A key aspect of therapy is a space to hold all aspects of you, the parts that you take pride in, the parts that hold shame and guilt, and how these parts of you meet. This kind of space matters not just for the feelings you experience, but also your identities. Intersectionality offers a lens for this work. It is defined as the interaction and accumulation of an individual’s various identities and how it shapes an individual’s unique experience.
When people seek therapy, they bring their stories shaped by both struggle and resilience, much of it tied to the identities they carry. A white person’s experience may differ from that of an Asian individual or a black individual. Growing up in a lower socioeconomic status, or navigating a tenuous immigration status may lead to some anxiety and fear that a financially stable citizen may not experience. A queer teen’s identity exploration can be more complicated by questions about their gender and sexuality as compared to a cisgender straight teen who often has clearer scripts to draw on, reflected in everyday media and social messages.
An intersectional lens invites more nuance in how we speak to and understand identities in therapy. It helps us treat identities as a web of interconnections and influence, rather than distinct boxes. A gay male of color may want to seek community in gay male spaces, only to encounter rejection or devaluation because of his skin color. Historically, white women have often been treated more protectively by law enforcement, and their health concerns are more likely to be taken seriously by medical providers, granting them safer, easier access to these systems. Black women, by contrast, are more likely to be targeted by police and dismissed or overlooked by medical professionals.
If you are looking for therapy that sees and honors all of you and your complexities, consider reaching out to see if we’re a good fit.