My Stand on Social Justice

Therapy as a political act

I believe therapy is a political act for many reasons: you might be taking a stand against a problem that is oppressing you and you are making space to voice your preferred way to be in the world. In addition, you might be discussing your values and giving voice to stories and emotions that might have been suppressed or discounted by others.

Bringing all of who you are

I believe that therapy has to be a safe space. We have better chances to work toward your therapy goals if you can bring everything of who you are into the therapy room. I believe when we feel safe in a relationship or in a community we are more willing to bring those precious and important parts of our identity.

Knowledge construction

I understand that in the therapeutic relationship I hold certain power, have certain legal obligations and have some knowledge about therapy. However, I make efforts so that my clients know their voice is important in our therapeutic relationship and that the knowledge they bring is valuable. I have some expertise in therapy but within you resides a realm of knowledge that I believe can come to light in our conversations.

I believe that my clinical knowledge is not the only valid knowledge. There is immense value in the knowledge my clients bring. Ancestral knowledge and any kind of knowledges that often are not privileged are important for me in therapy.

Identity construction

I believe identity is co-constructed, what we heard about ourselves shapes our identity. Words matter, language is not innocent. I believe there is immense power when our stories are witnessed by others. I believe one of the unique gifts of therapy is that I am being an audience, a witness to your resilience when I listen to your stories. I hold admiration for every single client I have worked with.

Privilege

I went through a graduate program that made me look at my privilege. Being an immigrant in the United States of America has made me aware of the realities of what it means to be a brown Mexican woman in the United States. Having listened to the stories of my classmates and many many stories of my clients had made me aware that not everyone's voice has the same power in society. Some of us hold more power and hold more privilege.

Once I read in graduate school that some of us carry an invisible backpack with privilege that is invisible to us but very visible to others. Some of us don't have to worry about our safety when going out for a walk with our dog, some of us don't have to worry about being attacked for holding hands or kissing our partner in public. Some of us don't have to worry about looking for allies when we are in a new group setting. Some of us don't have to be cautious about bringing some parts of our identity in certain contexts.

I consider myself a person who sees color, who has looked at her privilege. I understand this is a continuous process. I make efforts so that my clients don't re-experience oppression in the therapeutic context. It is my hope that I create a sense of safety with my clients so that they can bring into the therapy all their knowledge, their stories and who they are.