
On Trying To Say Just The Right Thing
I’ve been reflecting on my want to be understood, and my fear of not being.
I strive to create an environment where you feel safe and welcome as you are.
An environment where you have sovereignty, choice, and can advocate for your needs.
Where you can communicate and be understood in whatever form that takes.
I value diversity, inclusion, equity, accessibility, anti-oppression, and compassion.
I welcome people of all abilities, diagnoses (or lack thereof), race, ethnicity, gender and gender identity, sex and sexual orientation, age, methods of communication, body size and shape, traumas, social and economic status, spiritual and religious practice, country of origin, citizenship, geography, military status, and other areas of human experience.
I commit to follow, to the very best of my ability, these signposts of a respectful practitioner inspired by the Therapist Neurodiversity Collective International:
I welcome and fully accept and support people of all genders and sexualities, and people in all states of questioning or comfort with their gender and sexuality.
I am comfortable with and welcome trans, non-binary, gender non-conforming, agender, ace, aro, lesbian, gay, queer, autigender, neuroqueer, and other gender marginalized humans, as well as cishet humans.
In regards to race and ethnicity, I reject the idea of “color-blind” and instead want to live in a “color rich” world, where each experience helps to weave a tapestry of strength and love.
To be able to do this, I regularly read, listen to, and learn from Black anti-racism activists. I am actively working to understand more deeply, to be trauma sensitive, and to root out white supremacy and colonial ideologies from my own thinking and actions, in order to be as inclusive and humane as possible.
The land that I live and work on is the traditional homeland of the Omaha, Ponca, Ioway, Otoe, Missouri, and the Sauk and Fox tribes. I acknowledge that I am the beneficiary of both the irrevocable damage done to them and their current inequities.
I honor the ways they have managed to endure, persevere, and thrive, and try to listen to their voices and stories.
It is my hope that the work I do becomes one small step in the direction of dismantling the thought patterns that lead people to hurt and oppress each other.
As a white-owned company, I’m going to miss seeing things that would be obvious to someone with different experiences. When you see me missing something important, or when I don’t live up to my very lofty ideals, please let me know, and (if you are open to this and have the capacity) help me to understand how to make it better for you.
I’ve been reflecting on my want to be understood, and my fear of not being.
Lots of us are trained as we grow up to ignore our internal signals of what we need. There’s a lot of different aspects in there to unpack, and I’m going to address one of them.
Here are a few questions about interpersonal relationships and your autism journey that may spark some ideas.
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