Disability and health conditions are often not considered a multicultural experience and diversity issue, yet almost all people will experience either a temporary or permanent disability, making disability an identity variable that will eventually impact almost all individuals, families, and groups. This presentation will explore how to conceptualize disability and health status as a multicultural experience, review psychological experiences and common microaggressions that occur with these groups, and consider culturally-affirmative accommodations to make when working with clients with disabilities and chronic health conditions.
Dr. Katy Kopp Miller is a clinical psychologist in private practice in Bloomington, Indiana. Katy specializes in treating eating disorders, including folks with eating disorders and concurrent chronic health conditions and autism spectrum disorders. Katy created and facilitated support groups for university students on the autism spectrum and students with chronic health conditions at university counseling centers, including Virginia Tech, Purdue University, and University of Pittsburgh. She has presented on this subject numerous times at the American Group Psychotherapy Association Annual Meeting, and co-authored a book chapter on working with disability and chronic health conditions in group therapy.