A Way Forward Counseling, LLC

We are cordially welcoming the community to the Seminole Department of Health Florida Healthy Babies' "Celebrate and Improve Maternal & Infant Health in Black and Brown Communities" Event on Saturday April 9, 2022 at the Sanford Civic Center. There will be speakers, resources, prizes, and more!

If you are interested in serving as a vendor, please register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/black-and-brown-maternal-week-event-tickets-293229024907

Please contact Patricia Whites at 407-665-3033 for more information.

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We are open today! Come in and get a gift card when you get tested. No appointment is required. 711 Seminole Avenue Orlando, FL 32804.

COVIDtests.gov - Free at-home COVID-19 tests

Starting this week, households in the US can order 4 additional free at-home COVID tests! ⬇️

COVIDtests.gov - Free at-home COVID-19 tests Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order 4 free at-⁠home COVID-⁠19 tests. If you haven’t already, order yours today. Starting this week, every home in the U.S. will be able to order an additional set of 4 tests.

Photos from The Disability Collective's post

When a Lifeline is Truly Confidential

“Unlike mandated reporters (counselors, teachers, etc.), Trans Lifeline does not engage in non-consensual active rescue. This means that people can call the hotline without fear of police showing up on their doorstep or involuntary hospitalizations.“

Check out our March recommendation: Trans Lifeline!

When a Lifeline is Truly Confidential Trans Lifeline is a crisis hotline and non-profit organization reaching trans folks and their loved ones without unwanted police or medical intervention.

Texas governor calls on citizens to report parents of transgender kids for abuse

Gender affirming healthcare saves lives. Affirming families save lives. We must protect trans youth 🏳️‍⚧️

Texas governor calls on citizens to report parents of transgender kids for abuse Gov. Greg Abbott said those who fail to report instances of minors receiving gender-affirming medical care could face “criminal penalties.”

How to Find Trans-Affirming Mental Health Care

How to Find Trans-Affirming Mental Health Care Learn how to find mental health care that is gender-affirming, along with why it's such an important area of care for trans people.

Peer Support Space and the Limits of "Expertise"

“Rather than being led by clinicians or therapists, groups at Peer Support Space are led by people from the communities they serve - including q***r, Black, Latinx, immigrant, neurodiverse, Mad, disabled folks, and people experiencing other barriers to wellness. Instead of providing medical treatment or clinical ‘expertise,’ they offer mutuality, advocacy, and insider knowledge.”

Check out our February recommendation: Peer Support Space!

Peer Support Space and the Limits of "Expertise" Communities have relied on peer support for centuries and Peer Support Space is keeping it alive.

COVIDtests.gov - Free at-home COVID-19 tests

Households can now order a free set of COVID at-home testing kits to be delivered to your home! 📦

For more information: https://www.covidtests.gov
Order here: https://special.usps.com/testkits

COVIDtests.gov - Free at-home COVID-19 tests Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order 4 free at-home COVID-19 tests. The tests are completely free. Orders will usually ship in 7-12 days.

The No Surprises Act and What it Means for Therapy

The No Surprises Act went into effect on January 1st and guarantees new patient protections against balance billing and surprise medical bills.

Find out about how this will impact therapy below.

For more information, go to https://www.cms.gov/nosurprises

The No Surprises Act and What it Means for Therapy The No Surprises Act went into effect on January 1st, 2022 and establishes new federal protections for patients against surprise medical bills from hospitals, doctors, or other medical providers. But how does this protect consumers?

The Podcast Building A Community Against Diet Culture

“But, what is most remarkable about Maintenance Phase is how it has created room for self-love to flourish. Among the sea of wellness podcasts, self-help books, and health foods, Aubrey and Michael have linked listeners' lives together in opposition to diet culture, anti-fat bias, and assumptions about health and weight.”

Check out our January recommendation: Maintenance Phase!

The Podcast Building A Community Against Diet Culture Maintenance Phase doesn't just debunk health and wellness fads but creates a community of folks standing in opposition to diet culture.

Welcome to A Way Forward Counseling! We offer affordable counseling services for individuals, relationships, and families.

Sessions are grounded in:

🌱 Narrative Therapy
🔻 Harm Reduction
🌈 LGBTQIA+ Affirmative Therapy
👤 Body Positivity
🧠 Neurodiversity Affirmative Therapy

For more information or to set an appointment, visit www.awayforwardcounseling.com

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No matter where you live, StrongHearts provides culturally-appropriate help for Native Americans 24/7.

