24/04/2025
I'm a clinical psychologist based in Arizona [on the ancestral lands of the Xalychidom Piipash and Akimel O’Odham peoples] and I treat people around the United States and in some other countries. I am here today to talk about the free therapeutic effects of protests. There are a lot of protests happening here, and there have been for many years. I know it can be scary for some, and of course, you need to discern your safety. For those who choose to protest, some of the benefits include art. Lots of people create signs, sometimes at protests but also at home, so it is an art therapy intervention. Also, lots of people listen to music and dance or chant; that’s music therapy, singing, right, also forms of art therapy. Also, marching, marching in and of itself, and singing, they are somatic releases of energy. Marching, especially in community, is powerful. I just really wanted to highlight this as I know some of these marches seem useless to people. Many people got arrested at Black Lives Matter Protests, [many were arrested during the Standing Rock protests], and now during Pro-Palestine protests. The most recent Hands Off Protests have been mostly White, so they are not as policed, and that is really hurtful for some people. No matter what, I hope you are safe out there and if you feel called, get out there and enjoy protests because it is therapeutic at the end of the day.
