Bridging Worlds: Identity, Culture, and Countertransference in the Mental Health

Bridging Worlds: Identity, Culture, and Countertransference in the Mental Health
With Reflections from Work with Jewish Clients and Communities
Presented by Malka Shaw, LCSW, and Jodi Taub, LCSW

Date: Wednesday, June 4, 2025
Time: 5:00 PT/ 6:00 MT /7:00 CT /8:00 ET

Bridging Worlds: Identity, Culture, and Countertransference in the Therapy Room is an overview and interactive discussion of clinicians’ understanding of cultural competence through a reflective, identity-informed lens. This session will emphasize the ethical and clinical importance of cultural competence in mental health care, with a focus on often-overlooked populations, such as Jewish clients, whose identity and history carry layers of collective trauma, resilience, and cultural nuance.

Participants will explore the core elements of cultural competence, including humility, curiosity, and the ongoing process of self-reflection. Using the Jewish experience as a focused lens, the training will highlight specific topics that should be included in Jewish cultural competency, such as intergenerational trauma, the psychological impact of antisemitism, religious and cultural diversity within Jewish communities, and the role of collective memory. Clinical case examples will be woven to illustrate how culture, identity, and countertransference intersect in the therapy room.

The training will conclude with a candid discussion about how cultural dynamics and antisemitism surface within professional environments among peers, in supervision, and at conferences, as well as how clinicians can respond with integrity, awareness, and cultural accountability. Participants will leave with actionable insights to better serve clients across cultures, while becoming more attuned to the clinician’s internal responses and the broader systems they work within.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understanding why developing cultural competence is essential for ethical, effective clinical practice, particularly when working with communities with complex historical and cultural identities.
2. Recognize how antisemitism and cultural bias can surface within clinical settings, supervision, and professional networks, and discuss ways to engage these dynamics with accountability and care.
3. Identify how personal identity, societal narratives, and countertransference can influence the therapeutic relationship, especially when working with Jewish clients or other historically marginalized groups.

Case examples will be woven throughout to illustrate challenges and growth points in cultural learning.

Malka Shaw, LCSW, is a licensed psychotherapist with 27 years of experience specializing in trauma, identity, and resilience. Her private practice specializes in trauma recovery, EMDR, couples and relationships, and maternal mental health. She maintains a private practice across New York, New Jersey, and Florida, and provides clinical supervision, consultation, educational workshops, and public speaking. Malka founded Kesher Shalom Projects, an initiative launched after October 7th to support Jewish clinicians and communities through trauma-informed, culturally attuned, psychological impact of antisemitism, and mental health education. Kesher Shalom also offers trauma-informed courses on understanding indoctrination, propaganda, and their psychological implications, equipping professionals to meet the challenges of today’s climate with clarity and care.

In addition, Malka serves as the Educational Coordinator for Gesher Campus Care, a national initiative supporting the well-being of Jewish students in higher education. She also contributes to the Association of Jewish Psychologists’ Trauma and Resilience Committee, helping shape professional dialogue around Jewish identity, collective trauma, and healing. In addition, she is an active member and assists the curriculum committee of the American Jewish Medical Association. Her approach bridges clinical expertise with cultural insight, supporting clinicians in delivering ethical, inclusive, and responsive care for large-scale traumas. For more information www.malkashaw.com

Jodi Taub, LCSW, PLLC, is a New York-based psychotherapist with 27 years of experience providing individual, couples, family, and group therapy. In addition to her clinical work with clients managing chronic illness and rare diseases, Jodi is a leading voice in Jewish mental health. She serves as Program Director for Kesher Shalom Projects, where she co-develops trauma-informed training focused on Jewish identity, cultural competence, and the psychological effects of antisemitism. Kesher Shalom’s work also includes educating clinicians on indoctrination and propaganda, and their impact on mental health and professional environments.

Jodi collaborates with multiple Jewish mental health organizations, including the National Association of Social Workers’ Jewish Special Interest Group to Combat Antisemitism, and the Association of Jewish Psychologists. She is a member of the Jewish Social Work Consortium, a group of five Jewish social work leaders dedicated to advancing advocacy, research, and the education of Jewish cultural competency in social work and mental health practice.

Her work focuses on grief, trauma, identity, and the emotional toll of antisemitism—both for clients and clinicians. Jodi focuses on Jewish mental health support through psychological first aid and trauma-informed treatment. For more information www.joditaubtherapy.com