Safe. Anonymous. Free. Confidential.
Call, text or chat 24/7 | 1-844-762-8483 | strongheartshelpline.org

NYC Opens Nation's First Safe Drug Injection Sites; 15 Lives Saved in First Week of Operation

“People who use drugs have been fighting strategies to keep themselves alive and well for very long time. This comes out of a deep history and strategy of harm reduction. People who use drugs were the first people who were pushing for giving people who use drugs clean equipment like sterile syringes. They have been operating these kinds of places for a long time to help save each other. This is us moving to help them to bring this out from the underground, to make sure that we can create an infusion of resources and for us to actually have conversations about what it is that we need to keep our loved ones safe.”

NYC Opens Nation's First Safe Drug Injection Sites; 15 Lives Saved in First Week of Operation At least fifteen lives have been saved, so far, after the nation's first supervised illegal drug injection sites opened in New York City about a week ago. The facilities provide clean needles and the opioid reversal medication Naloxone, as well as medic...

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QLatinx is going to hold two virtual community care spaces on June 13th, 2021 for first responders, organizations’ staff, and the community in general.

Time for the sessions: 9am to 12pm, and 1pm to 4pm

Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZElf-GrrD8rGNRWLfKRiMWB5ctwLhNTVlCd

QLatinx llevará a cabo dos espacios virtuales de atención comunitaria el 13 de junio de 2021 para los socorristas, el personal de las organizaciones y la comunidad en general.

Horario de las sesiones: 9h a 12h y 13h a 16h

Regístrese aquí: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZElf-GrrD8rGNRWLfKRiMWB5ctwLhNTVlCd

Photos from Peer Support Space's post

✨link to donate in bio ✨

The Disabled Babes Book Club is having its first meeting next week!
Join us on April 12th @ 6:30-8PM (EST) for our introductory discussion.

The first book we’ll be reading is Disability Visibility, edited by Alice Wong.

If you are unable to purchase the book we’re reading, please contact Bell Giannosa to discuss scholarship opportunities. Limited scholarships are available and are first come, however, we set money aside for this and really want money to not be a barrier. Please let Bell know if you could use help purchasing a book.

Let’s get books to our disabled babes! If you would like to donate towards this scholarship fund, please visit www.basicallywonderful.online/bookclubs

Disabled Babes Book Club is a virtual book club where disabled folks will get the chance to read a selection of books that feature disabled characters and/or are written by disabled authors. This group is for folks who are disabled (self-defined), chronically ill, those who experience chronic pain, have mobility impairments, and anyone who is navigating living outside of the spectrum of neurotypical and/or able-bodied norms.

For questions, accessibility needs, or book scholarships please contact Bell Giannosa at [email protected]

For more details on the Disabled Babes Book Club, please visit: www.basicallywonderful.online/bookclubs

‎Maintenance Phase: Eating Disorders on Apple Podcasts

CW: eating disorders, weight, anti-fatness

“What we diagnose as disordered in thin people we prescribed in fat people and congratulate in fat people.”

This is a wonderful (and horrifying) podcast episode about eating disorders for folks who are fat and/or living in larger bodies. Highly recommended for people who are able to listen.

https://t.co/LpOiCxE4ea

‎Maintenance Phase: Eating Disorders on Apple Podcasts ‎Show Maintenance Phase, Ep Eating Disorders - Mar 30, 2021

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Come and join us for Kaleidoscope! ✨

If you are ages 13 to 17, check out our gender variant virtual meet up to support YOU! We focus on discussions regarding gender identification, sexuality, healthy living, finding support and many more topics that will meet your needs!

Virtual Kaleidoscope Peer Support Group is held on every single Wednesday from 5 - 6 pm 🌈

Register by sending us a private message!

Find your local Day of Mourning vigil site

Today is Disability Day of Mourning, a day in which the disability community gathers across the nation to remember those murdered by family members and caregivers. Join The Autistic Self Advocacy Network for their virtual vigil today at 5pm.

https://autisticadvocacy.org/2021/02/2021-day-of-mourning-vigil-sites/

Find your local Day of Mourning vigil site In the past five years, over 700 people with disabilities have been murdered by their parents, relatives or caregivers. On Monday March 1st, the disability community will gather across the nation to remember these disabled victims of filicide – disabled people murdered by their family members or c...

Happy Black History Month.

Make sure to check out these virtual presentations and exhibits on local Black history from Goldsboro. Celebrate, honor and remember.

The Goldsboro Museum Presents: Black History Matters!

Join us for Virtual Programs, Presentations, and Exhibitions as we celebrate Goldsboro and Local Black History!

All events will be available through all Digital and Social Media Platforms.

"The more I hold myself close and fully embrace who I am, the more I dream, the more my heart grows and the more I thrive."

Get tested & know your status! Free HIV and STI testing available through Miracle of Love! ⬇️

Mental Health Care Is Crucial For Trans People — So Why Is It So Hard To Find?

