We create this content from the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh, and Squamish Nations. As settlers providing therapy services in so-called Vancouver, we’re committed to moving beyond acknowledgment into active accountability and supporting Indigenous sovereignty.
As spring unfolds, many of us feel called to declutter not just our physical spaces, but our mental and emotional landscapes as well. At Venturous Counselling, we understand that true healing extends beyond individual self-care. It’s about fostering community well-being through anti-oppressive therapy and collective care practices.
Overview: Community care is an anti-oppressive framework that treats healing as a collective, relational practice rather than an individual project. Where mainstream self-care asks a person to fix their own burnout, community care asks what network of mutual support around them is missing, and builds tools like pod mapping and skill sharing to close that gap. At Venturous Counselling, a queer- and BIPOC-led therapy collective in Vancouver and Port Moody, this framework runs through both our anti-oppressive clinical supervision and our approach to therapy itself.
In This Article:
- Beyond Candles and Bubble Baths: A Justice-Oriented Approach
- Building Your Community Care Web
- Practical Steps for Community Care
- Integrating Anti-Oppressive Therapy
- Vancouver Resources for Collective Healing
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Next Steps
Beyond Candles and Bubble Baths: A Justice-Oriented Approach to Healing
The concept of “slow living” has often been misconstrued as a lifestyle peppered with aesthetic choices: lighting candles, taking bubble baths, or indulging in luxury self-care routines. While these can be delightful aspects of slowing down, they represent a surface-level interpretation that veers dangerously close to an upper-class, capitalistic co-opting of what it means to truly care for ourselves and each other.
At its core, slow living within an anti-oppressive framework invites us to step back from the relentless pace of modern life, to prioritize meaningful connections over material possessions, and to nurture a sense of belonging and care within our diverse communities in Vancouver and beyond.
Building Your Community Care Web for Collective Healing
Dr. Travis Heath, a psychologist who challenges the prevailing narrative that self-care is solely an individual’s responsibility, reimagines a model of community care where people don’t have to self-care their way out of social inequities. His work encourages us to see well-being through relationships, where support and care flow freely among members of a community, addressing and responding to the economic barriers that individual “self-care” was never designed to solve.
Practical Steps for Building Community Care
How do we begin to weave these principles of community care into our daily lives? Here are some actionable ways to build your community care web, inspired by the work of disability justice organizer Mia Mingus and other disability justice activists:
- Pod Mapping: Pod mapping is a practical tool developed by Mingus to help individuals identify the network of support around them. Start by drawing a circle with your name in the center, then create concentric circles around it. Fill these circles with the names of people you can rely on for different levels of support. This visual map helps clarify who you can turn to in times of need and who can depend on you, fostering a sense of mutual care.
- Skill Sharing: Everyone has something to offer. Identify your skills and talents, and think about how you can use them to support others in your community. This could range from offering emotional support to sharing practical skills like cooking, tutoring, or repair work. Offering your skills increases community connection through reciprocity, and research on gratitude suggests it also supports our own wellbeing.
- Community Engagement: Connect with local mutual aid networks. Stay informed and involved with community groups or online platforms that focus on mutual aid and support. Being informed about the needs and resources in your community allows you to contribute effectively and ask for help when you need it.
- Vulnerability Practice: Normalize asking for help. One of the pillars of community care is dismantling the stigma around vulnerability and dependence. Practice asking for help when you need it, and offer support without judgment when others reach out.
- Creating Connection Spaces: Whether it’s organizing regular meetups, group chats, or virtual gatherings, creating spaces where people can share, connect, and support each other is vital. These can be as simple as a monthly book club, a weekly check-in call, or an online forum for sharing resources.
Integrating Anti-Oppressive Therapy into Community Care
In Vancouver, anti-oppressive therapy plays a crucial role in addressing both individual and collective trauma. Through our justice-oriented counselling approach, we recognize that healing happens within the context of community and cultural understanding, not apart from it.
Key Elements of Our Approach:
- Trauma-informed, culturally responsive care
- BIPOC-centered therapeutic practices
- Sliding scale options for accessibility, alongside our standard rates
- Integration of somatic and embodied healing
- Recognition of systemic barriers and oppression
Vancouver Resources for Collective Healing
Our community in Vancouver and Port Moody offers various resources for those seeking justice-oriented mental health support:
- Free 15-minute consultation sessions for personalized counsellor matching
- Community workshops and group healing spaces
- Anti-oppressive clinical supervision for practitioners building their own community-care literacy
- Resources for SDQTBIPOC+ community members
Building a supportive and inclusive space for healing is essential to community care. The Happening Project is dedicated to fostering connection, resilience, and anti-oppressive practice, offering a transformative approach to therapy and collective well-being.
Self-care has its limits, especially in a world that often overlooks systemic barriers to well-being. Community care picks up where individual self-care runs out, and it’s a thread that runs through our identity and personal growth counselling and burnout therapy work alike.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is anti-oppressive therapy?
Anti-oppressive therapy is an approach that recognizes and addresses the impact of systemic oppression on mental health, working to create healing spaces that center marginalized experiences and promote social justice rather than treating distress as a purely individual problem.
How does community care differ from individual self-care?
Individual self-care focuses on personal practices you do alone. Community care emphasizes collective healing and mutual support networks, recognizing that our well-being is interconnected and that some barriers (financial, systemic, relational) simply can’t be solved by one person trying harder at self-care.
Do I need a formal “pod” or organizing background to practice community care?
No. Pod mapping and skill sharing scale down easily. A pod can be two or three people you’d call at 2am, and skill sharing can be as small as trading a ride to an appointment for help editing a resume.
How can I find a BIPOC therapist in Vancouver?
You can connect with BIPOC therapists through our 3-minute matching quiz or by calling us at 778.775.7504.
Is community care only relevant for BIPOC or SDQTBIPOC+ communities?
No, though it’s especially resonant for communities who’ve been told their struggles are individual failures rather than the result of systemic barriers. Community care as a framework is relevant to anyone building sustainable, mutual support around them.
What if I don’t have systemic barriers, do I still need community care?
Community care isn’t only for crisis. It’s a way of organizing ongoing life, so that support exists before you’re in a position to need it urgently.
Ready to Start Your Healing Journey?
Book your free 15-minute consultation to connect with a justice-oriented therapist in Vancouver or Port Moody. Book Your Free Consultation.
At Venturous Counselling, we are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible space for all individuals. Our Accessibility Statement outlines the steps we take to ensure our services are available to everyone, regardless of ability or background.
Or call us at: 778.775.7504
Email: [email protected]
Work with a Venturous Counsellor
Julianna Lei, MCP, RCC, works with youth, adults, and couples on identity, bicultural experience, grief, and life transitions, holding walk-and-talk and virtual sessions across Vancouver, Burnaby, and Port Moody. Community care threads through how she frames the work: healing that’s relational, not solitary.
