Jonathan Mathias Lassiter: Notes from a Frustrated Black Psychologist

About this episode

Dr. Jonathan Mathias Lassiter discusses the challenges faced by Black psychologists and the impact of white ideology on mental health practices.

In his latest book, How I Know White People Are Crazy and Other Stories, psychologist Jonathan Lassiter pulls back the curtain on the mental health system and reveals the hurdles that Black psychologists and students are forced to endure in the field. * In this episode, Dr. Lassiter is joined by CIIS Expressive Arts Therapy core faculty Chevon Stewart, for a thought-provoking conversation exploring his experience as a Black gay man working as a psychologist under culturally insensitive supervisors and colleagues in America. They discuss how white ideology has harmed Black patients and how it dominates America’s mental health practices. Drawing from his research, and his own therapy, Dr. Lassiter shares the benefits we can all find when we center culture in our healing practices. * This episode was recorded during a live online event on December 4th, 2025. You can also watch it on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube channel. A transcript is available at ciis.edu/podcast. To find out more about CIIS and public programs like this one, visit our website ciis.edu and connect with us on Instagram @ciispubprograms. * Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes properly, so…

People in this episode

Host: Chevon Stewart

Guest: Jonathan Mathias Lassiter

Topics covered

• mental health
• Black psychologists
• cultural sensitivity
• white ideology
• healing practices

Keywords

• mental health
• Black psychologists
• cultural sensitivity
• white ideology
• healing practices
• therapy
• psychology

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: CIIS Public Programs

Books & works: How I Know White People Are Crazy and Other Stories

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