Holding Space means providing an arena for our clients to feel and share what they need without fear of judgment, harm, or reprisal.
To be perfectly transparent, it is really difficult to know what to write. Our practice is owned and run by three cis white women. We are aware of our privilege in even being able to open Tranquility and the difficulties we faced, would have been more were we women of color or in another minority category.
Being a helper – a therapist, a counselor, a social worker, an advocate, a case manager, a crisis worker – all these roles put us in a position to listen to others. We listen when they share their stories. Stories of fear, racism, prejudice, abuse, failed systems, trying to hope, trying to protect themselves and the ones they love. We hold space for those stories as best we can. But we are also aware that at the deepest level there will be a disconnect in what our lived experience is compared to someone different than ourselves and that this will always be true.
That said, I do want to emphasize Tranquility’s commitment to having difficult conversations, holding space, and acknowledging shared and different experiences. As providers and business owners, we have not shied away from doing what we can to learn how best to help and advocate for people of color and for folks in the LGBTQIA+ community. We will strive to continue to listen first and then act based upon what those communities need.
We can’t promise that we will always get it right, but we will do our best to try to do always better and to, of course, listen.