Cultural and Systemic Oppression

The Shame Resilience Theory developed by Dr. Brené Brown in 2006. I believe many of us live with internalized shame and the core beliefs about ourselves are clouded by this specific emotion. Over time, internalized shame can develop into symptoms anxiety and depression.

Seeking out a therapist who understands systemic oppression, cultural factors related to identity, and how they may exacerbate organic symptoms should be easier. With this in mind, I orient my therapeutic work (and life) in acknowledgement of the many systems (overt and covert) that impact folks whose identities fall along the margins.

Being an immigrant and minority in a foreign country, I personally experienced more systemic oppression. I related with clients who also experience in oppression

My dissertation investigated body image across diverse populations including WOC. In particular I am interested in how WOC use their bodies as a commodity in order to compensate for systemic-level oppression and white-cis-heteronormative dynamics. Clinically, I work from a holistic, relational, empowerment focused and intersectional feminist perspective. I recognize that areas of oppression are linked and cumulative. I strive to use my privileges to help others create clarity and

Our therapists believe in addressing the global contexts that impact us and our clients.

As a practitioner centered on Liberation Psychology, it is vital that therapy acknowledges and integrates the roles that systemic forces such as inequity, oppression, and marginalization play in impacting clients' mental health. By challenging and engaging with such dynamics instead of minimizing their impact, therapy can become a critical praxis in nurturing clients' abilities to achieve their goals.

I believe that the cultures, systems, and communities we live in impact the way we navigate the world. A lifetime (or lifetimes, if you want to get into intergenerational wounds) of dealing with oppression can have a profound an impact on mental health. In my practice I consistently keep in mind the ways systems impact the individual.

All of my practices are shaped by being anti-oppressive (to reduce harm), liberatory (to find ways of healing and thriving), and de-colonial (challenging the harmful impacts of colonization and white supremacy culture). I support clients from diverse and often marginalized backgrounds, include LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, immigrants, and diverse abilities.

I am so happy that we are finally naming the issue instead of silencing, erasing, gaslighting, pathologizing or criminalizing those who are at the effect of it. The ways in which the violence manifests in people's lives can take many forms. And the symptoms can resemble other issues. But if we cannot differentiate cause from response, we will not be able to effectively engage or heal.

The world that we live in is not necessarily a friendly one to who we are. Whether we are women or men, people of colour or white, the norms and infrastructures that we have inherited often discourage us from living authentically. What is freedom if not to be free of all arbitrary constraints?

Identifying as part of the global majority in a system that was created to marginalize and oppress people of color is challenging, to say the least. Though dismantling the system is a goal, taking care of your individual self is vital. The conversation around systemic oppression often uses active language like "fight", but when it comes to you, I wonder if we can incorporate more rest. Part of what is stolen (among labor and time) is rest and the energy to take care of yourself.

Oppression can be covert or overt, but it is always unjust. Understanding how external factors, whether it be from legislative policies or society's perception, affect our lives makes it easier for us to learn how to navigate and break down these barriers. We must also mourn the ways in which our lives have been shaped due to oppression.

All staff are people of color and participate in trainings aimed at enhancing our ability to practice from an anti-oppressive lens.

Being a marginalized woman in a world designed for straight, cisgender white men isn't just frustrating. It's actively harmful to our health & well-being. As a therapist, I believe that we can't help our clients manage concerns like depression, anxiety, stress or burnout without attending to the role of systemic oppression and the trauma it creates. I work with women of color, immigrants, LGBTQ+ clients, and other marginalized folks to provide a space for healing, recovery and growth.

Systems of oppression including but not limited to racism, heterosexism, cisgenderism, sexism, and ableism are often at the root of many of the suffering that bring people to therapy. I have 20 yrs of experience holding space to witness these experiences, to counter and prevent internalization, and develop strategies of disruption. I have trained and supervised therapists and other human services professionals to address oppression as an essential part of clinical work.

We work with BIPOC. We live in an indoctrinated society. Stigma runs rampant and most of us operate from a narrative and language that perpetuates, support and often complies with oppression and indoctrination. Is it a surprise we are suffering from trauma, depression, anxiety and the likes? If we can begin to unpack how society has victimized us we can begin to alter our stories around shame and self-blame towards a more holistic view of inner and societal healing.

Racism, patriarchy, able-ism, and other old tricks hurt, use, dis-empower, and silence human beings in the legacy of a "power-over." These tricks toxify language, religion, business, and other institutions. Even non-profits. Even families. Their subtle manifestations can hurt like the obvious ones, especially when they happen repeatedly. A "power-with" way of thinking supports equality, respect, and cooperation. I love to help people find support for power-with.

The historical system of oppression (white supremacy) that our society operates under impacts all of us regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, ability, body size, etc. Our seek therapists seek to understand dynamics of power, privilege, and oppression that have shaped our clients identities and lived experiences & work towards helping you heal the wounds from racial stress and racial trauma (microaggressions, racism, violence, & discrimination).