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Are You Choosing The Right Path Towards Healing?

In our quest for mental wellness, understanding the landscape of counselling and its myriad approaches can be both enlightening and overwhelming. Each method offers its own perspective on healing, influenced by its foundational principles and practices. Today, we dive into the success rates of various types of counselling, highlighting how social justice counselling, in particular, […]

What Are Some Good Things About Counselling?

In a world where challenges loom large and the noise of societal expectations never ceases, finding solace and understanding can seem like a Herculean task. Enter the realm of counselling—a journey not just toward healing, but toward discovering the myriad of good that can emerge from engaging in this deeply personal process. Beyond the traditional […]

What does the word counselling mean?

In a world teeming with voices, movements, and moments, the essence of counselling often gets lost in translation. What does counselling truly mean? Is it a mere exchange of woes, a path to enlightenment, or perhaps, something more profound? Today, we’re peeling back the layers to explore the heart of counselling, especially through the lens […]

Why Is Counselling And Counsellors Important In Our Life?

In our journey through life, we encounter a myriad of challenges, changes, and pivotal moments. Often, we navigate these waters with the support of friends, family, and personal conviction. Yet, there’s a profound ally many overlook in this journey: counselling and the unique role of counsellors, particularly when we think about social justice and counselling. […]

How Does Privacy Work With Online Counselling Services?

Hello, and welcome to a space of exploration, understanding, and growth. As the digital landscape evolves, so too does the realm of therapeutic support, bringing forth the innovative world of online counselling. This modality offers accessibility and convenience and it lends itself to facilitating more affordable therapy and more inexpensive therapy options, but it also […]

What Does It Mean When Someone Needs Counselling

Hey there, In a world that constantly bombards us with messages of self-improvement and the relentless pursuit of happiness, the idea of needing counselling can sometimes feel like a detour from the “ideal path.” But what if we reframe this narrative? What if needing counselling is not a detour but a profound step towards authentic […]

How can online counselling provide mental health support?

How can online counselling provide mental health support? Welcome! If you’re contemplating stepping into the realm of therapy or are already on your journey, this exploration is for you. Today, we’re unpacking the innovative ways online counselling is reshaping mental health support, especially through the lens of social justice counselling, and why it might just […]

Revolutionizing Therapy: Can We Embrace Decolonial, Queering, and Abolitionist Practices?

Revolutionizing Therapy: Can We Embrace Decolonial, Queering, and Abolitionist Practices? If you’re on a journey toward healing or considering therapy as a space to understand and grow yourself, you’re in the right place. Today, we’re delving into a conversation that’s both crucial and transformative, exploring the landscape of therapy through a lens that’s perhaps less […]

Can Affordable Therapy Break the Grip of Capitalist Depression and Oppression?

Can Affordable Therapy Break the Grip of Capitalist Depression and Oppression? In today’s scroll through the digital world, we’re diving deep into a conversation that’s both urgent and often overlooked: the intricate dance between depression, systemic oppression, and the capitalistic society we navigate. This isn’t your average dialogue about mental health; it’s an exploration, a […]

How to Navigate Anxiety Through Social Justice Counselling

How to Navigate Anxiety Through Social Justice Counselling Hey there, If you’ve stumbled upon this post, chances are you’re no stranger to anxiety. Sometimes it can feel like this relentless wave that crashes over you, sometimes out of the blue, leaving you gasping for air. But what if I told you that your anxiety isn’t […]

Linda Lin MA RCC reflecting on justice

I’m a cis-gendered, able-bodied, hetero-ish racialized settler, born and raised in so-called Vancouver. I’m a child of first-generation immigrants from the Nakhi/Naxi ancestry of China and my pronouns are She/Her.

Getting into justice and liberation work has been like an itch that continues to grow. The more I unlearn the harmful narratives and approaches that I once had me chained, the more questions of curiosity and wonder I come up with. Why do things have to be this way? Who has the authority to say this about my identity and my experiences?

I am continuously coming up with creative ways to reclaim power back, to be in reciprocity with other folks, and to intervene, using my voice to advocate for marginalized folks, collaborating and helping them figure out what this work can look like for themselves.

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abby chow is a community trainer for anti-oppressive counselling in vancouver

Abby Chow (she/her) is a cisqueer, working-turned-middle class, half-gen, currently non-disabled, straight-sized settler on the stolen, ancestral territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), S’ólh Téméxw (Stó:lō), Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh), Qayqayt, and kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem) peoples. She is from Hong Kong and lives with chronic pain and ADHD. 

