I am defiant in my values, and I encourage my clients to be, too.

As a therapist who practices in the so-called United States, where white supremacy culture, individualism, and racial capitalism are culturally dominant, I believe it is important to center the experiences of those whose identities most challenge these constructs. I structure my practice so as to create space specifically for clients of diverse sexualities, racial and ethnic identities, faiths and spiritual practices, neurotypes, bodies, and abilities. I make a commitment to continuously explore my own social position and increase my cultural knowledge, understanding, and humility.

Although I do not share the same lived experience as many of my clients, I intentionally work to understand, be with, celebrate, and connect across difference by building a strong relationship, practicing self-awareness, and taking a social justice-oriented stance. As a practitioner within the institution of counseling and psychotherapy, I abide by the Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies and the social justice imperative outlined in the American Counseling Association code of ethics.


The values that guide my practice include autonomy and self-determination, interdependence, transformative justice, and collective liberation.

  • How I define autonomy: Everyone has an inherent right to decide their own values and beliefs, express their identities, and be individually embodied. We also have a responsibility for our actions and how they affect others. Autonomy is increased when we all have access to resources that allow us to meet our basic needs and are able to share resources with the collective.

    How this shows up in the therapeutic space: The therapy I practice may help clients set healthy boundaries, advocate for the resources that enrich their lives, and honor their own needs. It also recognizes that both the client and therapist are autonomous individuals with rich lives and experiences. I am not a “blank slate” within our relationship, and I will be real and authentic with you. I also believe that you are the only person who can determine what is best for you; although I may provide guidance and insight, I will always support you as the ultimate authority on your experience and needs.

  • How I define interdependence: Just as we all deserve autonomy, we all must recognize our connection to other beings and the earth. When we witness the suffering of others, our own spirit is wounded. Recognizing and valuing this interdependence can help us heal, collectively and individually.

    How this shows up in the therapeutic space: The therapy I practice may help clients increase awareness in their relationships, connect more fully with others, and build community sustainably. It also recognizes that outside structures and systems influence our lives and relationships, including the therapeutic relationship. The relationship between me and my clients is meaningful and reflective of the expansive nature of interconnection.

  • How I define collective liberation: None of us are free until all of us are free. When change happens at the individual level, it reverberates in all the spheres we inhabit. When we heal, we support the healing and liberation of others. When others are liberated through collective action, parts of ourselves are also healed.

    How this shows up in the therapeutic space: The therapy I practice may help clients to recognize the ways they have been harmed, find restorative practices and community, and evolve internal and external systems toward liberation from oppression. It also recognizes that individual therapy is not the only way to promote healing and liberation. Protest, working towards systemic change, connection to community, spiritual practices, and simply experiencing joy and pleasure with others can all be essential to healing.

A Note on Healing Justice:

Psychotherapy is a form of healing practice that has been helpful for many people across decades. It can be powerful and transformational. Alongside this history of healing and transformation, is a legacy of violence against sick/mad/disabled, BIPOC, and other people of marginalized groups and identities. The psychotherapy and psychiatric fields have done harm.

I recommend exploring the Fireweed Collective and the the Kindred Southern Healing Justice Collective to learn more about what it looks like to reclaim liberatory narratives about mental health. As a healing and helping practitioner, I am also in the process of unlearning the narratives that have structured healing practice and building new paradigms.

You get to decide whether or not this method of healing is right for you. There are many healing and helping practices throughout and across cultures and communities. Therapy is just one practice that can be included in your defiant life!

Additional Healing Justice and Mad Liberation resources: