Who we are
How is our psychology and well-being informed by our relationships and broader social and political context? How can understanding that context inform not only effective treatments but public policy for a healthier, more just world?
At the Frantz Fanon Lab for Decolonial Psychology at Queens College, we use a community-oriented approach to develop research that deepens scientific knowledge while “giving back” in the form of advocacy, programs and policy recommendations that meet the community’s needs and interests. By working closely with community partners we make sure our research doesn’t just stay in academia, but translates into the “real world.”
Our lab takes its namesake from revolutionary psychiatrist Frantz Omar Fanon, whose work laid the foundations for Multicultural, Critical, and Liberation Psychology—traditions that inform our work whether through novel qualitative research, rich theoretically-grounded scholarship, social advocacy, or clinical training and practice.
Our Research
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Colonial Mentality Study in New York City
How does the U.S.-Puerto Rico colonial relationship impact the relationships, mental health, and worldview of Puerto Ricans in NYC? How does race, class, gender and color inform how Puerto Ricans reflect on their experiences?
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Same-Gender Loving & Gay Black Men's Resilience
How do Same-Gender Loving & Gay Black Men navigate family, spirituality, and community in a “post” pandemic world? What are their reflections on race, sexuality, and masculinity? What are their unique insights, and unique needs?
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Decolonial Approaches to Psychotherapy
How can psychotherapeutic theory and technique better account for cultural and social factors? How can developmental thinking in psychotherapy integrate how the community informs childrearing and attachment? What does it mean to understand the brain as fundamentally social?
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Theory, Policy, & Social Justice
How do we understand the way our world works? How does that understanding translate into public policy for the greater good? What is the connection between racism, capitalism, and patriarchy? How does that connection help inform how we think of social justice?
