The current political situation in the United States is terrifying for many of the people we work with and our team.
We recognize that people in marginalized groups have experienced the discrimination and oppression long before this current experience. The BIPOC, 2SLGBTQQIA+, and disability communities currently face a return to greater oppression, microaggression, and discrimination. People’s identities are not respected or validated, and this erasure can lead to greater rates of trauma, depression, anxiety, etc.
We see and celebrate your identities and are here to help support you emotionally. We also created a brief guide for legal, information, and support or mutual aid programs to streamline the search process.
Download the free resources guide:
How we provide you support:
Our team recognizes that this place of deep pain cannot be fixed.
What we can do is provide support for you to share your experiences and honor where you are in this current moment. In sessions, we can guide you to understand how racial, migration, medical, homophobic, and transphobic trauma impacts your mental health.
We do our own work to practice cultural humility and know that while we can develop a greater understanding of larger practices, beliefs, etc., we want to understand your unique experience related to your identity and personhood.
How to improve your well-being:
One of the ways to help your well-being over these next few years is to engage in radical self-care and joy.
I did not realize until recently that the 60s/70s civil rights, women’s rights, and Black Panthers advocated for rest and self-care. Self-care didn’t look like massage trips but rather building programs to address community needs, balancing advocacy with intentional breaks, etc.
Connecting with joy was and is a powerful tool to rest from the bombardment of negative messages.
I get it. It’s hard to find joy right now. One of our clinicians talks about microdoses of joy.
These moments are small occurrences. Examples might be savoring your cup of coffee, feeling giddy seeing snow or when flowers start to bloom, or watching a funny show. You can find what feels right to you. One of my hobbies is taking improv classes. Part of me felt strange going to my classes post-election, given what is happening in our country. I realized, though, that if I lose joy, I lose hope, connection, and grounding. If I lose my joy, I’m giving the oppressors what they want.
How to empower and support yourself:
Here are some ways to support yourself in or out of therapy during this current administration:
Externalize struggles by naming oppressive forces (e.g., "White Supremacy tells you you're not enough. What would you say back to it?").
Journal around or create art centering your life stories on resilience, resistance, and self-definition.
Use guided imagery where they envision an ancestral protector or a safe cultural space.
Explore body neutrality exercises where you focus on function over appearance.
Write to yourself as if speaking to a friend facing the same struggles.
Practice affirmations rooted in their cultural or spiritual background.
Gentle movement (e.g., stretching, rocking) to release emotional tension.
Using spoken word, music, or art to reclaim identity and celebrate heritage.
Letter to an Ancestor/Future Self: Clients write to a cultural or spiritual figure (real or symbolic) for wisdom.
Exploring messages passed down from family/community and rewriting harmful narratives.
Identifying personal values vs. imposed societal expectations.
Imagining and embodying a world where they are fully free and safe.
Reframing coping mechanisms as survival strategies.
Find peer affinity groups for support and social justice action.
These exercises help to empower yourself and can create emotional boundaries. You honor your lived experiences and create resources to care for yourself. Finding community reminds you that you are not alone.
If you need some support or to talk, contact our team.
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