“The liberating part of our work is supporting individuals and larger organizations to recognize how they are affected by oppression, discrimination and marginalization, including racism and sexism.” Mr. Holmes said. “Not only are we aware of it, we are doing something about it.”
Since its founding in 2018, the company has grown into a unique sense of community. We are a team of approximately 80 people working in a variety of capacities, including clinicians, coaches, and consultants. ASWR also has a newsletter that connects subscribers with services, community events, and tips.
“It’s hard to do freeing, focused work alone in a silo,” Holmes said. “To do that, we need to be involved in the community.”
We asked Holmes to explain her background and vision for how ASWR can support marginalized communities.
This conversation is part of “The Power Network,” an occasional series highlighting community leaders, advocates, creators, and change-makers who advance movements to address the racial wealth gap. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Boston Globe: What does a liberation-focused mental health practice look like?
Natasha Holmes: It’s like a fusion of social justice and knowledge and information about it. As a therapist, it’s about sitting in the therapy room with your clients and supporting them and helping them realize, “Oh, the fatigue that you’re experiencing is tied to the capitalist system that you’re currently navigating.” It may be something. But I would also show up to a protest or something like that[on Boston Common]with that client.
BG: I think the idea of connecting to treatment beyond the walls of the clinic is interesting. Is it central to a practice focused on liberation, or is it becoming more common in the mental health field?
NH: I don’t know if I’d say it’s becoming more common, but a really important element of liberation work in general is the awareness of ‘X’ and the willingness to do something about it. I can say that there is.
In my opinion, one of the ways that problems can arise in the mental health field is when there is a disconnect between people’s perceptions of the system they are navigating. I think this is one of the ways the mental health field can negatively impact people from marginalized communities. … Many therapists are not trained in how to recognize these things.
BG: Can you tell us more about how this liberation-focused framework has impacted patient outcomes?
NH: One of the things I find when working with clients is that, especially in the Western world, individualism and “what did I do?” or “how did I fail here?” or “what’s left of me?” There is a lot of emphasis on whether there is a problem. ”
What the emancipatory framework focuses on is this kind of collective, this “we,” and the realization that you are part of something much bigger than yourself, and in fact, what you are currently experiencing. Some of the symptoms you may have are: A reaction to the system or structure you are a part of.
BG: What barriers do you think BIPOC individuals face in accessing mental health care?
NH: I think one of the biggest barriers is knowing how to access a therapist, where to go, how to find a therapist, and ultimately what language to use when seeing a therapist. It doesn’t matter whether the person is right for me or not. ”
BG: The last question we would like to ask you is: What does wealth mean to you?
NH: Because of the capitalist system in which we function, my initial thoughts about wealth and the meaning of wealth are tied to access to financial means and capital, both financial and social capital. I did.Wealth is money built intentionally and strategically over generations — often by exploiting the bodies and labor of “others.” But when we step outside of the capitalist framework, we remember that wealth lies in our relationships, our health, and the permission we give ourselves to live life unapologetically. Wealth is in our liberation. We are reminded that wealth is a sense of fulfillment found in many aspects of life.
This article was produced by The Globe. money, power, inequality A team covering racial wealth disparities in the Boston metropolitan area.You can sign up for our newsletter here.
Lauren Booker can be reached at [email protected].
