Professional Biography
For your reference
Biography
David Archer, PSW, MFT, MSW, is a social worker, couple and family therapist, and anti-racist psychotherapist from Montreal, Canada (Tiohtià:ke). He has a Master of Social Work and a Master of Science Applied in Couple and Family Therapy from McGill University and is currently a PhD student at Concordia University. His doctoral research is focused on Rhythm and Processing (RAP), a trauma-focused approach that utilizes Africentric principles, predictive processing, and the theory of memory reconsolidation to treat complex racial trauma.
Archer is widely recognized for his clinical expertise regarding anti-oppressive frameworks. He is an EMDRIA-Approved EMDR Therapy Trainer, and his article on racial trauma is now included as required reading for all new EMDR Basic-trained therapists. Over the span of his career, he has developed culturally responsive methods for treating racial trauma survivors, LGBTQ+ individuals, refugees, and people with substance use disorders, eating disorders, or other challenging mental health concerns. In Archer’s private practice, he specializes in treating complex PTSD, dissociative symptoms, and internalized oppression by using RAP, an approach that utilizes music, videos, cultural leisure, ancestral resources, and the natural environment to heal traumatic memories and maladaptive beliefs.
Archer has published five books and three audiobooks focusing on anti-oppression, complex trauma, and revolutionary recovery. He provides consultation to individuals, groups, and organizations internationally. Due to his dedication, research focus, and advocacy, he has received honors including the ISSTD Fellow Award, the SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship Award from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the Community Service Award from the Association of Black Psychologists, and the Emerging Leader Award from EMDRIA. As an international keynote speaker, he advocates for resistance against oppression in all of its forms, as well as culturally responsive treatment and transformative change for all trauma survivors worldwide.
Relevant Links
His amazon author page is here. He is a keynote speaker and regular conference presenter who offers workshops to help therapists integrate anti-racist principles into their practice and to teach people of all backgrounds to recognize their awesomeness.
If you would like additional information feel free to contact him or continue reading below.
His CV is available here
Awards and Distinctions
- ISSTD Fellow Award – International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (2026)
- SSHRC Doctoral Award – Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (2025)
- Concordia University Graduate Doctoral Fellowship– Concordia University (2025)
- Concordia Merit Scholarship — Concordia University (2025)
- Concordia Black Student Excellence Doctoral Entrance Award – Concordia University (2025)
- Faculty of Arts and Science Entrance Award – Concordia University (2025)
- Community Service Award – Association of Black Psychologists (2025)
- Emerging Leader Award Recipient – EMDRIA (2024)
- President’s Task Force on Anti-Black Racism Award – Concordia University (2024)
- ByBlacks.com People’s Choice Award (Therapist Category) – ByBlacks.com (2024)
Complex/Racial Trauma and Dissociation
Archer is a recipient of Concordia University’s President’s Task Force on Anti-Black Racism Award and the Emerging Leader award in EMDR therapy from EMDRIA. These recognitions reflect his contributions over the years in racial trauma recovery.
As the first Black EMDRIA Approved EMDR trainer in Canada, he has a personal commitment to addressing the wounds of systemic racism and fostering healing for all diverse identities in the Montreal communities.
He is also an EMDRIA certified Approved Consultant from Montreal, Canada (Tiohtià:ke) who specializes in treating complex PTSD and complex racial trauma using memory reconsolidation-based approaches.
Archer is the developer of an integrative therapeutic approach called Rhythm and Processing (RAP) Strategies which uses memory reconsolidation and Africentric principles to create a culturally responsive framework to assist in recovery from complex PTSD, identity-based stresses and treatment resistant disorders.
Public Speaking and Presentations
Mr. Archer has been a plenary and keynote presenter at multiple events discussing topics which range from racial trauma, trauma-focused therapy, dissociation and social justice.
He was a keynote for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr symposium at the University of Michigan, a plenary presenter for the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation, as well as a plenary presenter for the EMDR International Association.
His social media can be found here:
As he operates a private practice which serves clients in multiple provinces he provides both individual and group consultations to support other therapists.
His written contributions are part of the required reading for EMDRIA Approved EMDR trainings this article can be found here. He also provides consulting to organizations, group practices, and corporations internationally.
Special areas of interest relate to complex PTSD, racial trauma, addictions, mindfulness, and vicarious growth.
Mr. Archer seeks to increase the number of Black EMDR therapists, anti-racist therapists of all backgrounds, and revolutionary therapists in all disciplines.
Books and Additional Information
Mr. Archer is regularly invited to serve on number of panels, workshops, plenary discussions, and was on radio and television. He has a been a guest on several podcasts (you can see them here).
He is the author of Anti-Racist Psychotherapy: Confronting Systemic Racism and Healing Racial Trauma , which explains the philosophy behind anti-racist practice and the mental health consequences of racial trauma. It is available on Amazon in paperback, hardcover, e-book and audiobook versions.
His second book is called Black Meditation: Ten Practices for Self-Care, Mindfulness, and Self-Determination. Based on principles of mindfulness, it describes 10 practices designed to improve racial awareness and positive self-identity with Black people who may or may not connect with mainstream Eurocentric models of psychotherapy.
His third book is called Racial Trauma Recovery: Healing Our Past Using Rhythm and Processing. This is an integrative clinical framework that describes his primary means of helping clients to heal from social identity based forms of suffering using strategies from diverse modalities as well as the Rhythm and Processing Technique.
His fourth book is called Black Mountain: Fight for the Future. It is an Afrofuturistic science fiction novel that revolves around youth who undergo an ancestral transformation ceremony to fulfill their destiny fighting against an intergalactic faschistic government bent on achieving global supremacy. The use the power of the elements to cultivate self-understanding, recover from their trauma, and protect the oppressed.
The fifth book is called Transforming Complex Trauma: Reflections on Anti-Racist Psychotherapy. This book was meant to be a consolidation of the ideas from the previous books in a simpler language. It was also meant to explain the need to revolutionize our perspective on therapy and bring awareness to Rhythm and Processing Strategies for the purpose of racial trauma recovery and complex trauma treatment.
My CV is available on request.
Learn about my EMDR Trainings here.
See the faculty page.
And here is the link to my books.
You can click here if you need to contact me for any reason.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.