I have not been the same since October 7th. Everything has shifted. There is a new pain on my soul, or maybe it is an old, old pain revealing itself to me, coming up from the depths to take up space in my psyche, my heart, and my body. I am not sure what was there before, but I know I am not the same. My connection to the world, understanding of myself, experiences of safety, relationship to community, interactions with friends, and therapeutic lens have all shifted, turned, changed, morphed. Some days it feels like grief, other days intense, urgent joy, and still so many other days it feels as if I am living in a constant heightened survival response. 

I have seen and felt these same changes in my Jewish clients. I can see it in their eyes and bodies. I can see their pain, fear, urgency, commitment, as if it is my own. It is my own. I can hear it in their voices, their passionate words, their silences, their stories. I can see it in the way they walk in the room, the slight hunch of their backs, the way they sit in the chair, the weight, the invisible weight. 

There is relief when they know they are seen; when they realize they do not have to skip over a topic, apologize for their reactions, quiet their fears. 

There is a relaxation, a breath that happens when they know they can experience safety for a moment. They can feel outrage, despair, confusion. They will not be misunderstood, canceled. They will not be made to back up their experiences. 

It has always been my personal mission, as well as the mission of Inner Choice Psychotherapy, to provide culturally-sensitive care to all clients, making sure to focus on the psychological, emotional and physical impact of systemic oppression and intergenerational trauma on people’s health. 

When collaborating with all people seeking care, it is essential to have an understanding of their lived experience. This is a key component to culturally-sensitive care. This is the care all people receive at Inner Choice Psychotherapy. The practice also specializes in the specific therapeutic needs of Jewish clients. 

Although every Jewish client is different and should be seen as an individual with their own story, Jews as a ethnic group have a very different lived experience than others. Jewish clients, just like all people, need to see therapists who can provide culturally-sensitive care. Although this has always been true, this fact has become even more obvious and essential post October 7th.

Because of this, Inner Choice Psychotherapy is expanding and looking to hire therapists who have a passion about culturally-sensitive care for all, including Jews.

So what does it mean to provide therapeutic care to Jewish clients? Here are a few tenants of that care. Therapists will:

1. Understand what constitutes Jewish hate speech. 
2. Be comfortable talking about antisemitism.
3. Be able to identify microaggressions towards Jews.
4. Have a baseline knowledge of the variations in Jewish practice/Jewish religion. 
5. Be comfortable and have expertise working with people experiencing intergenerational trauma.
6. Have a baseline knowledge of Jewish history.
7. Understand that there is not one way to be a Jew.
8. Be able to address intersectionality.
9. Not pathologize common Jewish coping mechanisms when helping people decrease distress. 

If you are interested in working at Inner Choice Psychotherapy please see our job posting, and send your resume, cover letter, and 2 references to annabeth@innerchoicetherapy.com.

I am excited to meet you!