How to Start Decolonizing your Work as a Therapist

Systems of oppression impact everyone, even when we aren’t aware of it. As therapists, there is a due diligence to be mindful of intersectionality and how these systems impact our clients in order to ensure quality care. However, there are inherently biases, clinical theories, and interventions that are unfortunately long-standing and pre-date many initiatives of inclusivity and were developed through a Western-centric model. Now, therapists (among other care providers) are individually responsible for omitting and adjusting to decolonize their spaces and systems. While this can feel like a large undertaking, we have developed a list of starting points to create momentum, change, and inclusivity within your practice. 

1. Reflect.

Taking time to do some self-reflection can go a long way. Try to be mindful of what your own biases are by doing some guided prompts to dig a little deeper. The goal is not to elicit shame, but to have an in-depth understanding and acknowledgement of bias, limitations, and privilege and how it may be brought into your space and sessions. 

 

2. Unlearning and Relearning. 

After reflecting, it is imperative to do some unlearning and relearning/reeducating. This may look like focusing on non-Western/non-Eurocentric beliefs and treatments of mental health conditions as well as seeing the overlap of patriarchal beliefs that are still engaged within therapeutic settings. We want to learn about how colonization, imperialism, slavery, genocide, war, and white supremacy is very present in communities, familial history, and generational trauma. By committing to educating ourselves, we are able to fill in some of the cracks that our own care and comprehension is limited to and become a safer space for folks. 

3. Don’t be the Expert. 

It is helpful to see the client as the expert of their own experience. Acknowledge when you don’t know and commit to the fact that westernized approaches are not always effective. The more we can embrace humility and the discomfort of not knowing, the more we can learn to be accommodating and collaborative. 

4. Expand your Assessment.

Try to incorporate generational trauma, colonization, and systems of oppression into your clinical conceptualization in order to not rely on a Western-based diagnostic system. 

5. Rewrite. 

Take a look at any forms that you may have that could be more inclusive when it comes to intersectionality. This will help clients be able to express and expand further during their initial interactions with the practice as well as cultivate mindfulness within practitioners. 

6. Advocate. 

Be active about ways you can advocate for inclusion within your practice as well as in the mental health space as a whole. Be vocal about policies, procedures, and initiatives that would be beneficial for folks to gain access to care. 

While we know that this isn’t a complete list of all the different ways we can provide decolonized care, it is a starting point. It is also important to remember that nothing is perfect and there will be some hiccups along the way. What is important is the commitment to the initiative of creating a more inclusive and safe space for folks in order to provide care that is encouraging and understanding of differences. 

The information on this website is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical or psychological condition and is not a substitute for therapy. If you are experiencing an emergency please call/text 988 or go to your nearest emergency room.