Black Lives Matter. IntraSpectrum Counseling adamantly believes in and supports the Black Lives Matter movement and Black Liberation. IntraSpectrum Counseling condemns police brutality and the over-policing of Black communities. As healers, we can no longer be silent on the harm and trauma happening in our community. Further, we condemn systemic racism and the oppression of people of color. We recognize queer Black, Indigenous, and People if Color have unique experiences and needs. BIPOC individuals are at a unique risk of harm in our community.  We strive to honor and celebrate the needs and experiences of our BIPOC clients, staff, and community members. We acknowledge that Black trans people have always been leaders in the LGBTQ+ community.

We are committed to dismantling systems of oppression by cultivating a community of accountability, educating ourselves and the people with whom we connect, speaking out against racism, examining our own internalized biases, and amplifying oppressed/marginalized voices. For some time now we have been working to amplify BIPOC voices within our practice to reallocate power more equitably and have been exploring more active engagement in anti-racism work that reflects our values.

Toward this goal, we invited input from an anti-racism organization and solicited feedback from our staff about their needs and wants for the practice and their perspectives about anti-racism work that we can do as a practice together.  We recognize the emotional labor that has been and continues to be done by our staff of color both in and out of work and invested in a healing circle for our staff of color to support them and sustain them. In addition, staff members have volunteered to participate in an ongoing white accountability group to ensure that we can call each other in and unburden our BIPOC colleagues from some of the emotional labor that occurs in any workplace.

Anti-Racism Commitment

Our mission to offer LGBTQ-affirming services is bolstered by our commitment to acknowledging the diversity and intersectionality we have in our community. Although we have always had significant racial diversity within our clients, we are incorporating feedback from our staff to ensure that we are serving a broader range of diversity within the LGBTQ community, specifically, marginalized QPOC who may not typically be able to access our services. In response, IntraSpectrum Counseling is launching a free Queer People of Color support group co-facilitated by trained psychotherapists. Additionally, we are introducing a new sliding fee service for QPOC that deserve access to our support and expertise.

Our work towards anti-racism is an ongoing journey and one that we are staunchly committed to. We deeply value the support and ongoing trust that the LGBTQ community and our clients have given IntraSpectrum Counseling over the past 10 years. We seek to continuously earn that trust by being responsive to the moment, open to feedback, investing in staff and leadership that is representative of the intersectionality and diversity of our clients, and taking assertive steps to align our actions with our anti-racist values.

B – Bailey Funk (@baileys.funky)
L – Molly Costello (@mollyccostello)
A – Joycelyn (@beautyonthabeatz_)
C – Grae Rosa (@grae.rosa) and Monica Trinidad (@itsmonicatrinidad)
K – Chi Nwosu (@itschinwosu) and Yo (@yorenishii)

T – Jers (@jshine1224) and Tiffany (@epiphsfromtiff)
R – Mary Fedorowski (@overbitestudio)
A – Adam Noelle (@braverspaces)
N – Tiffany (@ephiphsfromtiff)
S – Ivan Vazquez (@thechicagolago)

L – Laura Kaucher (@laurakaucher)
I – Heron Hill Designs (@heronhilldesigns)
V – Chi Nwosu (@itschinwosu) and Yo (@yorenishii)
E – Owen Karcher (@owenkarch)
S – Melisa (@peacecosour) and E (@e_roar)

M – Alex Mendez (@always_make_art)
A – Uptown Design Studio (@uptowndesignstudio)
T – Sam Kirk (@iamsamkirk)
T – Tattianna (@tattigram)
E – Shala (@followshala) *not pictured
R – Renewed Designs (@reneweddesigns)