Statement of Diversity
Land Acknowledgment
Expression Wellness Group acknowledges that we are situated on the ancestral and unceded lands of the Semá:th (Sumas) Nation and Màthexwi (Matsqui) Nations. These two Nations are part of the Stó:lō Nation. ‘Unceded’ means that these lands were never legally signed away by the Indigenous peoples who inhabited these lands prior to colonization. We are committed to working to address the wide-reaching effects that colonialism, genocide, and systemic racism have had and continue to have on Indigenous peoples.
Statement of Diversity
We celebrate and affirm the diverse identities and experiences of our clients. We share a love for all people regardless of ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, gender, size, physical and cognitive ability, religion/spirituality, and socioeconomic status. Diversity enriches community and we are committed to appreciating and championing the dignity and worth of each person we have the honour of holding space for. Valuing diversity also means ensuring that we do everything in our power to make you feel seen, safe, and valued in your therapeutic work with us.
We understand that each person we work with, and ourselves as therapists, lives within the wider context of our communities and cultures. Our society has been built on the oppression of Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) and upholds intersecting forms of oppression that affect each of us differently. We recognize the traumatic impact of discrimination, oppression, and exploitation in any form it may take, including micro-aggressions, invisibility, increased experiences of violence, challenges to economic stability and mobility, decreased autonomy, as well as internalized oppression and post-traumatic stress. One of our core values is social justice and this means we are committed to working against all systems of oppression.
We strive to create a safe space where those who entrust us with their stories can feel comfortable exploring the importance of their identities and life experiences with regard to diversity and how this relates to their counselling goals. We recognize it is one thing for us to say we are safe and another for you to feel safe. Together we want to cocreate what safety means for you in a therapeutic setting. We aren’t afraid to be creative in our collaboration with you to support your needs.
We also recognize our own limitations, aware that we are a predominately white, middle-class, able-bodied team. As a result, we are committed to a lifelong journey of learning to foster our own awareness, healing, and growth, knowing our own experiences and biases can impede therapeutic work. We are open to feedback and accountability, knowing that we will make mistakes. We share a commitment to our own ongoing work of acknowledging our implicit biases, listening and learning from people who have experienced marginalization, as well as continuing to understand how we can dismantle oppressive systems and support systemic change. We will not always get it right and we are not going to let perfectionism get in the way of us moving toward social change and advocacy for our clients.
Our Actionable Practices:
Individual work:
- Attending ongoing trainings on cultural competence and anti-racism
- Promoting reflection, growth, and development to deconstruct racism and other systems of oppression within ourselves as individuals and within our professional community
- Educating ourselves through shared readings and discussions on the effects of racism, homophobia, and related traumas on BIPOC and LGBTQ+ individuals
Team and Community Practices
- Amplify causes, events, trainings, voices, policy change, injustice, and opportunities for the BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and other marginalized communities through social media channels, petitions, rallies, and attendance at other community events
- Financial donations to organizations supporting the work of BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and other marginalized communities
- Ensuring team adherence to the above Statement of Diversity
- Increasing diversity on our team
- Feedback and accountability through supervision and transparent dialogue amongst team members
Our Current Reading List:
Politics of Trauma
by Staci Haines
The Body is not an Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor
Love and Rage by Lama Rod Owens
You are your Best Thing by Brene Brown and Tarana Burke
My Grandmother’s Hands by Resmaa Menakem
Policing Black Lives by Robin Maynard (Canadian context!)
21 Things you may not know about the Indian Act by Bob Joseph
How to be an Antiracist
by Ibram Kendi
Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall
Oppression and the Body: Roots, Resistance, and Resolutions Edited by Christine Caldwell and Lucia Bennett Leighton
Diverse Bodies, Diverse Practices: Toward an Inclusive Somatics Edited by Don Hanlon Johnson
The Cultural Politics of Emotion by Sarah Ahmed
Justice-Doing at the Intersections of Power by Vikki Reynolds
Calling My Spirit Back by Elaine Alec
Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad
Decolonizing Trauma Work: Indigenous Stories and Strategies by Renee Linklater