Heather's Values
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Personal Values
Bodily Autonomy
Every person has the right to do with their body what they see fit, so long as it doesn't interfere with the same right to bodily autonomy held by each and every living being.
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For me, bodily autonomy extends to most every area of a life like freedom of religion, the right to be free of oppressive forces (like patriarchy or colonization), and the inherent right to live openly within ones sexual orientation and/or gender expression.
Honesty
I've said it before to a client, and have kept saying it because it summarized how I feel so well: "I can't promise much, but I can promise you honesty."
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This is not a statement I take lightly, because I strive to be honest especially when I have something to lose. This translates into my practice because I hold that therapy should be a space of radical honesty. This, at its best, means that we're both or all going to ask hard questions, and hold meaningful answers.
Humanity
There are so many words that I considered for this value. Words like "love," "compassion," "respect," etc. For me, "humanity" encompasses all of these.
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I live humanity through my love for all simply because they're people; respect for the dignity and worth of every person, place, and thing; and my commitment to bettering the world through my efforts. Cliche and corny as all this may sound, my approach to humanity is deeply personal, multifaceted, and guides my therapy practice.
Practice Values
Bodily Autonomy
It's not a typo or oversight that bodily autonomy is included in both personal and professional values. I cannot overstate my reverence for bodily autonomy, and how all-encompassing I view this concept to be.
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It extends to how you think, how you feel, the way you approach the world, the way you overcome barriers that never should have been in your way, and how your imagination can serve as a guide for what your life can be under your own authorship.
Curiosity
I'm neither the first nor best to say it, but I have found "the more I learn, the less I know." Don't get me wrong, I know a lot of things. But any theory or practice is only as good as its usefulness to your living.
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So, as much as I know, I have no clue what it means to be you or the stories you hold. Luckily for us, we both get to be curious in this space. For this reason, I am not a directive therapist. I'm not likely to tell you what to do, but I will meet you, each and every session, with questions that I hope will bring us both closer to an epiphany.
Being Wrong
I reserve the right to be wrong because my approach to therapy is as an "idea guy." Moreover, I love to be wrong for a very simple reason: If I'm wrong you can tell me why.
In therapy, I hope to create an opportunity for both of us to be wrong and learn from it. I hope that it is a place where you tell me stories, we get to guess at the meanings and implications of those stories together, I get to share knowledge I've collected, and we get to scheme about what it can make possible in your future.