Culturally Affirming Therapy

Culturally Affirming Therapy is an active way of relating to you that honors your multi-faceted identities and cultural strengths, while also recognizing the impact of injustice, oppression, and trauma.

It can be challenging to find a match in a therapist, especially if you come from a marginalized population.

Sometimes finding a therapist who shares identities with you can be helpful because it can be a validating experience to have someone recognize parts of your cultural context, helping you feel more deeply understood. This shared understanding may strengthen your relationship with your therapist, allowing you to trust more and perhaps deepen your healing journey. There may be less of a burden on you to educate your therapist on the various cultural milieus of your world, making it easier to engage in therapy.

Sharing identities with your therapist is not a guarantee, however, that your therapist will understand you in the ways you would need.

Making an effort as a therapist to relate to a client as a unique individual with intersectional identities is an ongoing process that requires training and conscious intention.

I strive to understand the cultural influences that inform the perspective of my clients with humility and respect.

I am a member of Inclusive Therapists, a platform that “connects and uplifts people that are historically oppressed, silenced, or attempted to be erased.”

I believe that Culturally Affirming Therapy is an “active, conscious, relational, and ever-evolving process” that honors cultural strengths, while also recognizing the impact of systemic and intergenerational oppression, racial injustice, and trauma.