As always, you are in Sean and my thoughts and prayers. As we all navigate through this time of growth, we want to send you a very heartfelt and personal message.
We feel this goes without saying, but are realizing that it NEEDS to be said. As Martin Luther King said, "In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." We want each of you to know that we, as a company, love, care, and cherish our BIPOC community. We are anti-racist. We have and always will be.
We want to tell you that Capable Therapy stands against any form of racism that could exist, whether it be blatant racism or micro-aggressions. As therapists, we are trained and seek to advocate and speak up for our fellow man and woman. When we say that we believe our kiddos can be immeasurably more than they ever thought possible or could imagine, this applies to every race, tribe, or people group. Sean and I have been doing a lot of research and having many conversations with our BIPOC friends in order to actively seek better understanding, peel back any blinders we might have, and to find ways to better stand and support our BIPOC brothers and sisters.
Diversity Training Plans: We feel that it is not enough to not be racist. We feel that we must be anti-racist. Not just as human beings, but especially as therapists working with diverse populations at all times. This will propel us as therapists to love our clients even more deeply and have a greater sense of understanding and compassion for each other. We invite you to partner with us in this journey by taking the time to review resources we will be sharing in the coming weeks! STAY TUNED... :)
Conversations: We believe that this is where change happens. Change starts with listening, then understanding, and then acting. We are actively seeking out conversations with many of our black brothers and sisters in the community. Tyler has organized and engaged in various "safe spaces" conversations for our black brothers and sisters to share their lived experiences with her and others who join the conversation. We encourage you to do the same!
Some Initial Suggestions...
Toys and Tools used in Therapy & at Home: Since Rowan was a baby, she's owned and played with baby dolls of every race and ethnicity. She owns 4 Doc McStuffins dolls (yes, 4, lol), Elena of Avalor, Elsa, Pocahontas, Aurora, etc. The diversity that exists in her toys has been intentional! :) We encourage you to also be intentional to utilize diverse races with your children and kiddos in therapy! It is important for them to see dolls and movies that include children of every color!
Great Children's Books: These are just a few of the children's books we have read together with our daughter. These are great to share with your own children! It all starts in the home...
Let's Talk about Race (great explanation of what racism is, made by a Kindergarten teacher) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vHymutysWU
Amazing Grace - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmIfdJRsSGQ
I am Enough - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4jZxWiCxrY
Same Difference - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpSLtVXF0Mc
This is a great start for now! In the coming weeks, we will be sharing videos and resources that provide a nice, broad training in diversity.
As always, be blessed!
Tyler Michael, MS, OTR/L
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