Christine's Clinical Corner Vol. 3: Disability & Pride – Clinician Advocacy in the Face of Systemic Setbacks

Christine's Clinical Corner:

Disability & Pride – Clinician Advocacy in the Face of Systemic Setbacks

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At Resilience Lab, we continue to ask the core questions that anchor our mission: What does clinical excellence look like? What truly supports healing in our clients? And how can we show up with both skill and humanity for those most impacted by injustice?

This month’s theme—Disability and Pride—reminds us that identities are not compartments, and clinical care cannot be one-size-fits-all or fail to take the larger systemic impact into account. In June, we honor the lives and dignity of the LGBTQ+ community, the disabled community, and the many who live at the intersections of both. The principle that guides us this month is both simple and revolutionary: Everyone deserves care that sees them fully.

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Disability & LGBTQ+ Identity: Not a Niche, But a Norm

As providers, we know that our clients are shaped not just by symptoms or diagnoses, but by systems. And increasingly, those systems are failing them. This June, the Supreme Court ruled to uphold Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth—a decision that sends shockwaves through trans and nonbinary communities across the country. With nearly half the U.S. now affected by similar restrictions, the ruling elevates the need for advocacy-informed therapy as an ethical imperative.

Simultaneously, other protections are being stripped from disabled communities—from budget cuts in disability services to diminished accommodations in educational settings. Even discussions around the dissolution of the Department of Education raise alarms for how young people with disabilities will be served and supported.

These decisions are not just policy—they are deeply personal. They affect whether our clients have access to care, safety, autonomy, and belonging. For those at multiple marginalized intersections, including queer and disabled youth, the message sent is one of exclusion. It is our duty to counter that message with fierce, affirming, and individualized care.

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The Resilience Methodology: Centering Intersectional Identity

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We return to our pillars—Personalized and Holistic—with renewed focus. These are not buzzwords. They are the blueprint for affirming care in an era of erasure.

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Our approach includes:

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✅Affirming Case Conceptualization
We assess not just who a person is clinically, but who they are socially, culturally, historically. Gender identity, neurodiversity, physical ability, and lived trauma aren’t side notes—they’re core components of understanding.

✅Structural Awareness in Treatment Planning
We ask: How are systems shaping this person’s distress? What legislation, discrimination, on access barriers are they navigating? We integrate social determinants into every clinical plan.

✅Disability-Informed Care
Disability is not always visible—and it is never a flaw. We approach disability not through a deficit model, but through a neuro- and body-diverse lens. Language, access, and pacing all matter.

✅Gender-Affirming Practice
Even when the law falters, our ethics hold. We follow the evidence: gender-affirming care saves lives. And we ensure clients receive informed, accurate, and safe support regardless of political climate.

✅Client-Led Advocacy
We support clients in navigating school IEP meetings, medical documentation, gender marker changes, disability claims, and workplace accommodations—not as a favor, but as part of care.

Clinical Reflections: What This Month Demands of Us

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As clinicians, we are sometimes the only affirming adult in a client’s life. In these moments, neutrality is not therapeutic—it’s abandonment.

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This month has reminded me that:

●  Silence about systemic harm can reinforce trauma.

●  It is not “political” to affirm a person’s identity.

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●  Diagnoses are often shaped by ableism, racism, and transphobia—we must hold them critically.

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●  Clinician advocacy isn’t mission drift—it’s clinical skill.

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Clinical Tips: Practicing Disability & LGBTQ+ Pride in Therapy

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✅ Name the Context: Don't avoid talking about legislative changes. Clients may already be impacted. Your attunement offers containment.

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✅ Expand the Intake Lens: Ask about sensory needs, communication styles, pronouns, accessibility, and experiences with discrimination—upfront and respectfully.

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✅ Don’t Assume “High Functioning” Means Thriving: Masking, overcompensation, and overachievement often hide burnout, trauma, or rejection sensitivity.

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✅ Build in Advocacy Support: Whether it’s helping draft a letter for school or navigating workplace ADA forms, advocate in partnership - not paternalism.

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✅ Continue Unlearning: Stay curious about your own biases around ability, gender, communication, and compliance. The work is ongoing—and so worth it.

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Final Thought

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June is a month of visibility, protest, and pride. But for many of our clients, the fight for visibility doesn’t end with the parade. It lives in the therapy room, in the hospital, in the classroom, and in the court.

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Our job is to meet that fight with care that is rooted in justice, curiosity, and an unwavering belief in human dignity. That’s what pride looks like in practice.

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Until next month,
Christine

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