What does it mean to be identity-affirming?

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…

• Unmask Therapy
   https://www.unmasktherapy.com/

• QPsychology
  https://qpsychology.com.au/

• Queerspace
  https://www.queerspace.org.au/our-programs/

• Queer Sisterhood Project
  https://fdpn.org.au/queer-sisterhood/

• Queer Muslim Naarm
  https://www.instagram.com/queermuslimnaarm/?hl=en

• Queer Arab Australia
  https://www.instagram.com/queerarabsaustralia/?hl=en

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Social media accounts we like:

• LivedExperienceEducator

• NeuroWild

• TheNeuroDivergentOT

• NeurodivergentLou

• TwoGayCounsellors

• Traumatherapistrants

• Neurodivers

• AutieTraumaGeek

• TheADHDCouple

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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.