Our Commitment To Inclusive & Anti-Racist Practices
At bareWell, we recognize the ways in which racism and white supremacy have generated ongoing trauma among our communities of color, damaged the collective psyche, and infiltrated the mental healthcare system.
We aim to treat our clients from a perspective of social justice, inclusivity, and empathy while remaining committed to dismantling the systems and biases creating obstacles for the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) population. In this vein, we stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and denounce the ongoing destruction caused by institutionalized racism, police brutality, and racial violence.
Though we acknowledge the great measures that need to be taken by those of us in positions of privilege—and that we have done far too little for too long—we are nevertheless committed to recognizing the pain and distress that our clients of color have endured in an effort to heal intergenerational wounds of oppression.
For too long, the mental health field has centered white narratives while historically valuing very particular kinds of healing, as evidenced in a colonized psychology format that draws from Eurocentric theories and practices. To this end, our therapists are dedicated to furthering their awareness of institutional bias, challenging internalized prejudice, and providing more inclusive healing practices. We believe that because racism is the ill of a white supremacist society, therapy should not be focused on helping our clients adjust to an “unhealthy” or “sick” culture but instead center on healing the individual and collective traumas that have accumulated over time.
Beyond providing a safe and healing therapeutic atmosphere for our clients of color, we are committed to:
Participating in ongoing training and educational opportunities centered around unlearning racism, which will require further exploration of our power, privileges, biases, and microaggressions as a team of predominantly white clinicians
Holding a curious but accountable space for all of our clients to have a frank discussion about racial trauma, intergenerational trauma, and white supremacy
Engaging in inclusive hiring practices and ongoing dialogues as team members intended to foster awareness and accountability
Partnering with community organizations to ensure sliding scale rates for clients of color and supporting local BIPOC-owned businesses
We understand that a long history of unacknowledged and unearned privilege among white individuals and clinicians is not rectified with just one session or one statement, but with ongoing liability and devotion to social justice, reform, and reparation. We therefore pledge to remain actively engaged in anti-racist work and restorative justice while creating an unbiased and healing space for every individual whom we serve.