Cultural and Systemic Oppression

Seeking out a therapist who understands systemic oppression, cultural factors related to identity, and how they may exacerbate organic symptoms should be easier. With this in mind, I orient my therapeutic work (and life) in acknowledgement of the many systems (overt and covert) that impact folks whose identities fall along the margins.

Clinically, I work from a holistic, relational, empowerment focused and intersectional feminist perspective. I recognize that areas of oppression are linked and cumulative. In response, I work to help clients navigate these complex dynamics and improve their quality of life. As a cis-white, able-bodied female, it is my job to do the background work and create a space where clients can explore, learn and understand themselves better. You are the expert of your life.

until all of us are free, none of us are. my practice centers the reality of our interconnectedness and deeply acknowledges the consequences of late-stage racial capitalism and legacies of white-supremacist colonialism. i work to help folx externalize what these systems have made us to believe about our realities so that we direct our rage and grief at the true roots of our suffering instead of ourselves.

I encourage clients to connect with their inner child to unlearn the internalized oppressive messages that result from life, on a micro and macro level; with the belief that unlearning these messages can empower folx into moving forward and reclaiming their lives.

"Racial Trauma" is REAL and "microaggressions/microinsults" are not your imagination. They are equally as REAL! When you suffer form "racial Trauma," you move through the world with a slight feeling of being gaslit and/or not believed. Let's confront this trauma and offer you some relief from systemic, systematic and institutionalized oppression, vis a vis "racism."

Research shows that the impacts of discrimination and marginalization can manifest in both mental and physical health. I strive to take into account factors related to culture, context, privilege and marginalization, as we explore therapeutic concerns.

Doc believes in education and creating communities for transformative, adult learning. Doc is completing their third doctoral program at Morgan State University in the School of Community Health and Policy. As a DrPH student, Doc's work is grounded in carceral abolition, complex trauma, addiction recovery.

Are you feeling the weight of oppression more acutely? Social media and globalization has connected us all, but has also exposed us to more vicarious trauma by witnessing the victimization of members of targeted groups, especially with the rise of nationalism, xenophobia, and the effects of capitalism, globally. We can work together together to sort though your thoughts and feelings, and decide what kinds of action you'd like to take (if any) to heal and honor your culture and yourself.

Humans are brilliant learners, absorbing messages from our environments — families, society, culture — these external influences shape our identities based on creed, gender, colour, etc., which then shape our realities. Knowing who we are requires understanding these influences and how it has influenced our lenses and behaviours. Only with this deeper insight, can we feel empowered to regain control of our lives.

Humans are brilliant learners, absorbing messages from our environments — families, society, culture. These external influences shape our identities based on creed, gender, colour, etc., which then shape our realities. To know who we are requires understanding these influences, and how it has shaped who we are. By doing so, we can tease out who we are at our “core,” from what we’ve been taught. Let’s sift through these layers to find your true self.

I offer specialized treatment for race-based trauma and internalized racism using Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy. This approach allows us to explore the different parts of you that have been impacted by racial trauma, helping you to understand and heal the wounds of oppression, discrimination, and internalized beliefs. IFS creates a space where you can connect with these parts compassionately, unburden them, and reclaim a sense of inner balance, self-worth, and empowerment.

We are a product of the environment around us. In therapy, we will look and explore how these systems effected us in a negative way and how we can heal from this oppression and found our power and to claim it back.

Our therapists believe in addressing the global contexts that impact us and our clients.

As a Licensed clinical social worker I am always looking at how systems of oppression are likely impacting my clients.

Cultural and Systemic Oppression related to Race, Sexuality, and alternative lifestyles

I work with every individual to help them understand their intersectionality of identity (racial/ethnic identity, immigration status, gender, sexuality, class, religion, disability, trauma history, etc.) and how systematic oppression leads to the pathologizing of people who hold marginalized identities on a micro, meso, and macro levels.

I have a passion for working with those from diverse and intersecting ethnic, racial, cultural, and identity backgrounds and utilize a strengths-based lens in clinical work. As a member of the 2019-2020 Racial Equity Now (RENow) cohort of the nonprofit Dallas Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (Dallas TRHT), I am also steeped in local and national efforts to support equity.

The assumptions of Western psychology focus primarily on factors within the individual. However, for many individuals, the source of their suffering emerges from oppressive forces within their social environment. Therapy needs to be able to offer alternatives to adjusting to or coping with oppressive forces. I utilize liberatory strategies to empower clients experiencing marginalization, alienation, and other forms of oppression.

Cultural and material conditions shape our psychology; no symptom can be understood outside of this context.