challenges young people face when coping with racial and cultural stress. Drawing from his experience working with teens and young adults in the Bronx, Dr. DeLapp shares how his REACH program (Racial, Ethnic, and Cultural Healing) was born from a need to address the emotional and psychological impacts of discrimination, particularly during the social upheavals of 2020.

Dr. DeLapp breaks down three types of stress: emotional, agency, and identity stress. He explains why it is so crucial to identify and address each one, and he highlights the fact that stressors related to race and culture often go unrecognized, manifesting instead as behavioral issues like school refusal or disengagement. Our conversation also covers practical approaches to helping young people recognize and manage their experiences with cultural stress. Via storytelling and community involvement, Dr. DeLapp’s methods encourage youth and caregivers to build resilience.

This episode of the show also stresses the importance of celebrating cultural identity, not just addressing stress, with Dr. DeLapp advocating for community-driven healing and support that go beyond crisis management, highlighting empowerment via knowledge and cultural pride. 

This episode is essential listening for educators, caregivers, and anyone invested in the mental well-being of young people navigating cultural stress.

Show Notes:

[2:44] - Dr. Ryan DeLapp reveals how he created the REACH program to address cultural stress affecting youth and adults.
[5:25] - Dr. DeLapp's book helps young people recognize and manage the impact of racism and cultural stress.
[7:34] - Emotional, agency, and identity stress are examined.
[10:34] - Dr. DeLapp encourages clinicians to explore cultural stress as a root cause of problematic behaviors.
[13:10] - Dr. DeLapp designed the book to empower youth and families to help them articulate racial stress.
[14:48] - Inspired by racial coping models, the book guides youth to clarify, cope, and heal effectively.
[17:46] - Dr. DeLapp asserts that community healing involves using support networks to take on racial and cultural stress.
[19:51] - Bridging generational divides helps adults empathize with youth facing cultural stress.
[22:02] - Storytelling leads to solidarity among communities of color by sharing diverse experiences.
[25:05] - Dr. DeLapp argues that educators need to reflect on cultural stress to better support their students.
[28:48] - Celebrating cultural heritage can ultimately build pride (not just resilience) against discrimination.
[30:54] - Thriving means embracing strengths while healing from and coping with cultural stress.

Links and Related Resources:

• Episode 54: Managing Family Stress and Anxiety with Dr. Stephanie Mihalas

• Episode 75: How to Raise Justice-Minded Kids with Dr. Traci Baxley

• Episode 132: Social Justice: A Framework for Equity in Education with Charles A. Barrett, PhD, NCSP

• Ryan C.T. DeLapp - Empower Yourself Against Racial and Cultural Stress: Using Skills from the REACH Program to Cope, Heal, and Thrive

 

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Connect with Dr. Ryan DeLapp:

• The REACH Program

• The Ross Center - Ryan DeLapp, PhD

• Dr. Ryan DeLapp’s LinkedIn Page