Dear White Therapist
White providers have dominated the mental health care industry for too long and we have been complicit in the harm created by the systems that exploit and oppress vulnerable people and communities. If we want to build a better world, we need to learn to be part of the solution not contributors to, or beneficiaries of, the problem. No one is asking us to apologize for being white. This moment begging us to acknowledge our privilege and use it to create sustainable change and equitable access for all in healing spaces and healthcare policy moving forward.
Dear White Therapist is an educational gathering, creative discussion, and call to action for health care workers and providers who live in white bodies and want to build a better future for everyone who gives and receives care. We will gather together in a space free of judgment and shame to learn how make meaningful, impactful changes to the work we do in order to create equitable care access in the days, weeks, months, and years to come. Topics will include:
- Our Impact: Naming the harm done by white dominance in mental health care
- Our Power: Learning how to use our privilege to build a better system of care for all
- Our Plan: Brainstorming and encouraging action plans in our personal and professional spheres of influence
25% of registration fees will be donated to The Umbrella Brigade of Central Florida and Cafe Resistance in Jacksonville, Florida to redistribute financial resources to community organizers who are meeting needs, building community spaces, and reshaping the future. We invite you to choose the fee that best reflects your current financial ability: $150, $175, $200 USD.
This offering is available on Thursday, March 12 from 10am - 2pm EST and Saturday, April 18 from 12pm - 4pm both online. Please select the date you would like to attend in the registration form. This event is open to all health care providers and workers in the US and beyond. The gathering will be facilitated by seasoned therapist and qualified supervisor Lindsey Coates Horvatich with offerings from real people who have been impacted by white therapists and providers. Salvia Healing Collective contributes financially to educators, change makers, and activists who are working to create equity across communities in the US including: Mental Health Liberation, Native Governance Center, and Cafe Resistance.
Frequently Asked Questions
We know that doing things differently can be risky. We also know that building a better world is going to come with certain risk. While we never want to put anyone in an unsafe situation, we do invite you to get uncomfortable in the context of this educational gathering and the topic of whiteness in mental health spaces.
Dear White Therapist will be hosted and facilitated by Lindsey Coates Horvatich, a white bodied woman who has been a mental health provider for over a decade and a clinical supervisor for over five years. Lindsey is passionate about building a healthcare system that creates and sustains equitable access for all who seek care, and she is aware of her own privilege and impact in the field. She has provided answers to some common questions about Dear White Therapist, and is open to connecting if you have more questions or concerns.
Q: Why are you, a white therapist, leading this event?
A: Great question. As a white woman who has been complicit in causing harm with my privilege, I believe we should be learning from Black and Indigenous People of Color when it comes to justice, equity, and access. I also know that too many white people are trying to benefit from these educators and content creators without compensating them or taking real action. We as white people need to do our own work and learning, and we need to stop expecting the people we have harmed to carry the burden of teaching us all of the time. I also know that sometimes, as we are learning we do and say things that may be unintentionally harmful. My hope is that we can learn together in a way that is safe for everyone, and that participants will continue to discuss these topics and grow in their personal and professional spheres of influence.
Q: Are you going to talk for four hours?
A: Hell no! I don’t even want to hear myself talk that much. The four hour event will be broken up into education (me speaking or someone else sharing a testimonial), discussion (break out rooms if the group is large enough), activities, and breaks. I am a somatic therapist, so I may include some gentle, embodied movement as well.
Q: Why don’t you donate 100% of fees?
A: Another great question, and one I have wrestled with a lot. I would love for Salvia to be in a position where we could give away a bunch of money and practice more mutual aid. Right now, I am a chronically ill small business owner who self funds reduced rate service fees, so I individually will not be profiting from this. We as a collective also donate to change making organizations year round to make sure that we are redistributing resources well. The Umbrella Brigade and Cafe Resistance are two highly impactful organizations that are creating safe spaces and providing tangible resources to vulnerable communities, which is why we would like to share as much as possible with them while covering expenses and compensating contributors to this event. All content sources for this material have been/will continue to be credited, compensated and/or supported as well.
Q: Are you just going to tell at us and shame us for being white?
A: No. That would be completely hypocritical of me for so many reasons. No one learns by being shamed, judged, or ridiculed. I am just as complicit in these systems of harm as you are, and the only way we are going to learn better and do better is if we do it together without turning on each other. I will probably share content that makes you feel uncomfortable. I will ask you to engage in this conversation with vulnerability, honesty, and empathy. I will guide us through some practices that hold us accountable and challenge us to do things differently. I will also ask that we practice mutual respect and treat each other with dignity and care.
Q: What if I pay for registration and am unable to attend?
A: We understand that life happens. We are also a very small team and unable to offer refunds for registration fees at this time. If you are unable to attend your selected date, you may apply your paid fee to a different date or offer it as a gift registration to someone in need.
Q: Can my entire organization/practice/group attend?
A: Absolutely! While we will keep group sizes to a number that is manageable for both teaching and discussion, we also want to make as much room at the table as possible. If you would like to attend as part of a group, we still invite you to register as individuals so that we may send information to everyone who is signed up, ensure privacy, and make as much of a financial contribution to our contributors, content providers, and community recipients as possible.
Q: Will CEU’s be provided?
A: No. It is imperative that we do not benefit in a personal way from doing the work that our privilege requires of us.