anti-racism commitment & land acknowledgment
At Kindman & Co., we uphold a commitment to practicing with a social justice perspective and take a radical, values-forward approach. We work with many clients who have directly experienced systemic oppression, racial trauma & race-based traumatic stress, marginalization, othering, and/or the trauma of participating in and benefiting from white supremacy. We want to be transparent about the anti-racism actions we are taking as a practice. We also believe it's important to acknowledge the stolen land that our office is on and to continue to increase our knowledge and amplification of the voices of the Gabrielino-Tongva people.
our anti-racism commitment
In our work, we are privileged to have the opportunity to hold space for and empathically connect with the stories and experiences of our clients. We appreciate and value diverse voices and believe in the importance of decentering white narratives, culture, and stories and elevating the experiences and wisdom of people of color. We consider the pain and distress of all our clients in the context of historical forces, social structures, cultural dynamics, as well as ongoing systems of oppression and violence.
We see your pain and distress as vital feedback about your environment. The symptoms you may be experiencing are not inherent flaws, but are a reasonable response to a society designed to increase inequity by upholding hetero-patriarchal, ableist, capitalist, and white supremacist systems that deny access to true health and wellbeing for so many. These systems of oppression are not new and, for many of our clients, it is not only the ongoing trauma of their environment that is impacting them, but also the effects of intergenerational trauma. These effects can appear as discrete or decontextualized symptoms, and it is part of the work of therapy to reconnect, recontextualize, and move toward collective healing.
We acknowledge that the mental health field has historically been a covert system of regulation. It has defined wellness, health, pathology, and criminality in ways that perpetuate racism and inequity, and value particular kinds of healing. We are invested in dismantling this system, and instead, investing in a movement toward collective, holistic healing, in which actions furthering systemic change are a necessary part of mental health work.
Our anti-racist and anti-oppressive work is continuous, and we are always striving to learn more, act more, and create more radical structures to support our clients and our community.
Our practice is inclusive to and welcoming of all humans, including folks who identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Color (BIPOC), members of the LGBTQIA+ community, folks of any size, folks with disabilities, folks of any religion, and folks of any immigration status.
To that end, we have made a commitment to:
ongoing trainings that further our team’s process of exploring their own power, privilege, biases, microaggressions, and unlearning racism
hold a curious but accountable space for discussions about racial trauma, intergenerational trauma, and/or white supremacy with all our clients
practice action-taking, and support team members to engage civically in social activism with Civic Engagement Paid Time Off
inclusive hiring practices
advocate for inclusivity in therapeutic directories, electronic health records, and other systems in our field
explore creative options for increased accessibility and equity in our therapeutic services
stand unequivocally with and plan to take continued action in support of Black Lives Matter.
land acknowledgment
In tandem with our anti-racism commitment, we want to acknowledge the Gabrielino-Tongva people on whose land we live and work. The Gabrileno-Tongva ancestral lands include the entire LA basin, and the islands of Santa Catalina, San Nicholas, San Clemente, and Santa Barbara. As therapists, it is critical that we acknowledge the history and ongoing impact of settler colonialism in our country. Native people in Southern California, despite acknowledgement by the state legislature in 1994, have yet to receive any federal recognition of sovereignty. Their experience is continually invisibilized, minimized, and omitted from our cultural narratives.
Our office, like the rest of the United States, is on stolen land. It is our responsibility not just to acknowledge this, but to continue the active work of social justice. This acknowledgement is also a commitment to ongoing learning, activism, and amplification of the voices of Native folx.
We encourage you to visit the Gabrielino-Tongva Nation’s website, where you can find historical information, learn about the current tribal council, and support the tribe. You can also find out more through the Mapping Indigenous LA project, and at https://native-land.ca/
let's begin.
You are not in this alone. You were never meant to be. Each and every one of us innately possesses strengths to live more enriching, joyful lives; let us help you to (re)connect to your strengths to find well-being.
