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What does it mean to be identity-affirming?

By Tom Fiebig, Wednesday 17th April 2024 

3 minute read

About the author: I am a neurotypical, white cis-gender male social work student working on completing his Masters of Social Work (Qualifying) degree on Wurrunderji Woi Wurrung Land. I’ve completed my first field placement at My Right 2 Voice, a specialist disability services provider, and I am currently completing my second (and final) placement at TIF. I am grateful to be working alongside and learning from/with disabled and neurodivergent people both professionally and personally. I look forward to a world without ableism, discrimination, and oppression.

Identity-affirming means affirming, validating, and celebrating your identity or multiple identities.

This can mean…

  • Recognising that there are multiple dimensions of your experience and that these interact to shape your identity/identities and experiences of oppression by using an intersectional lens.

  • Committing to holding unconditional positive regard for you, irrespective of our own background, assumptions, values, and beliefs

  • Providing a safe and confidential space for you with open and welcoming supports

  • A commitment to working towards inclusion at every level of the organisation

  • Using language that is consistent with your self-understanding, identity, and preferences.

  • Avoiding assumptions based on our perception, your presentation or identity.

  • Supporting you to identify and draw on your strengths.

  • Standing in partnership to identify and challenge injustices and oppression

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Neurodiversity-affirming means

  • Acknowledging neurodivergence as part of human neurodiversity and celebrating neurodivergent traits and characteristics.

  • Recognising and learning to work with a range of characteristics and traits.

  • Understanding the impacts of intersectional oppressions and difficulties

  • Taking the time to understand your needs and centring them in our work.

  • Understanding that everyone has different needs and accommodations, not just neurodivergent people.

  • Removing neuro-normative standards and expectations

  • Recognising ableism, neuro-normativity, and the prevalence of trauma and distress amongst neurodivergent communities
     

Neurodiversity affirming therapy does not involve

  • The therapist assuming what your needs are based on your diagnosis/diagnoses.

  • Promoting masking.

  • Trying to eliminate stimming behaviours.

  • Aiming to “cure” neurodivergent behaviours or promote conformity to societal standards

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LGBTIAQASBP+ affirming means

  • Understanding, acknowledging, respecting, and celebrating the plethora of gender identities, sexual orientations, or sexualities

  • Supporting identity development and assisting you to easefully navigate living authentically in society at your own time and pace.

  • Understand sexuality and gender identity as a multidimensional spectrum.

  • Recognising homophobia, transphobia, heterosexism, cissexism*, endonormativity** and the prevalence of trauma and distress amongst queer communities.

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* Cissexism occurs when it is assumed that a person's internal sense of gender matches socially constructed binary ideas of 'male' and 'female', which is the case for cis-gender people. It is assumes cis-gender is the norm and is superior to other forms of gender identities. This is oppressive and invalidates people's rights to self-determination and self-identification.
** Endonormativity occurs when it is assumed that a person's physical sex-characteristics (i.e. chromosomes, hormones, genitals, or other anatomy) conforms to socially constructed, binary ideas of 'male' and 'female' bodies. Endonormativity erases the existence of intersex people.

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The Iceberg Foundation provides identity-affirming supports in the form of therapeutic counselling, trauma work, psychology, social work, support work and psychosocial recovery coaching.
To find out more, send us an email at admin@theicebergfoundation.org or call 0422 468 026.

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Other community-led mental health organisations we align with include…

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Social media accounts we like:

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For more resources and services specific to LGBTIAQP+ forcibly displaced people, refugees, and asylum seekers, see our Manaya Pride Program database.

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References
 

Argüello, T. (Ed.). (2019). Queer Social Work: Cases for LGBTQ+ Affirmative Practice.
 

Wallace, B., & Santacruz, E. (2017). LGBT Psychology and Ethnic Minority Perspectives: Intersectionality. In E. Santacruz (Ed.), LGBT Psychology and Mental Health: Emerging Research and Advances. Bloomsbury Publishing.
 

Yellow Ladybugs. (2023). Supporting Autistic Girls & Gender Diverse Youth. Yellow Ladybugs.

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