Andrea Beck-Lundskow

I acknowledge that I live and work on the unceded land of the Anishinaabe people, the People of the Three Fires: the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi and because of this I owe, and will gladly give, some of my resources to Native organizations. I acknowledge my immense privilege and deep responsibility given my identities which include being white, cisgender, small-fat, femme, and a US citizen. As your therapist... I WILL believe you. You are the expert of your experience in your body. I WILL trust your words. You have deep wisdom and your words are to be trusted. And when you can’t find words, I’ll be with you in the searching. I WILL hold brave space. While the experience of safety varies from body to body and I will do my best to keep my eye toward safety, I will always encourage bravery from both of us in the therapy space. I WILL never expect perfection. I celebrate C work. White supremacy culture gave us the idea of perfection so we will not strive or reach for that here. I WILL center our relationship. I won’t pretend I’m a blank person who you chat with every once in a while. This work requires deep relationship and so we’re going to be real about how connected we are. I WILL monitor my interactions and beliefs for racist and oppressive ideas. When I fuck up, I will own my mistake and make it my work to repair and learn. I WILL not measure your worth in terms of health or body size numbers. These are not measurement tools but rather standards that are based in ableism, racism, ageism and oppression. I WILL take care of myself so that you know it's ok for you to do the same. We all need permission to nurture ourselves so that’s here for you if you need it. I WILL seek community with providers and persons who are also on this journey of dismantling oppressive systems. Community makes it possible for me to keep doing the work. I WILL never be an expert. I will keep learning and questioning so that I never trust the letters behind my name more than I trust the people who are in front of me. I WILL seek pleasure and laughter. Pleasure is allowed and necessary to remember our humanity and our bodies within an oppressive culture. I’ll laugh and high kick and swear a lot. I WILL hold boundaries. Boundaries remind me that I am valuable just as I am and allow me to stay in connection. I WILL listen. I’ll listen for what you say and don’t say and know that both are important.