Although by training I am a Clinical Psychologist, the field of psychology was founded by White people and made for White people. Even the eastern approaches to healing within the field have been appropriated, stripped of their origins, and gatekept by those in power. While the field itself can offer some useful tools, many of those tools don’t consider or are, in fact, harmful to people that look like you and me, and it pathologizes our protective responses to our environments and experiences of oppression. Because of this, I’ve found that the best way to support our community lies outside of the medical model.

The International Coaching Federation defines coaching as “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential,” and it “often unlocks previously untapped sources.” On the other hand, therapy is defined as “medical treatment of disease” or “service done to the sick.” So, what I’m offering here is NOT therapy. I am not here to diagnose you, “treat” you, or make you less “sick” because let’s be real—even if you are experiencing symptoms, the systems we live in are what is “sick.”

What I am offering you is: greater insight into why our community may struggle with certain issues, help clearing the pathway for you to shift harmful patterns, and supporting you in making intentional choices to improve your wellbeing and unlock your fullest potential. I hope this space will also help create community, when so many of us are stuck in our silos, upholding expectations of silence, and thinking that we’re the only ones feeling this way. If symptom relief comes along the way (because it can!), score—brownie points!*

*Please note: symptom relief is not what sessions will be focused on nor is it guaranteed. See FAQs & IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER for more info.