For the last decade, she’s had the privilege of working with folx resisting multiple systems of oppression, which often manifests as being impacted by the criminal punishment system, addictions, and relational trauma. Her work now primarily revolves around providing clinical supervision and business consulting services from a justice-grounded perspective.

Above all else she loves being an explorer of wonder and possibilities, witnessing and co-creating with the magic that still manages to survive this dumpster fire world, and aspiring to be a human database and connective force for our revolutionary resistance. Her ancestors come from roots in Chaozhou and Nanjing, and a lineage of creating sneaky practices to survive necropolitics, poverty, and refugeeism. 

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xu wang is a community trainer for anti-oppressive counselling in vancouver

Xu Wang (they/them) is a non-binary, queer, 1.5 generation Chinese-Canadian immigrant settler who live, work, and benefit from taking up space on the unceded traditional territories of hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh peoples (colonially known as Burnaby.). They are also neurodivergent, mentally ill, and a parent to a pre-schooler.

As an art maker, they enjoy all things creative. Some of their favorite interests include caring for plants and animals, painting, collaging, cooking, and immersing themself in the alternate realities of video games. Many of their healing experiences were inspired by meaningful relationships with others and in communities of care. In these supportive spaces, they are able to reclaim parts of themself and nourish their growth by embracing every aspect of their humanity.

They see working as a therapist and being a human being as inseparable processes. More than their educational and training backgrounds, they draw from their lived experiences and inner knowing to support those who share space with me. They have found deep healing in the practice of embracing “enoughness”. 

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theresa thomas is a community trainer for anti-oppressive counselling in vancouver

Theresa Thomas (she/her) is an educator, counsellor, mentor, and creator originally from so-called Texas. For 7 years post-graduate Theresa worked on the front lines with local non-profits to provide accessible and quality therapeutics for those with barriers to support. Theresa is committed to helping people achieve freedom from systemic and societal oppression in every capacity, addressing the distresses that come from navigating shame, marginalization, discrimination, disassociation, and self-worth.

Theresa is passionate about developing personal power and helping individuals and relationships live authentically and thrive in their truths. In 2020, she started her own therapeutic practice, In-Power Counselling & Services, which continues the work she’s done in healing and empowerment. Theresa is also a clinical supervisor for new and developing therapists. Theresa’s hope is to make mental health, daily health!

When she’s not working Theresa is a learner in every sense of the word. She loves to read and consume content and information. She is a sister, a friend, a daughter, a cat aunt, a writer, crafter, painter, and creator.

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Sacha Medine is a community trainer for anti-oppressive counselling in vancouver

Sacha Médiné’s (he/him) therapeutic practice and activism focuses on supporting individuals and people in relationships who are part of communities subject to structural violence (including but not limited to BIPOCs, Queer, trans & gender nonconforming folks), people involved in social justice movements & direct action activism, and folks working on being accountable for doing harm in ways that are connected to, or involve participation in, systems of structural oppression (eg. gendered violence & white supremacy). He also provides clinical supervision to counsellors and other practitioners and have been a member of the teaching staff at City University since 2017.

He draws on knowledge and perspectives from feminist, queer, and critical race theory as well from social movements and activism. He truly values the wisdom and knowledge from outside the academy that students bring with them to the program and strive to create a space where it can be recognized, acknowledged, and integrated into clinical practice. Ultimately, he believes that teaching in a counselling program involves an ethical obligation to clients. More specifically, a requirement to participate in the creation of a field that not only more fully reflects the faces of its clients, but seeks first to be in care of, and led by, the communities in our society most marginalized and subject to structural violence. He attempts, in whatever ways he can, to always orient my teaching to respond to this requirement.

 

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Premala Matthen is a community trainer for anti-oppressive counselling in vancouver

Premala (Lala) Matten (she/her) is queer and cis, a brown woman and a settler, chronically ill/disabled and middle class. Some of her people are Indian and others are white. Her understanding of power, privilege, and oppression is shaped by the range of her positions in the world.


Lala’s experiences of violence and oppression led her to seek change, for herself and others. She is a therapist in independent practice, and the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Healing in Colour, a non-profit that supports BIPOC both to access and to offer healing services. She is also the co-creator of SEEN, a podcast that explores personal healing and collective liberation work through the eyes of Black and brown queer women. Her work sits at the intersection of counselling and activism, firmly rooted in the radical possibilities of QTBIPOC spiritual and emotional healing.