“Instead, Dr. Beemyn says that the mental health struggles of trans people largely stem from their stigmatization in society and not because of their gender identity. ‘Any higher prevalence of mental health issues comes about because of the way society treats them,’ Dr. Beemyn says.”

Mental Health Care Is Crucial For Trans People — So Why Is It So Hard To Find? “Any higher prevalence of mental health issues comes about because of the way society treats trans people."

Why I Can’t Hold Space for You Anymore

Why I Can’t Hold Space for You Anymore Systemic violence is complex and multi-layered. One thing that cuts across layers is the disproportionate amount of labour that Indigenous, Black and other racialized people bear when they are expe…

Bring your masks & come join us this weekend for a socially distant, outside festival event! 🍂 We’ll have a table set up with resources & opportunities to collaborate with community members. Don’t miss it!

📍 Days Inn UCF Orlando
11639 E Colonial Dr, Orlando, FL 32817

The decriminalization and legalization of various drugs across the U.S. is a huge win for harm reduction. Find out why 👇🏻

If you’re looking for a non-judgmental space to talk, set up an appointment for counseling today by calling 407-513-2735. For overdose prevention resources in English or Spanish, check out www.awayforwardcounseling.com/resources

Two-Spirits are cherished.
Two-Spirits are valued.
Two-Spirits are treasured.

https://www.nativejustice.org/
From the , artwork by (Rama Chippewa)

How to Honor Indigenous Peoples with Your Kids, Today and Every Day | Education | PBS SoCal

Happy . Take some time to remember the lives that were stolen and land that was extracted. Honor those who fight and have fought for sovereignty and survival. Listen to Native voices. Today and everyday.

pbssocal.org Teaching children about Indigenous heroes, artists, writers and musicians and to make connections to the land they live on and present-day Native nations should happen year-round. Here's how to get started.

You deserve a therapist who goes beyond LGBTQIA+ “friendly”🌈 www.awayforwardcounseling.com

[image description: slide one - a teal square on peach background with white text reading "what is LGBTQIA+ affirmative counseling?" // Slide two - peach background with teal text reading "affirmative therapists are not only accepting of or informed about q***r folks" with a large teal X in the bottom corner, circled. // Slide three: white text on a teal rectangle at the top reading "in counseling this may look like:" with white text underneath reading "• Unpacking dominant narratives about gender and sexuality, • Exploring how q***rness intersects with other experiences (race, age, disability, class, etc. ), • Normalizing the diverse possibilities of q***r identity formation and transition, • And sometimes, not talking about your q***rness when you don’t want to" there is a white icon of a couch on the bottom right // Slide four - teal text on peach background reading "You do not have to know you’re q***r or be certain of your identity to seek out affirmative counseling. An affirmative therapist will never rush your decision-making or force you to come out, but provide a safe space to figure things out."]

Zebra Coalition

🌈 if you’re ages 13-24, and you need a shower, need to do laundry, community resource coordination, food and hygiene products, or simply a spot to hangout — come and stop by for our drop in hours! Monday thru Friday from 3-5pm 🦓

We will continue to follow all CDC guidelines for social distancing and cleaning. All persons entering the building (staff and youth) will be 𝐑𝐄𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐃 to wear a mask and undergo a temperature check. Masks will be provided as needed and social distancing will be enforced.

It is often hard for people to allow themselves to imagine something better or bigger for their futures. We are told to ignore our concerns and dream less big ~or~ risk being seen as “ungrateful” or “negative.”

I want to encourage you to hold space for both - to acknowledge and respect the life you’ve lived and to reimagine your future.

[image description: a pale green background with shapes in varying blue shades. Text reads: “you can be grateful for what you have and still dream of something more.”]

TW/CW: police brutality

Just this week, an autistic 13-year-old was shot by police officers who were responding to a call for assistance. This is an all too familiar story for anyone who has had the cops called on them for experiencing a crisis.

Folks diagnosed with a mental illness are 16x more likely to be killed by law enforcement. Nobody should be afraid to ask for help because it may risk their life.

We stand with Compassion Not Cops and the movement to end “wellness checks” and all police involvement in mental health care.

[image description: a teal and mint green background with a light blue circle. Text on the circle reads “we can and should respond to mental health crises without police.”]

Open Path Psychotherapy Collective

We are grateful for these powerful words by poet Nayyirah Waheed from her book, "salt".

‘The volume has been turned up on everything’: Pandemic places alarming pressure on transgender mental health

Whether it’s being quarantined with unsupportive family members, a delayed medical procedure, or increased thoughts of su***de, the pandemic has been especially hard on trans folks.

If you are in crisis, you can access the Trans Lifeline here: 877-565-8860

washingtonpost.com The pandemic has exacerbated mental health concerns in the transgender community as surgeries are canceled, individuals are isolated from their support system and fears of medical discrimination rise.