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.
In This Guide:
- The White Lens of TV Therapy
- Beyond the 50-Minute Drama
- Breaking Down Harmful Tropes
- What Media Gets Wrong
- What Real Anti-Oppressive Therapy Looks Like
- Next Steps
The White Lens of TV Therapy
As providers of Vancouver BIPOC therapy, we see how these representations impact access. Mainstream media’s portrayal of therapy overwhelmingly centers white, middle-class experiences and Western approaches to healing. As a POC-led counselling practice providing culturally responsive counselling, we see how these representations impact access to care and understanding of what therapy can be.
Common misrepresentations include:
- Over-representation of white therapists and clients
- Erasure of cultural healing practices and wisdom
- Missing intersectional perspectives on mental health
- Ignoring systemic contexts of distress
- Perpetuating colonial models of healing
Beyond the 50-Minute Drama
TV therapy often follows a predictable format: weekly sessions in a pristine office, leading to dramatic breakthroughs. As a provider of anti-oppressive therapy in Vancouver, we know healing looks different for everyone and often happens in community.
Real anti-oppressive therapy might include:
- Flexible session lengths based on need
- Integration of cultural healing practices
- Community-supported healing spaces
- Recognition of systemic barriers
- Collective approaches to wellness
Breaking Down Harmful Tropes
Popular media perpetuates damaging myths about therapy that can particularly harm SDQTBIPOC+ communities seeking support. Through SDQTBIPOC+ centered counselling in Vancouver, we actively work to challenge these narratives.
Common harmful tropes include:
- The “neutral” therapist myth that ignores power dynamics
- “Quick fix” narratives that dismiss cultural healing timelines
- Individual triumph stories that erase community support
- Trauma exploitation for entertainment
- Pathologizing cultural responses to oppression
What Media Gets Wrong
As a Queer, POC-led counselling practice in Vancouver, we see how media representations miss crucial aspects of therapeutic work, particularly for SDQTBIPOC+ communities.
Critical missing elements include:
- Cultural safety in therapy spaces
- Power dynamics and their impact
- Systemic contexts of mental health
- Community-based healing approaches
- Alternative healing modalities like somatic therapy in Vancouver
- Accessibility and social justice
What Real Anti-Oppressive Therapy Looks Like
As a POC-led practice, our approach to therapy differs significantly from media portrayals. We center action-oriented learning and collective healing while providing accessible, justice-oriented counselling.
Real anti-oppressive therapy includes:
- Recognition of systemic contexts
- Integration of cultural healing practices
- Flexible approaches to session structure
- Community-supported healing
- Political awareness and activism
- Collective care approaches
Our practice specifically offers:
- Counsellors with specialized training on anti-oppressive therapy for BIPOC communities
- Weekly supervision in anti-oppressive frameworks
- Intersectional feminist approaches
- Anti-colonial healing practices
- Collective healing projects
Next Steps in Your Healing Journey
Ready to experience what anti-oppressive therapy actually looks like? Here are some ways to connect:
- Book a free consultation to explore how therapy might support your journey.
- Take our 3-minute questionnaire to receive personalized therapist recommendations.
- Explore our free resource database for more information about anti-oppressive approaches to healing.
Have questions? Reach out to us at connect@venturouscounselling.com or text 778.775.7504.
Real therapy goes beyond what you see in media. Your healing journey deserves support that honors your full experience, cultural wisdom, and community context.
