The Unseen: A Workshop for Women of Color on Mental Well-Being and Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

For Women of Color, leadership is often a double-edged sword. While we bring immense value, innovation, and perspective to the table, we frequently navigate environments not designed for us. This journey is often accompanied by a unique psychological weight: the pressure to be exceptional just to be seen as competent, the micro-aggressions that accumulate over time, and the internal whisper of "I don't belong here"—otherwise known as Imposter Syndrome.

This interactive and affirming training is a dedicated space for Women of Color in leadership roles—those aspiring to enter into leadership space, those who are either providing behavioral health counseling services/support and clinical supervision—to explore the specific intersection of mental health and leadership. We will move beyond generic advice and dive deep into how systemic racism, gendered racism, and cultural expectations contribute to burnout, anxiety, substance dependence, high-functioning depression and the imposter phenomenon.

This workshop is aimed to support behavioral health providers servicing WOC in leadership with engagement designed to provide the necessary tools that will aide in leading with resilience, moving beyond survival mode, setting fierce boundaries and dismantling any forms of self-doubt that holds WOC back in seeking leadership roles.

By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

1. Identify the "WOC Tax": Understand the distinct mental health impacts of navigating predominantly white female/male spaces, including racial battle fatigue and the Strong Black Woman/Superwoman schema.

2. Deconstruct Imposter Syndrome: Analyze how Imposter Syndrome manifests uniquely for Women of Color, distinguishing between internalized self-doubt and external systemic invalidation.

3. Develop Culturally-Affirming Coping Strategies: Build a personalized toolkit of practices that support mental well-being, including boundary-setting, self-advocacy, and finding sanctuary.

4. Cultivate Unshakable Confidence: Aiding in reframing the narrative by grounding their identity in leadership with use of cultural strengths and authentic identity, rather than seeking the validation of others.

5. Build a Sisterhood of Support: supporting WOC leaders to share experiences, build a network of accountability, and break the silence of isolation.

Dr. Lenese S. Barnes is a counselor educator, licensed mental health clinician, and entrepreneur dedicated to advancing culturally responsive and trauma-informed care. She currently serves as an Assistant Professor in the Counseling Program at Trinity Washington University, where she prepares graduate students to become ethically grounded and socially conscious clinicians.

In addition to her academic role, Dr. Barnes is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Hopeful Counseling, a CARF-accredited group outpatient mental health practice established in 2018 that serves clients across the DMV region. Under her leadership, the practice provides high-quality, trauma-focused services to diverse populations while also functioning as a training site for emerging clinicians. She provides clinical supervision to a team of licensed therapists and graduate-level interns, with an emphasis on trauma-focused treatment, culturally attuned care, and clinician development.

Dr. Barnes is a Certified EMDR Therapist through EMDRIA and currently serves as an EMDR Consultant-in-Training, further extending her commitment to advancing evidence-based trauma treatment. Her clinical orientation is grounded in trauma-focused and person-centered approaches, and she also specializes as a bariatric evaluator and educator, supporting clients navigating complex intersections of mental health and medical care. She holds licensure in multiple states, expanding her impact across a broad client base.