Sunrise Therapy Services; Dawn Darling, LICSW

10/29/2025

Be kind and be well 💚

10/29/2025

In Lincoln and omaha…

For FY 2026, these services are funded (5.3%, $1,000,000 from 93.696, Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics; 1.2%, $236,000 from 93.958, Block Grant for Community Mental Health Centers; 1.8%, $344,000 from 93.959, Block Grant for Prevention and Treatment of Substance Abuse) from the US Sub...

10/10/2025

10/10/2025

This is so important to understand and implement!

How often have poor, non- binary, disabled, fat, queer, POC folxs sat at a table-event- or meeting and been gaslighted into believing a lie? A lie that has worked for an institution. Not for the People, but for the Egos of the system. 

I can’t help but notice that for each of these “meetings” there is no oppressed person being MET. There is always a cord, a contract, a manipulative bait n’ switch. And this “deal” ends in the folxs on the oppressed corner leaving feeling manipulated. Coerced. Exhausted.

Eurocentric Narcissism expresses itself as selfish, abusive and violating. It creates an unhealthy parasite in the emotional bodies of those seeking liberation & space. It kicks up a traumatic response. 

To fight- rebel & rage. 

To flee- protect the oppressor/protectionism...

To freeze- to stay silent with fear & appease. 

(none above are “bad”)

Academic & “professional” spaces are not SAFE for freedom of speech. AND not all of us have the luxury to speak freely without getting penalized by being called radicals, too emotional, angry and/ or accused of being not “professional” enough. 

In true decolonization work, one burns the sh*t down- at the risk of losing our job. Stating that we practice decolonizing is NOT enough. It is not a surprise that even those engaged in decolonizing methods replicate the Master’s tools. We play a role in colonialism within these  capitalistic neoliberal sick spaces.

It is in these spaces that so many of our traumatic material resurfaces. I have sat around these tables witnessing people desperately seek safety, numbness, and respite from the daggers of white supremacy. The thing is we won’t be safe until these structures - even this colonized professional Eurocentric therapeutic structure- is dismantled.

In its place I call for Accountability. Collective reciprocity. Love. Communication. Mediation in form of group circles. Trust building. Solid organizing skills. Emotional transparency. Intuitive vulnerability. And as close to equitable exchanges void of power dynamics and labels, as possible. But this would require for us to call OUT the Eurocentric Narcissism, and call IN one another. ✊🏾🎯

Originally posted 3/28/2019

10/10/2025

Conversion therapy is abuse. I will never practice it. Every human is safe and affirmed in my office.

The U.S. Supreme Court today is hearing oral arguments in the case of Chiles v. Salazar. Kaley Chiles, a counselor in Colorado Springs and a practicing Christian, is challenging Colorado's ban on conversion therapy, saying the law violates her right to free speech. NASW has joined the American Psychological Association, American Psychiatric Association and 11 other organizations in an amicus brief supporting the respondent in the case, Patty Salazar, executive director of the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies. The groups argue that conversion therapy has long been proven to be ineffective and not change a person's sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression and the practice is psychologically damaging. Photo: A mother with her transgender child. Learn more: https://tinyurl.com/4h5znr96

10/04/2025

06/28/2025

Reminder, reminder, reminder!