Holding it Together Psychotherapy

09/24/2021

I have been locked out of my account due to fa*ebook’s transphobic “real name” policy. While I found a way to write this post through my mobile app, over the next couple of days I may be fully and permanently locked out.

Unfortunately this is just one smal example of how FB routinely silences the voices of oppressed people, censors the voices that do get through while creating an illusion of diversity, democratic participation, and meaningful social connection.

If you would like to continue receiving current research, insights, and commentary on neurodivergent, de-pathologizing, anti-oppressive, anti-racist, trauma-informed mental health and cultural critique, you can email me at holdingittogether@protonmail.com and I will add you to my list of subscribers.

Image description: a photograph of a padlock that reads “commercial master”. Taken by the author of this post.

09/20/2021

Main Points:

1) Classrooms that are accessible to autistic people are more accessible to allistic (non autistic) people. In other words, everyone is negatively impacted by systemic neurodisablism, but neurodivergent people are most negatively impacted.

2) Behavioural approaches to teaching & learning are rooted in coercion and forced compliance, causing low self-esteem, low self-confidence, as well as negatively impacting self-advocacy skills and overall participation in life planning.

When we don't understand autistic kids we create a toxic environment for them.

09/14/2021

"The Autistic community is not exempt from racism or being racist. Indeed the narrative and history of Autism is inherantly racist. We are products of the societies we live in, but that does not absolve us of responsibility." Kieran Rose, Autistic Advocate

I’ve found myself becoming increasingly frustrated. My work, my writing, this website, my Twitter, my page have never been merely about Autism. They can’t be. The rights of Autistic, Neurodivergent and Disabled people are wrapped up in Social Injustice. The same Social Injustice that cr...

08/28/2021

Healing Justice aims to transform oppressive systems that cause mental health issues. It resists the responsiblization of individuals for social problems, and works for social transformation.

BEAM founder Yolo Akili Robinson is reimagining wellness for the collective.

08/25/2021

Our thoughts and feelings don't just have to do with our brains. They also have to do with our bodies. This means that attending to our thoughts and emotions involves attending to our bodies.

For many of us, the world is unsafe. Our bodies threat detection system goes into over-drive to protect us, but we can get 'stuck' in fight, fight, or freeze modes, which negatively impacts our mental and physical health.

Thankfully, there are mental health somatic practitioners like Linda Thai who teach people how to intervene into self-perpetuating feedback loops through somatic embodiment regulation strategies.

Check out her upcoming programme

I am a somatic trauma therapist specializing in trauma-informed care and compassion fatigue resiliency skills.
Experiencing trauma can cause us to respond by entering into a state of survival.
Even after the traumatic event or events have ended, we may find that the actions of truncated survival become integrated into the nervous system and can lead to long-term side effects on the body. Eventually, the strategies that kept us alive can keep us from fully living.
I have therefore created a three part, 12-session certification course, where you can learn to recognize and resource the tension patterns of these survival responses. This course provides strategies for managing the nervous system that can help us deal with anxiety, overthinking, emotional flooding, and being overwhelmed.
As we develop an understanding of how to expand the nervous system through various strategies, new choices become available for the neuro-muscular system, which can allow us to cultivate self-awareness around past behaviors, thoughts, and emotions. This gives us the opportunity to bring the nervous system's functionality back online so we can fully embrace life.
Class takes place on Mondays from 7PM EDT - 8:15PM EDT. Join me starting September 20, 2021.
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Strategies for managing the nervous system that can help us deal with anxiety, overthinking, emotional flooding, and being overwhelmed.

08/17/2021

How being recognized by others is at odds with working for change, and why many autistic people are uncomfortable with praise / compliments / being elevated over others:

https://theautisticadvocate.com/2020/02/iv

This week somebody, very generously, took the time to nominate me for an award with the 2020 National Diversity awards. I don’t know who they are but, whoever it was, I’m absolutely honoured that they’ve taken their precious time and value the work that I do enough, to have used that time to f...

08/07/2021

Gender and sexuality conversion "therapies" were designed by the same psychologists who created Autism conversion therapy - aka ABA, IBI, etc.

First, autism does not require treatment.
Second, ABA is not psychotherapy.

There are other ways to support autistic people in collective self-determination, and in protecting against, resisting, and creating alternatives to neurodisablism.

https://a4aontario.com/2019/04/01/if-not-aba-then-what-some-thoughts-on-the-way-forward-in-ontario/

https://ausometraining.com/alternatives-to-aba/

Why autism conversion therapy is harmful:

https://stopabasupportautistics.home.blog/2019/08/11/the-great-big-aba-opposition-resource-list/

Image description: a silhouette of a person with shoulder-length hair facing a framed image of their reflection, which has no face and is framed by several colourful frames that add disoriented movement to the image. credit: Gerd Altmann

Holding it Together provides anti-oppressive individual and couples therapy to clients in Toronto and beyond.

08/01/2021

NEW HOLIDAY- The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation - Sept. 30th

The Canada Labour Code now includes a new statutory holiday, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, that will be observed by federally regulated workplaces on September 30th of each calendar year beginning September 30, 2021.

07/29/2021

07/28/2021

Here is a list of therapists who are Black, Indigenous, and People Of Colour:

BIPOC Therapists Find a BIPOC therapist who understands your lived experiences DISCLAIMER: This directory is meant to make your search for a BIPOC therapist easier. Women of Color Remake Wellness does not make any endorsements or guarantees regarding the practitioners listed. We encourage you to vis...

07/28/2021

Shout out to Autistic Speech Assistant Tara Marshall for this:

07/27/2021

No, not everyone is "a little bit autistic"
No, people aren't "more autistic" or "less autistic"

Here's what the ASD "spectrum" means:

https://neuroclastic.com/2019/05/04/its-a-spectrum-doesnt-mean-what-you-think/?fbclid=IwAR0sArUM9MPd8EZv7KVVu4hCRPbn1U_mImOOzXNCiRnlthIgS4VxYN4rOLs

What you believe the “autism spectrum” means is not what it actually means. It’s more like…