Autumm Beard

For People Of Color, Caring For Our Mental Health Is Vital “Caring for myself is not self indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political revolution.” Writer and activist Audre Lorde As members of traditionally marginalized communities, we often encounter spaces that are hostile and/or indifferent to our identities. We learn to hide away parts of ourselves and prioritize the needs of others in our families, workplaces, and wider communities. We learn to do this so well that we can end up losing touch with and/or putting our own needs and well-being on hold both at work and at home. If you’re anything like me, you’ve found that this approach doesn’t work over time; maybe you are feeling overwhelmed, fatigued, or like you are operating at less than your best. If this is your experience, I can help you reconnect with yourself and break free from depression, anxiety, and the burdens of grief or trauma. Finding A Therapist Who Sees You Is A Challenge Finding a therapist who understands how you feel - who gets it - is hard for anyone, but particularly difficult for people of color because our experience in the workplace and in our daily lives is unique. We've been conditioned to believe that seeking support for mental health is a sign of weakness, so its no surprise that we can be hesitant to seek therapy, even when we're feeling down. This needs to change. Sawubona (pronounced sow:'bɔh:nah meaning “I See You”) I am a fat, Black, queer affirming, cis female therapist with a long and rich history working within BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities. My specialities include anxiety, depression, complex trauma, chronic stress, parenting issues, and helping couples and families build more functional communication and relationship patterns. My psychotherapy approach is culture centered and uses an anti-oppression lens, meaning that I work with my clients to address how cultural context and experiences of oppression impact mental health. In my holistic approach to treatment, we will explore how the body, thoughts, and emotions provide us with valuable information about our needs- even when they result in behaviors that frustrate us or leave us feeling stuck, or worse, broken. Together, we will identify these needs and healthy ways to get them met without sacrificing safety, dignity, or connection with yourself and/or others. I use a combination of mindfulness, solution focused behavior change strategies, internal family systems, and integrative brain/body interventions backed by physiology and neuroscience. I am experienced providing services for adults of all ages, families, parents/caregivers, young children, and teens. Although, lately, much of my work has been with women of color addressing burnout/work anxiety, trauma, cultural/racial issues, relationship and family conflict, parenting, grief, and depression. If you’d like to find out more, I encourage you to schedule a no-fee, no commitment 20 minute consultation using the link above. The journey to a life that feels meaningful, engaging and enjoyable can start today. About Me And Why I do This Work As a child, I witnessed the strength and resilience of my community in the face of oppression and injustice. I became passionate about resisting and transforming social ills through political and community action. As I grew older I began to understand the impact of oppression on my physical and mental health and realized that the fight for justice needed to begin with my own healing. For me, therapy was an essential part of my journey to healing and wellness. Therapy provided a safe space for me to connect with my authentic self, my pain, unmet needs, and eventually my joy and self worth. My passion is to create more spaces for internal liberation; spaces where is it safe to be all of us; spaces where we are seen, where we can witness and be witnessed in all our divine beauty- who we are and who we are yet to become. In my spare time, I am a body positive cosplayer, Star Trek superfan, and cat enthusiast! I enjoy the creativity and imagination involved in creating a cosplay and love transforming myself into my own superhero.