Become empowered to fight for justice.
After the national American reckoning on racial injustice began in 2020, you’re finding it impossible to ignore examples of racism you see on a daily basis. You want to be part of the solution. You believe you can help create a just, equitable, and sustainable society. And while you’ve taken steps like reading books, talking with friends, and posting on social media, you also sense there is more you can do to be a better ally.
This doesn’t make it any easier to confront your friends, family, colleagues, bosses, and yourself in the ways you and they have been complicit in the past. It can be lonely trying to figure out what went wrong and how you can be better. You’re trying to be a better Ally. You may have the privilege to fix things, but you feel lost as to where to start.
Do you ever:
- Feel like there’s something holding you back from fully becoming the Ally you want to be?
- Worry that you have biases or blindspots preventing you from making authentic relationships with People of Color?
- Desire to confront your inner racist?
- Want to feel confident about what to do to help Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) in the anti-racism movement?
- Feel overwhelmed with urgency to do something helpful, but struggle to know what you can do?
It’s clear that you care. There are people you love who suffer from the consequences of these injustices. You have the passion and desire to support them in the movement towards equality. Creating a better world requires growing internally, first. We have to identify, understand, and challenge the patterns white supremacy has taught us before real change can be made.
Allyship Counseling for White People can help. Allyship Counseling is a short-term model of self-analysis and development to help you become the ally you want to be.
What makes Chicago Compass Counseling’s team of POC and white therapists different?
- We understand that racial wounds are real. Too many therapists either ignore their client’s experience of racism, or inadvertently support the white supremacist values we are trying to dismantle.
- We name when our clients are being gaslit, dismissed, and invalidated, while offering a direction forward. If you are in relationships with white people who are engaging in emotional abuse, we will identify when this is the case. We offer solutions for reducing harm to you while collaborating with you on how you can break the cycle of emotional abuse.
- Our team of POC therapists and white therapists are committed to antiracist practice. This means each of us takes time not only to continue our own self-work, but also through collaborative group processes to ensure we are practicing with integrity. This self-work has included advanced training, reflective counseling, and extensive consultation on ourselves, our practice, and our community.
How does Allyship Counseling work?
Decolonize yourself from within.
You know that real change starts from within. You’re willing to go deep inside to decolonize your mind. Allyship Counseling offers strategies tailored to fit your unique experience and vision. Our short-term counseling is guaranteed to help you become a stronger ally of the BIPOC who need support rooted in true empathy and kindness. Each session focuses on helping you pinpoint opportunities of growth and identify strategies to overcome these issues. You deserve to feel prepared to change your community.
Identify effective strategies to navigate racist institutions.
White institutions include banks, universities, religious institutions, and places of employment. Even when organizations say they are committed to antiracism, you may experience the opposite in your day-to-day reality. Our counselors are trained to help you find the most effective solutions to negotiate problematic institutions. We are here for you as advocates to help you get your needs met. We share frameworks of analysis with our clients to help them identify opportunities for agency.
Identify and interrupt internalized racist frameworks.
White people are trained to think of whiteness as “normal,” “standard,” and “good.” We internalize this as a framework of internalized racial superiority. This prevents us from making real connections with people of color, thereby making it harder to create lasting change. Allyship Counseling can help you identify these misshapen lessons and develop the strategies to reject them.
Take impactful action.
Discover tools to use your privilege for real change. Allyship Counseling starts by taking an in-depth inventory of your values and identifying your vision for how to live a life with integrity. Your unique and tailored toolbox of anti-racism techniques and educational resources will help you be a better Ally to the movement. You set the agenda. You already have the passion and drive that will lead you to successful growth.
Frequently asked questions about White Allyship Counseling:
Q. I’m white. I feel traumatized by systemic racism. Can Allyship Counseling help me?
Part of Allyship Counseling includes identifying the ways white supremacy has hurt you and healing from this damage. Allyship Counseling can help you break free from the self-destructive patterns that white supremacy teaches us.
Q. What happens at my first Consultation?
Your first consultation is 80-minutes in length. Your counselor will carefully review your intake paperwork before meeting with you. The first part of the meeting will focus on understanding your goals and values. Your counselor will then spend time assessing relevant background information. In the final part of the meeting, your counselor will offer you a menu of options based on your goals. Your recommendations will include a variety of options, including continuing with counseling, trying out strategies on your own, or pursuing other behavior change resources.
Q. How is this different from other counseling?
Allyship Counseling addresses the seemingly subtle and specific ways that white supremacy makes us complicit in systemic racism. While individual counseling can help a person work through their history of racism, Allyship Counseling will include the next steps: accepting our mistakes and developing strategies to further social justice.
Q. Can you help my friend or family member become less racist?
We often work with clients who are in relationships with people who engage in problematic behavior. Our job is to help you discern whether or not it is safe to confront your friend or loved one based on your unique situation. Depending on each situation, there are strategies we can recommend that might help.
Q. Can you help me with racism at work?
Our counselors are trained in institutional anti-racism, which means we take a systems approach to analyze and understand how problematic dynamics emerge at work. Several of us consult with and help organizations who are focused on diversity and inclusion initiatives. In our individual work with you, we will share recommendations for what you can do to advocate for anti-racism at work within your scope and role. If your organization is interested in anti-racism training or workshops, we recommend exploring our Training page to set up a free consultation.
Q. You talk a lot about alcohol abuse and addiction on your website. Do you treat issues other than alcohol abuse?
Yes. In addition to treating alcohol problems, we also provide treatment for depression, drug addiction recovery, race-based traumatic stress, anxiety, work stress, impulse control disorders, trauma, and relationship difficulties. We help family members who are worried about their loved one’s behavior. If you are unsure whether we deal with your particular issue, please call our Intake Coordinator at (312) 715-8234 ext. 1 to get started.
Q. How do I get started?
You can schedule an appointment by calling (312) 715-8234 ext. 1. Our Intake Coordinator will answer your questions and match you with the best counselor to meet your needs.