Mekel Harris

2020 was a year no one prepared for or expected; it was a year riddled with upheaval, disappointments, and frequent resets. At the same time, 2020 brought with it opportunities to explore new ways of connecting with others, working, and managing daily life. While none of us is responsible for the unfortunate happenings throughout the past year, we are duty-bound to not only lead others, but also ourselves, today and in the days ahead. The current presentation by Dr. Mekel Harris (Harris Psychological Services, LLC) seeks to examine what could be on the horizon in 2021 by reflecting on the past year and offering practical strategies to re-imagine life in the here-and-now.

Cancer diagnosis brings with it an acute awareness of the possibility of death. As mental health professionals, we must grow deeper in our understanding of grief-related themes and interventions from a cultural perspective. 'Cultural humility' must be embedded in the lens through which we observe grief and subsequently intervene. Denying the reality of culturally-based grief perspectives can result in a host of costs to our relationships with patients and their families. Here is our primary question: what are practical tools we can utilize to help reduce potential costs of cultural oblivion?