Website

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luisa ospina is a community trainer for anti-oppressive counselling in vancouver

Luisa Ospina (she/they) is a non-disabled, queer, white Latinx of mixed ethnic and racial ancestry, now-middle-class, immigrant, settler, woman, offering trauma counselling, facilitation, and consulting services on the stolen, ancestral, and traditional territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. They were born and raised in Medellín, Colombia, and spent a long time living and learning in the ‘United States’ after immigrating.

Luisa values accountability, transparency, and compassion in all aspects of her life. Currently, they work as a Clinical Counsellor, Consultant, and Clinical Supervisor in independent practice. Luisa uses an integration of various trauma-informed, relational, and client-centred approaches that are situated in intersectional feminist, anti-oppressive and social justice principles. They are dedicated to supporting equity-deserving folks with experiences of oppression in their process towards healing and liberation. Luisa actively works towards anti-oppression and anti-racism personally and professionally. Luisa’s analysis and approaches have been heavily influenced by Black and Indigenous feminists, and queer and critical race theories. In the past, they have worked as an educator in post-secondary education and community settings. In addition to their work, Luisa is currently a board member with Healing in Colour. Outside of their work, Luisa enjoys spending time in the sun, dancing, connecting with her community via sharing food, and playing volleyball.

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Kim Haxton is a community trainer for anti-oppressive counselling in vancouver

Kim Haxton (Potowatomi) (Kwe wii she) is from the Wasauksing First Nation in Ontario. She has worked across Turtle Island and abroad in various capacities but always with a focus on local leadership.

Her deep understanding of the need for genuine restoration has far-reaching implications as leaders seek vision and all people seek direction to address the mounting pressure of a system incongruous with the values of the natural world. Kim has developed and facilitated programs in land-based education, ceremonies, and leadership for the past 30 years, including as co-founder of Indigeneyez.

She takes her place among thought leaders in the area of decolonization, particularly as it applies to language, art, economics, and gender. She encourages the “lateral liberation” of consciousness by drawing from the embodied knowledge of Indigenous peoples. In multi-day workshops, she moves people through a personal process of questioning what is the truth and what is simply constructed – effectively rupturing what we “know.” True expression of respect, harmony, inclusion, equity can come from this place.

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ji-youn kim is a community trainer for anti-oppressive counselling in vancouver

Ji-Youn Kim (they/she) is a queer, currently non-disabled Corean femme, immigrant and settler, joy-seeker, liberatory dreamer, psych survivor, justice-oriented therapist-ish and ongoing creation of community. Born in Bucheon, Corea, they grew up and continue to live on the unceded territories of Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations in what is colonially known as Vancouver, Canada, which shapes their relationships with land, kinship, sovereignty and co-resistance.

Ji-Youn works in private/alternative practice in relationships with predominantly Sick & Disabled QTBIPOC client community members with the orientation of therapy-ish as a space to practice embodied liberatory practices in the spirit of collective liberation. In recent years, she has also been teaching about abolitionist mental health care, the mental health industrial complex and the blurring of the categorization of therapy. Their practices are informed by Black & Indigenous feminist scholars, Disability Justice & Transformative Justice educators, abolitionists and organizers, as well as their lived experienced of mental illness/Madness and psychiatric incarceration.

Email | Website | Instagram

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bhupie dulay rcc acs, clinical supervisor for bipoc counselling

Bhupie Dulay (she/her) is a settler who was born and raised on the stolen unceded, ancestral territories of the Semiahmoo, sq̓əc̓iy̓aɁɬ təməxʷ (Katzie), Kwantlen, kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem), Qayqayt, and sc̓əwaθenaɁɬ təməxʷ (Tsawwassen) Nations; and her ancestors are from India. Bhupie is a cis, non-disabled, middle class, small fat woman.

Currently, Bhupie works as a therapist, supervisor, professor, and consultant. Her work is informed by social justice and collaborative principles. She is honoured to work alongside people who are navigating and resisting multiple systems of oppression individually, within relationships, and in communities. As a clinical supervisor, Bhupie supports teams providing health care services and counselling services, practicing counsellors and student counsellors. Supervision is an enriching experience for Bhupie—a space where she can engage in a collaborative dialogue about best practices and ethics alongside the critique and feedback.

Bhupie also provides workshops, trainings, and consultations to organisations, teams, and boards. She is an adjunct faculty at Adler University and City University, and an instructor at Vancouver Community College. And she is a board member at Healing in Colour.