Portland Equity in Action

If you are a BIPOC provider in the Portland area, let me know so I can share your page, cuz we need y’all right now
Thank you to for this sobering reminder of why I’m not in therapy 🙃
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As you thought about seeking counseling, did this question come up for you? Depending on where you live, it might have been hard to find a counselor who was a good fit based on your identities, experiences, and needs.⁣
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Our mental health systems are still primarily white. White leaders, practitioners, educators, supervisors, and gatekeepers. Just look at the numbers! Nationally and here in Oregon. Notice the overrepresentation of white mental health professionals and underrepresentation of BIPOC mental health professionals in Oregon? Indigenous and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander wouldn't even show up on the graph, that's how few there are! ⁣
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What role have the larger systems played in making this a reality? And what price are our BIPOC communities facing as a result of the lack of access?⁣
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There are unexpected consequences when there are so few BIPOC mental health professionals. Like cultivating a sense of community within the communities that we live and work in. If I am one of the only few Muslim and South Asian counselors, moment to moment, myself and people in those identities have to make decisions about whether we're going to be friends or we are going to be counselor/client. That is a tough process, particularly when I as a mental health professional am seeking community. ⁣
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Do these numbers alarm you? They alarm me. ⁣
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👇🏾Let me know below: how challenging has it been for you to find a mental health professional that is a good fit for you? If you are a mental health professional, how does this racial landscape affect how you navigate these systems?⁣ @ Portland, Oregon

Welp. Another one bites the dust. I’ve made two additional attempts to contact them since my response here but they’ve gone radio silent.
Even tho I’m more than used to this by now, the disappointment grows exponentially each time. For every billboard I’ve put out on our streets, there’s 4+ laying in a scrap pile somewhere because somehow someone saw into the future and determined that my words will without a doubt place certain lives and livelihoods in imminent danger. At which point, the cost of working with me in any capacity becomes much too high. *You know who you are*
At least this time all of you can be disappointed with me lol. Thank you to everyone who spoke up. It didn’t really work, but at least dude can’t co-opt or profit off Black Lives now. Swipe to see the designs couldn’t stand behind. @ Portland, Oregon

Had to put this one back up cuz these institutions will do everything except hear us.
@ MAX-Psu Urban Center-SW 5th & Mill