Two Fingers to the Patriarchy: Why I don't practice as a psychologist anymore
My two fingers to the patriarchy.⠀
As a psychologist, I was taught this: ⠀
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1. I am the professional. I bear the knowledge, skills, theories, models and science that an exclusive university bestowed upon me = I hold the power.
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2. You are the patient. You are ill, broken, and are coming to me to be diagnosed, advised, fixed and healed = you are at mercy.⠀
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This model places you and I within a hierarchy. One that dictates that you submit to my presumed authority. ⠀
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It is inherently disempowering and damaging. It is also fundamentally privileged, and certainly not inclusive. ⠀
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This is the patriarchy.⠀
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It disgusts me. And it is against everything that I stand for.
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• I am not the expert on you. ⠀
• You do not need fixing. ⠀
• No one can advise you on you. ⠀
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You have lived your life in your body. You know the nuances, the ins and outs, and your experiences like no one else, not even your nearest and dearest, not your GP. Who am I to tell you what you should think, or do, or be, what is healthy, or harmful for you? Your make up is unique. You are the expert on that uniqueness.⠀
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You are not broken, you have never been broken and you never will be broken. ⠀
You are a human living a life, and you are innately whole. There is nothing within you that needs ‘fixing’ nor ‘healing’. There is everything within you that desires to be loved, to be opened to, to return home to.
Who am I to consider a handful of symptoms and experiences and label you with some form of dis-ease? Who am I to inform you of a panacea for your ailment? ⠀
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I reject the medical model of professional and patient.⠀
I reject the concepts of broken & healing. ⠀
I reject the patriarchy.⠀
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In session with me I make no promise to fix you. ⠀
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We enter in partnership, you and you alone hold the authority on yourself. I guide at your invitation, but your body always leads. Not me.
If you are here to take your power back, to reject the patriarchy, to allow the feminine within you to rise and support you to become the fullest, most alive version of yourself, then I applaud you, and I witness you right here, reclaiming yourself. ⠀
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Take your crown.