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Did That Just Happen?!

By Dr. Stephanie Pinder-Amaker & Dr. Lauren Wadsworth

Beacon Press

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Offering real-life accounts that illustrate common workplace occurrences around inclusivity and answers to questions like “How do I identify and handle diversity landmines at work?” and “What can I do when I’ve made a mistake?” this handbook breaks down ways that organizations (and all people) can improve their cultural awareness and become more equitable in their work and personal relationships.

We know that diverse teams are stronger, smarter, and more profitable, and many companies are attempting to hire more diverse teams, but most struggle to create a real culture of inclusivity in which people from all backgrounds feel comfortable. As clinical psychologists, as well as individuals with marginalized identities, Dr. Stephanie Pinder-Amaker and Dr. Lauren Wadsworth show the emotional and physical impact of marginalization and how that leads to a decrease in employee engagement and, often, increased job turnover.

“Did That Just Happen?!” will be invaluable for employees who come from underrepresented communities and identities (identities discussed include race, age, disability, sexual orientation, citizenship status, and gender expression). But the book is essential for leaders of companies, supervisors, HR departments, and for anyone who wants to understand and support diversity/equity/inclusion practices. The book will also make readers feel more confident in their navigating of friendships/interactions with people who hold different identities.

Download the Reader’s Guide Here

PRESS:

From Day One 2021 Virtual Conference: Article- A Sense of Belonging: How to Make It Sustainable

Mary Christie Institute: Q&A

Charis Books: Virtual Interview


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What Makes You, You?

By Dr. Lauren Wadsworth and Dr. Marcus Rodriguez

Now available in Danish from Voodoolily Norway - order here!

Get notified once it’s on sale in English by filling out the form below!

Identity related topics such as Race, Gender, Sexual Orientation, and Religion are constantly being discussed in today’s society. Increasingly we are encouraged to grapple with and discuss topics like privilege and marginalization across differences. However, there are too few resources to help parents, teachers and therapists begin to introduce and explore these topics with children. We, hope to address this gap through our book What Makes You, You?


We are in the midst of a revolution of how openly and how often we discuss aspects of identity. Despite the iron being hot, there is a paucity of books to aid parents, teachers and therapists in introducing and discussing identities, systems of power and oppression, and the importance of embracing diversity. Building off of Dr. Pamela Hays’s ADDRESSING framework (an acronym), we introduce children to Age, Development (difficult and shaping life events), Disabilities, Religion, Ethnicity and Race, Sexuality, Socio Economic Status, Indigenous Heritage and Immigration Status, Nationality, and Gender expression. In the illustrations, children will see the intersection of each of these identities with other identities (e.g. showing people that have disabilities and are people of color; showing elderly people in same gender relationships, etc.). The diversity in illustrations is key to us, as we know there is a lack of diversity in current children’s books available and would like to provide pages where children who hold any marginalized identities can find and point to someone that reminds them of themselves. We believe this is crucial for healthy development in a world that suffers from systemic oppression and want to be a small part of empowering children to embrace differences, despite the stress that can be associated with them.

This book is designed to quickly and lightly introduce some of the many identities children hold, that are believed to be most relevant in their intersection with mental health. We think of this book as a “menu” that allows adults to briefly or deeply discuss each identity, as it is more or less relevant to what the child is experiencing in their lives. We think that introducing children to an adapted version of the ADDRESSING framework will provide children with a scaffolding as their insight into identities and the world around them develops. We will also include a “Note to Parents” with additional information and discussion questions to allow parents and teachers to both increase their own knowledge, and tailor the learning to the child(ren) they are engaging with. We firmly believe that the learning that this book offers can be deepened over time as children interact with the book again and again.

Sketches prepared by our illustrator, Shima Zarei.