Searching for a therapist that is a good fit is challenging. For people who belong to marginalized social groups such as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color), LGBTQIA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer/Questioning, Intersex Asexual) and members of immigrant communities, finding a therapist is especially challenging. At Heart & Soul Wellness, we are committed to providing culturally affirming and responsive care.

My name is Eva Emmerich. I am the owner of Heart & Soul Wellness. As a Liberian immigrant and a straight cis female, I understand that I am not representative of all marginalized social groups. I am mindful that even within my identified social groups, my experiences will differ from those who hold my same identities. I am not unsusceptible to the biases that are a part of our larger society, and you may be rightfully concern that I might bring these biases into our collaboration. However, it is my hope to create a culturally affirming and responsive space where there is trust and liberation for you to show up as yourself. This means that in our collaboration together, you can expect the following:

• I will seek to understand your experiences from your perspective.

• If I lack knowledge about your experiences, I will seek to educate myself on my own time. If needed, I will support you in finding a provider that may have better knowledge/understanding.

• I will not treat differences as problems or symptoms.

• I will collaborate with you in identifying your goals/hopes for therapy and exploring what healing tools might be right for you

• I will honor and respect your cultural healing practices

• I will be mindful of my unconscious biases that may be impacting our collaboration and do my best to educate myself on my own time.

• I will affirm your experiences of overt and covert discrimination, racism, prejudice, and stereotypes (e.g., based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, SES, geography)

• I will welcome feedback regarding barriers or blind spots. Do not hesitate to let me know!

 In Gratitude!