Colors of Austin Counseling’s Equity Framework
We are a group of clinicians with a shared goal of transforming the mental health care system in this country. We know that trauma, pathologization, and denying access to mental health care have historically been used as tools of oppression and we acknowledge the ways in which our field has caused deep harm to BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and other people of color), LGBTQ+, and other communities who have experienced marginalization. We will be part of the movement towards repair, mental health justice, and decolonizing the mental health system.
We commit to:
showing up to therapy spaces as our whole authentic selves
continuing to do our own anti-racism work, acknowledging that each of us has been racialized and carries biases that must be explored. None of us have escaped this.
prioritizing people and relationships over profit
staying in discomfort with our clients and with one another
owning our mistakes (oh, yes there will be mistakes) and holding ourselves and one another accountable
working through conflict restoratively
To us, equity in mental health care means:
talking about identity, culture, systemic oppression, and social justice in the therapy room
honoring the traditional and collective healing practices our clients have used to survive
providing culturally-grounded care that takes into account a person’s lived experiences
developing systems that intentionally create space for clinicians to do their internal anti-racism work by challenging themselves and one another
creating systems that intentionally cultivate diversity in our field by supporting clinician well-being, so that therapists with marginalized identities can thrive and be sustained in their work
that all therapists, not just clinicians from marginalized communities, are responsible for transforming the mental health care system and advocating for equal access
developing creative community-based alternatives to traditional funding streams that both increase access and maintain therapist work-life fulfillment through fair compensation
that all people have a right to high-quality therapeutic services that meets their needs regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, ability, and/or socioeconomic status
working towards social justice outside of the therapy room by advocating for anti-oppressive therapeutic approaches and working to impact public policy
decentralizing power by using a collective leadership structure that invests in team members’ growth, makes decisions collectively, and creates a supportive culture where staff can lean on one another and better show up for our team and our work
