Inclusivity
Art by Mikenzi Jones @kenzistudioco
"It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences."
Audre Lorde
What
do I
Mean by
Inclu-
sivitY?
Inclusivity is a core value of my practice and I recognize it as a continual process of learning, engaging, and listening to members of marginalized communities. I work to be an anti-racist, anti-ableist, non-pathologizing practitioner, and to create a welcoming and collaborative space for people of any race, socioeconomic class, neurotype, gender or sexuality.
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My commitment to inclusivity means:
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I will be open-minded, nonjudgemental and accepting.
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I will not conceptualize human beings as disordered or defective, with deficits.
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I will not assume to know your experience or believe it to be the same as others.
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I will honor and respect your way of moving through the world and what it’s like to be you in our world.
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I will actively strive to inform myself on issues related to identities other than my own.
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I will hold myself accountable by unpacking my identity and privileges in the world. ​
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I will not assume every problem or struggle you face is related to your race, class, neurotype, gender, or sexuality.
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I will respect your beliefs about religion and spirituality.
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I will continue to seek knowledge and deepen my understanding of racism, oppression and intolerance in our society.
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I will always support your rights to have a healthy, contented life; complete bodily autonomy; a safe, secure family; educational and work opportunities without discrimination or harassment; and caring, functional relationships.
LGBTQIA+ Affirming therapy
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual (LGBTQIA+) affirming therapy is a therapeutic approach that focuses on acknowledging the broad diversity of sexual and gender identities, and tailoring therapeutic practices to better serve sexual and gender minority clients.​
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I believe that being a LGBTQIA+ affirming therapist means much more than simply welcoming in clients who identify as queer. To genuinely be an affirming therapist, you have to be aware and wholly accepting of what someone's identity means to them; you must be willing to avoid ignorance and to correct any misconceptions about what a person's experience means to them; and you need to support a person's desire to have rights that fit their identity.
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As an LGBTQIA+ affirming therapist, I respect and validate the unique experiences and needs of clients who are members of this community. My goal is to create a safe and supportive space for LGBTQIA+ clients to explore and embody their authentic self, and to integrate their identity into their lived experience. I also strive to bridge social and cultural differences, in hopes that clients can feel connection and belonging in our shared space. And I hold awareness of the many challenges and systemic barriers that LGBTQIA+ individuals may face, including discrimination, stigma, and marginalization, and aim to empower clients to be able to better navigate these challenges and live more fulfilling lives.
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I have and will continue to inform and educate myself on best practices and approaches for working with LGBTQIA+ clients. I welcome input and feedback, and regularly seek to engage in dialogues with both colleagues and other members of the LGBTQ community. I am committed to always evolving my perspectives and my practice to achieve more and better inclusivity.
NeuroDivergent Affirming therapy
Neurodivergent affirming therapy is a therapeutic approach that recognizes and values the diversity of the human mind, and supports individuals who have neurological differences.
It is an inclusive and respectful stance that acknowledges that there is no one "normal" or "typical" brain, and that neurological differences are a natural part of human variation.
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Neurodiversity is the diversity of human minds, the infinite variation in neurocognitive functioning within our species.
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The neurodiversity paradigm is a specific perspective on neurodiversity – a perspective or approach that boils down to these fundamental principles:
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1.) Neurodiversity is a natural and valuable form of human diversity.
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2.) The idea that there is one “normal” or “healthy” type of brain or mind, or one “right” style of neurocognitive functioning, is a culturally constructed fiction, no more valid (and no more conducive to a healthy society or to the overall well-being of humanity) than the idea that there is one “normal” or “right” ethnicity, gender, or culture.
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3.) The social dynamics that manifest in regard to neurodiversity are similar to the social dynamics that manifest in regard to other forms of human diversity (e.g., diversity of ethnicity, gender, or culture). These dynamics include the dynamics of social power inequalities, and also the dynamics by which diversity, when embraced, acts as a source of creative potential.
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The Neurodiversity Movement is a social justice movement that seeks civil rights, equality, respect, and full societal inclusion for the neurodivergent.
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Citation Nick Walker, PhD (she/her) author of Neuroqueer
