My research looks at how racism and other kinds of unfair treatment affect people's mental health, their relationships, and the way they see themselves. I focus especially on Black women and others who are often pushed to the margins. Much of what people carry builds up over time, through many moments of being misunderstood, overlooked, treated as less than, or expected to stay strong in places that were never set up to support them.

I study how those moments slowly become part of how people think about themselves, how they relate to others, and how they move through the world. I am especially interested in what helps people heal, including having room to talk honestly about what they have been through without being blamed, brushed off, or told to just cope. My research asks how therapy, training, and care can do a better job of respecting what people have lived through while helping them make real and lasting changes in their lives.

I want my research to be practical and useful. It is meant to shape how therapists are trained, how organizations care for the people they serve, and how communities understand the emotional toll of racism and unfair treatment. At its heart, this work is about helping people reconnect with themselves, repair what has been hurt, and live with more freedom and dignity.

Free download · PDF, 4 pages

An introduction to the model and a self-reflection worksheet

An introduction to the Trajectory of Awareness, with diagrams of how internalized oppression operates as a system and how the two phases and four positions fit together, followed by an eleven-question worksheet for clinicians to reflect on their own trajectory.

© 2026 LaTasha Smith, PhD, LCSW, CGP. For personal reflection only.

Current study · Now recruiting

Trajectory of Awareness Simulation Study

I developed the Trajectory of Awareness (ToA) Model from the findings of an initial grounded theory study with Black women psychotherapists. This study focuses on how Black women psychotherapists learn and apply the model in their ongoing clinical work with Black women.

I am currently recruiting Black women who are licensed mental health clinicians, provide psychotherapy to Black women, and live in the Chicago area or are willing to travel downtown. Participation includes an online training, an in-person simulation in downtown Chicago on December 18, 2026, a virtual interview, and a virtual focus group in March 2027, with a $30 gift card for each of the two phases.

This study is funded through an internal grant from Loyola University Chicago.

Questions? Contact me at latashasmithlcsw@gmail.com

Publications & Presentations

Talks and keynotes are listed on the Speaking + Training page.