As an identity-based therapist, it’s important to most of my clients to know something about my social location and lived experience, especially if they inhabit oppressed identities. I’m happy to share that:
I proudly and openly identify as queer, gender-expansive, polyamorous, neurodivergent/neuroqueer (AuDHD), and living with invisible/dynamic disability & chronic pain. I am a secular clinician, a gestational parent, and a partner.
I have the privilege of whiteness, US citizenship, a post-graduate education, and being a native English-speaker. I am the recent descendant of immigrant families, and do not have access to generational wealth or land ownership.
My hope is that sharing this information up-front helps you to make an informed decision, but it is never required that we share an identity in order to work together.
Hi, I’m CJ.
Everyone will reach a point in life where they require (and deserve) therapeutic support.
Therapy is more than just symptom-reduction; real care treats the whole person.
Therapy and mental health advocacy are inherently political.
Therapy cannot take place in a vacuum; we exist in the complexity of our intersecting identities, lived experiences, and the macro & micro systems that determine access and privilege. In order to be ethical, the therapeutic relationship must be able to hold these things.
My position as a state-licensed “expert” puts me in a position of power in our relationship, and it is my responsibility to make sure that power is used to advocate, not to control or gate-keep.
You are the expert on your own experiences; there is no such thing as “one-size-fits-all” therapy.
I BELIEVE…
And finally, some photos in the wild to prove I’m a real person…and a complete theatre nerd:
