The personal is political. Always has been, always will be. Many folks face emotional violence every day: hostile relatives/work places/communities, micro aggressions, and outright violence. Racism, sexism, xenophobia, homophobia/heterosexism, ableism, transphobia, sizeism…are all real. The discrimination and oppression you face has a direct impact on your daily life and mental health.

There isn't always a "solution". Therapy will not resolve, for example, racism, but for some it allows a place to vent, share, and process aggressions and oppression openly without gaslighting or immediate problem solving, solution focused interventions, or mindfulness tricks. Because you can’t just meditate or mindfulness your way out of it. Mental health care that doesn’t acknowledge the experiences and realities of oppression is not healthcare rooted in justice.

When working with/around oppression,
"most of the time is spent sitting in a space and acknowledging pain without resolution. 'Being with' is human, and the heart of therapy"- JaeHee M. Chung-Sherman