As a Black Queer cis woman in a healing profession, I have learned and practiced how to safely and healthily be my authentic self within my roles. I attended Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) for both my undergraduate and graduate career and have navigated countless microaggressions and discriminatory treatment as a healing practitioner. There is so much important information that I had to learn and guide myself through.
Here are some tools that have helped me become the best practitioner that I can be!
I’ve always done my research when applying for any job, class, program, etc. By research, I mean looking through their sites, utilizing resources for information and taking notes.
Questions that guide my research:
- How many BIPOC are on the staff and in what roles?
- Who attended this program and why?
- What do BIPOC have to say about this program?
- What is the difference in reviews listed on job search sites opposed to the company’s website?
- Who was in this role before me and why did they leave?
- Who will my supervisor/s be and can I change if needed?
- Are work study/graduate assistantship positions or tuition reimbursement offered?
- Are scholarships or perks for BIPOC offered?
There are many more questions that guide me depending upon the role. I try to be as proactive as possible about protecting myself by knowing specific information.
I’m a very observant person and continue to practice this skill. I try my best to pay attention to verbal and nonverbal cues, the environment and how people are interacting with one another before engaging.
What Do I Observe?
- Who is in the room
- How people are interacting with one another (whether personal or professional)
- Who reports to who
- Where the stairs and elevators are located
- How I feel upon entering the space
- How I am met by others in the space upon entering
- Tone, touch and conversation
- What others may say about their experiences with a peer, colleague or authority
I have learned countless information by observing my environment and the people in it.
Depending on the role that I am in, I like to learn my rights in each role so that I am aware of what the next steps are if I have to escalate a situation.
When determining my rights I question:
- What does a typical schedule/day look like?
- What is the definition of productivity in this role and how is that measured?
- Who is my direct supervisor/manager/advisor/professor and who is their direct supervisor/manager?
- What is their relationship with their manager and colleagues?
- What is the break protocol?
- Do I know how to clock in/out if I have to? And in what timeframe do I have to do so?
- What are the reasons I might need to contact a role higher than my supervisor/manager/advisor/professor?
- Is there a specific licensing government board that I need to be aware of?
- How do I report harm from a professional and to whom?
- What are the follow up steps after reporting harm?
- If in a union, who is my union representative and what are my benefits?
Knowing my rights and responsibilities have provided me with great protection in various roles.
This is an important skill because it is based on my values and boundaries. By identifying and acting in alignment with my values and boundaries, I have learned to communicate directly, advocate for myself, seek support, confront people and situations, and find ways to be resourceful and protected throughout my career.
- Think about what’s important! If something does not feel right to me, I’ve learned to trust that feeling and seek support from someone I trust. Sometimes that person was in a completely different setting and field.
- Identify personal and professional boundaries! It’s okay to say NO! If someone does not receive this NO, they are violating a boundary. For best results, I continue to reiterate my boundaries and sometimes that looks like sending an email and CCing someone I trust on it.
- Direct communication is important! Learning when to stand up or step back. Sometimes directness is not taken well and it is made to be a problem in a toxic environment. Learning my communication style helped me to practice more assertive techniques, which allowed me to ask for what I needed without feeling the need to explain myself. I also grew to communicate what happens if these needs are not met.
- Confrontation is often hard in various settings and situations. In certain roles, I made sure that there was an unbiased person available to support in a confrontation or I made someone aware of my plan.
- Seeking support has been one of the most important tools for me as a BIPOC healing practitioner. I have a large network of individuals from various settings and jobs, willing to support me through situations that I encounter. That has looked like someone writing a letter on my behalf to an organization, someone co-signing a legal document, or attending a meeting with me. Seeking support also aids in getting multiple perspectives of a situation which has helped me to challenge my perspective but also validated my experience.
There have been several times where I was challenged because of my identity. I have been put in situations where I’ve had to test my academic and intellectual abilities, as well as emotional and physical.
- Work ethic matters! I’ve had to do things in ways that work for me and ultimately performed better.
- I’ve learned how to receive feedback and ask for constructive criticism in various settings.
- I’ve allowed for my work, work ethic, values and feedback to speak for me in the most positive ways.
I continue to practice these skills regularly as I continue to grow in my career. I constantly remind myself that I don’t have to be the practitioner that I was taught to be because my culture and experiences influence my healing practices.
The last skill that is the MOST important to me is, healing myself. I constantly stay involved in some form of personal healing activity because I cannot give my authentic self to help others if I am not well.
