Creating safer spaces this Pride Month !
HAPPY PRIDE MONTH 🏳️🌈✨
These next 30 days are all about celebrating love, identity, and community… from going on pride walks to acknowledging that every gender identity and sexuality matters and deserves respect . While we celebrate, let’s also lock in and psychoeducate ourselves. Ask for people’s pronouns before assuming, respect boundaries, and most importantly, create safer spaces for everyone in and around the community Because who says we can’t celebrate while also making others feel seen, respected, and safe? But personally, whenever therapists or trainees say, “This is a safe space, you can confide in me,” I sometimes find it a little pretentious… because actions often speak louder than words. That said, absolutely no hate to therapists or trainees who use these phrases . And yes, you might be wondering if that contradicts everything I just said. In some ways, maybe it does. But on another tangent, I’m just a writer trying to help therapists and trainee psychologists make conversations around mental health more fun, accessible, and human. So hang in there with me! Maybe my ideology around “creating safe spaces” will evolve too, and maybe you’ll also understand what I’m trying to convey here Until then, hope this gives you a fun little read…with a beverage (or without one) of your choice 🥤.
🏳️🌈 Decorate/Change the vibe of your space:
Decorating your space doesn’t have to be too dramatic. It can be something as small as a pride flag near your desk or a small poster on your wall. So if you’re someone who loves having free will and autonomy, let me hold your hand and tell you this…take this as your sign to be a little different and decorate every corner of your space. Because at the end of the day, whether your client is from the queer community or not, creating a safe space for them…both physically and emotionally…is equally important. And a bonus pro tip: if you’re running your private practice or clinic, steal this idea from me and pitch it. You could design small reminders or stickers for your clients for Pride Month. It could definitely make someone’s day, or even serve as a meaningful little souvenir for their space.
🏳️🌈 Conducting creative arts workshops:
Who doesn’t like art? We grow up rushing into adulthood, only to later crave the simplicity and freedom of childhood again. And art is one of the most powerful ways to reconnect with that space. This Pride Month, creative arts workshops can become a way to build safer, more affirming spaces. Put your training and certifications to use and invite people to express themselves freely—across identities, expressions, and experiences—through drawing, creating, and art-making. These spaces can foster community, connection, and emotional safety, while also offering you valuable learning as a therapist. If you’re in private practice, you can also facilitate such workshops as a structured offering (without framing it as group therapy unless you’re certified), with a small participation fee. At its core, it’s about this: creating spaces where people feel seen, safe, and free to express who they are !
🏳️🌈 Speak up and Support:
Speaking up does not always have to be dramatic. Sometimes, it can be as simple as standing up for your queer clients or anyone from the community. If you see something going wrong around you, stand up and speak up. Just like our lovely Indian uncles and aunties love sharing their unsolicited advice for free, you can take inspiration from them and psycho-educate the people around you. And if you are someone already doing that, take it one step further…continue psycho-educating yourself with recent information, references, and anything new you can absorb and learn from.
🏳️🌈 Use an eclectic or a client-centered approach:
Now, as we slowly come to the end of this blog post, I thought it was time to pull out the big guns of the therapy world… the eclectic and client-centered approach! At the end of the day, what truly matters is the relationship between you and your client, and how you make them feel throughout the therapeutic process. Incorporating these approaches can help reassure your client, create a safer space around them, and allow you to move beyond just one conventional way of practicing therapy. Sometimes, being a little flexible and human goes a long way. I don’t think I need to explain these approaches too much, right? But I just wanted to remind you that you are doing your best…as a therapist, student, trainee, and most importantly, as a person. And I hope you never forget that, while continuing to make your clients feel seen, wanted, and safe.
Ending this post on a lighter note…let’s spread not just awareness, but also love, this month and every month of the year. Let’s embrace love in all its forms, identities, sexualities, genders, and everything in between. With that, I shall see you in the next one. Take care, you lovely human beans.
