Talk Nerdy with Cara Santa Maria White People Are Crazy w/ Jonathan Mathias Lassiter
Jan 12, 2026
Jonathan Mathias Lassiter, licensed clinical psychologist, author and educator in NYC, discusses his path, African-centered psychology, and working with marginalized and white populations. Conversations touch on therapeutic methods, identifying a whiteness mindset, ethical tensions between empathy and confronting harmful beliefs, and mentoring clinicians with culturally grounded approaches.
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VA Internship Confronted Whiteness Mindset
- Dr. Jonathan Mathias Lassiter described his internship at the Indianapolis VA where his caseload was nearly all white, heterosexual, cisgender men and it challenged his assumptions.
- He recounts a veteran who made racially charged comments and revealed emotional suppression tied to a whiteness mindset.
Whiteness Mindset Is Psychological Rigidity
- Lassiter defines a whiteness mindset as an us-versus-them rigidity where people cling to propaganda of deservedness and status.
- He links that rigidity to psychological suffering: entitlement narratives protect identity but produce emotional stifling and scapegoating.
Use Relational Curiosity With Biased Clients
- When encountering racist clients, lean into relational curiosity and functional analysis instead of immediate judgment.
- Ask what the behavior gives the client and explore underlying fear, empathy, and connection needs as Lassiter did.
