About Glenn Banks
Biography
Glenn Banks, LISAC, MFCT, CCTP-II is a licensed professional counselor in Arizona and Utah. He is certified as a Clinical Trauma Professional-Level II and a Critical Incident Stress Debriefer. Glenn has spent a vast amount of time in creating innovative programs that seek outside-the-box alternatives to modern therapies. One of notable programs he developed was the Strategic Harm Reduction Plan for chronic pain and opioid use, which reduced recidivism rates by 18%. He has also spent time in alternative therapies such as equine therapy and wilderness therapy.
Prior to joining The CORE Institute, Glenn was the Director of Behavioral Health at a wellness clinic in Mesa. There, he oversaw all clinical treatment programs and was a facilitator for individual and group counseling. He also spent time as a SMI (Serious Mental Illness) Evaluator in Tempe where he performed evaluations for the State of Arizona. Additionally, Glenn served as a Psychology Associate at the Arizona Department of Corrections where he provided mental health services to inmates.
Glenn earned a master’s degree in Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling from the University of Phoenix. He went to Arizona State University for his bachelor’s degree where he studied political science. He is a current doctoral candidate at the Cummings Institute.
Glenn Banks is a member of the National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors.
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Reflections on the Implicit Association Test (IAT)
Reflections on the Implicit Association Test (IAT)
Taking the Implicit Association Test (IAT) was an eye-opening experience. I completed the Race and Gender IATs and found the process intriguing but also somewhat skeptical due to how reaction time influences the results. I understand the purpose of using reaction time to measure implicit associations, but I also wonder how age and cognitive processing speed, especially at age 59, might influence outcomes. That said, the IAT did help raise my awareness of how automatic responses might not always align with conscious beliefs.
Interestingly, my implicit associations aligned with my conscious beliefs. This was reassuring and supports my belief that exposure, education, and lived experiences can bring implicit and explicit attitudes into closer alignment. Still, I was initially skeptical of the results—not because I disagreed with them, but because I questioned the accuracy of a tool that relies so heavily on milliseconds of reaction time. Even so, I see value in the IAT as a tool for self-reflection.
My implicit thoughts have been shaped by my family, religion, cultural environment, and military service in the U.S. Air Force. Recognizing these influences is important, especially in healthcare, where biases, whether conscious or unconscious, can deeply affect diagnosis, treatment, and overall patient care. Poor understanding of individual patients due to bias can lead to inaccurate assessments and widen existing health disparities.
My experience with bias, particularly around my height, has shown me how assumptions can impact how one is perceived and treated. While less of an issue now, it was a significant challenge during my youth. As healthcare professionals, we must be aware of the biases, especially around race, gender, disability, and more, that can affect clinical decision-making. It's appropriate to consider aspects like race or religion in care only when it's patient-informed and relevant to their treatment goals.
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