My Commitment to Anti-Oppressive Practice

In my work, I frequently have the honor of sitting with individuals who come from very different backgrounds from my own, and who hold identities which have shaped the paths of their lives in profound ways. This is one of the things which excites me most about my profession. I have found that through celebrating and honoring difference, we often come back to a universal truth – that we are all, in our own ways, trying to deal with our relationship to power.

As a therapist, my power is a matter for concern and vigilance. My power is endowed to me by the society we share which favors my race, gender identity, ability, and documentation status. My power is endowed to me by my profession, which has contributed in so many ways to oppressive social stratification by means of pathologization. My power may be endowed to me by my client, who perceives me as an expert and a reliable source of advice. My power may be self-endowed in moments where I fail to challenge my privileged and therefore limited point of view. 

Therapy must be decolonized, as every other kind of human interaction must be decolonized. The fields of psychology and social work share a joint history of inflicting trauma on oppressed communities, pathologizing and institutionalizing whatever is undesirable to those in power. This dynamic is fresh, present still in too many communities, and can too easily manifest between clinician and client if it is not well-understood. I owe it to my client, my profession, and myself to navigate power differentials in an anti-oppressive manner.

I am committed to nurturing an intimate knowledge of my biases and limitations so that the treatment I deliver is driven by respect, humility, and love.

I am committed to an intersectional approach to therapy, informed by critical race theory, which minimizes risk and enhances protective qualities of therapy for my clients.

I am committed to owning mistakes, addressing ruptures, to learning better and doing better next time.

I am committed to supporting my clients in managing their own unique relationships to power so that they can heal ruptured relationships, pursue justice, and treat themselves and others with kindness.