Who Holds Power? Unpacking Bias and Inequality in Mental Health Care

​

Facilitated by

Dr. Darla Timbo, PsyD, LPC

Psychologist & Licensed Clinician

 

Training Details:

Date: May 29, 2026 

Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM EST

Format: Virtual

CEUS: This training is approved for 2 continuing education credits for LSW, LCSW, LPC, and LMFT in the states of Pennsylvania and New York.

 

Overview

• This training invites helping professionals into a deeper, more honest exploration of how bias, power, and systemic inequality shape both client experiences and clinical practice.

• Participants will examine their own positionality, uncover implicit biases, and explore how systems of oppression show up in diagnosis, treatment, and access to care.

• Grounded in counseling psychology, cultural humility, and real-world application, this workshop moves beyond awareness into actionable, equity-centered practice.

 

What You'll Learn

Participants will leave this training able to:

• Identify how implicit bias operates in clinical decision-making and client interactions

• Analyze how power shows up in helping relationships and its impact on engagement, trust, and care

• Recognize systemic inequities embedded within mental health systems, including diagnosis, treatment, and access

• Apply culturally responsive, equity-centered interventions in clinical practice

• Engage in ongoing self-reflection and accountability to strengthen ethical and effective care

 

Training Target Audience

This training is ideal for helping professionals who:

• Want to better understand how bias shows up in clinical decision-making

• Are navigating power dynamics in therapist-client relationships

• Feel unsure how to address systemic inequities within their work

• Support clients from diverse or historically marginalized communities

• Are ready to move beyond awareness into more intentional, equity-centered practice

• And are willing to examine their own lens as part of that process

 

About the Facilitator

Dr. Darla Timbo, Psy.D., LPC, is a psychologist and licensed clinician redefining the path to wellness through integrative mental health care. With over 20 years of experience, she builds and empowers businesses, students, and communities of color by blending traditional therapeutic approaches with holistic practices that support learning, healing, and transformation.

 

A graduate of Carlow University’s Counseling Psychology doctoral program, her work is rooted in the intersection of race, gender, social justice, and mental health—ensuring care is both culturally responsive and deeply individualized.

 

Dr. Timbo is a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology, Counseling, & Art Therapy at Penn West University – California Campus. In addition to her academic role, she is the owner of Dr. Timbo Consulting and Atlas Counseling Services, LLC, where she is committed to educating and serving underrepresented populations.

 

She is also the former co-founder of Can We Talk?, a mental health support group for Black women aged 50 and older, and has served as Clinical Director for Artist Talk Mental Health, a Pittsburgh-based initiative supporting artists.

 

Dr. Timbo co-owns 24 Carrot Juice, a juice and smoothie bar in Bloomfield, with her husband. Her research interests include institutional bias, Black women in academia, diversity in clinical practice, Black clients’ engagement with mental health treatment, and therapeutic outcomes.

​