Equity and Inclusion

Statement

HCEFT commits to being a community where therapists can learn how to be anti-racist in our work and personal lives. As our nation and communities struggle to acknowledge that white supremacy and white privilege culture has silenced voices and taken lives, we must also examine how we silence, exclude, and marginalize. Our goal is to create a welcoming community that upholds core values of equity, justice and healthy relationships that allow for true connection, risk, and vulnerability. We are committing to listen to the anxiety, pain, and anger of our colleagues and clients and to educate ourselves to become actively anti-racist.

The events leading to the Black Lives Matter movement provides an invitation for us to stand together as human beings and acknowledge racism in our society and within ourselves. Living in a culture of systemic racism, we all have received racist messages. These racist messages inform our decisions, feelings, and thoughts towards people whether we are aware of it or not. In acknowledging that racism exists, we also stand together instead of allowing black, indigenous, and people of color to have to stand and face racism alone.

HCEFT is accepting the invitation to acknowledge and say out loud racism exists in our society today. We are noticing within ourselves the biased thoughts, ideas, beliefs, and feelings that we carry within us. We notice what happens inside when we sit with someone who looks or thinks differently than us. We notice what thoughts and feelings come up. Instead of pushing them away or attempting to ignore their existence, we are open and curious about what our inner world tells us about those who are different from us. We can begin to ask more questions about where those thoughts or ideas originated. In untangling our own inner biases we can begin to talk more openly and honestly about racism in our community.

Goals

Strive to maintain an overall climate and environment of safety, equity, and inclusivity where diversity is welcome and valued within HCEFT starting at the leadership level
Strive to maintain an overall climate and environment within the community of appreciation for others whose backgrounds, beliefs and experiences are different from their own
Provide an environment supporting the free and open expression of ideas, opinions and beliefs
Make trainings more accessible for Black, Indigenous, people of color, and LGBTQIA+ therapists and therapists who serve Black, Indigenous, people of color, and LGBTQIA+ through scholarships
Increase diversity of trainers within HCEFT for EFT Externships, Core Skills, and Master Classes
Increase cultural awareness and sensitivity within trainings by inviting trainers who incorporate cultural awareness and sensitivity into their trainings

Commitments

Actions Taken

Formed Equity and Inclusion Committee which meets monthly
Wrote Equity and Inclusion statement to communicate our commitment and intentions around Equity and Inclusion to our community
Created an Equity and Inclusion page on website to share resources with our community
Sent out survey to gain feedback from the community to write the above goals and commitments in order to create a safe, inclusive, and well-informed environment for all members of the HCEFT community, including Black, Indigenous, people of color, and LGBTQIA+
Offered free Anti-racism trainings for HCEFT leadership and community
Scheduled future trainings with a variety of culturally diverse trainers for our community
Provided training with helpers of externship to increase cultural responsiveness including understanding privilege, being aware of microaggressions, and creating a brave space for participants to bring their whole selves into the training space.