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Navigating Therapy as a BIPOC Client: Stigma, Support & Healing with Tham Fuyana
Manage episode 484105715 series 2503074
What if your therapist just gets it and you don’t have to explain everything from scratch?
That’s what this episode is all about. I sat down with Tham Fuyana, Social Worker family Therapist and Educator, to talk about what it’s like navigating therapy as a BIPOC client.
BIPOC stands for Black, Indigenous, and people/ person of colour
In this episode, Tham shares his reflections growing up as a Black migrant, navigating services that didn’t always see him, and why representation in therapy matters.
Key takeaways
- What people mean when they talk about “finding a BIPOC therapist”
- Why it’s not just about matching identities but understanding lived experience
- How intersectionality shows up in the therapy room
- The emotional cost of constantly having to explain your background
- What makes some clients feel safer and more understood
- The layers of distrust that come from experiences with police, migration and health systems
- How a sense of collective identity can offer comfort and where it can be complex
- The importance of cultural humility and curiosity in therapeutic work
If this conversation sparked something for you, whether you’re a client looking for support or a professional thinking about your own practice, keep the momentum going. Share it with someone who needs to hear it, have the hard chats and take a look at who’s in the room with you. Because who we sit with matters.
Resources
The Therapy Hub
Connected Teens
https://marievakakis.com.au/connected-teens/
Connect with Marie
https://www.instagram.com/marievakakis/
Submit a question to the Podcast
71 episodes
Manage episode 484105715 series 2503074
What if your therapist just gets it and you don’t have to explain everything from scratch?
That’s what this episode is all about. I sat down with Tham Fuyana, Social Worker family Therapist and Educator, to talk about what it’s like navigating therapy as a BIPOC client.
BIPOC stands for Black, Indigenous, and people/ person of colour
In this episode, Tham shares his reflections growing up as a Black migrant, navigating services that didn’t always see him, and why representation in therapy matters.
Key takeaways
- What people mean when they talk about “finding a BIPOC therapist”
- Why it’s not just about matching identities but understanding lived experience
- How intersectionality shows up in the therapy room
- The emotional cost of constantly having to explain your background
- What makes some clients feel safer and more understood
- The layers of distrust that come from experiences with police, migration and health systems
- How a sense of collective identity can offer comfort and where it can be complex
- The importance of cultural humility and curiosity in therapeutic work
If this conversation sparked something for you, whether you’re a client looking for support or a professional thinking about your own practice, keep the momentum going. Share it with someone who needs to hear it, have the hard chats and take a look at who’s in the room with you. Because who we sit with matters.
Resources
The Therapy Hub
Connected Teens
https://marievakakis.com.au/connected-teens/
Connect with Marie
https://www.instagram.com/marievakakis/
Submit a question to the Podcast
71 episodes
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