How We Think About Identities

We all carry identities that shape how we see ourselves and navigate the world around us. These identities include aspects that cannot be changed and may or may not be visible to others, such as race, gender, and neurodiversity. They can also be roles we hold, such as being a parent, child, or partner, as well as deeply held values, or beliefs like religion.

Therapy is often seen as a space where people need to change aspects of themselves to feel better. While this is one-way therapy can help, it overlooks the pain of existing with identities that others fail to understand, or functioning within systems that are ill-equipped to support our identities. We believe therapy can also be a place to learn ways to advocate for identity differences or to accept aspects of one’s history or oneself that cannot (and does not need to) be changed.