Alexis Yalon, ICTS Therapist
Lindsay Fairchild, Mental Health Therapist
Looking Glass’ Cultural Awareness and Equity Committee (CAEC) provides a yearly scholarship to Looking Glass staff to further their training and education to improve cultural sensitivity in the care we provide our clients. CAEC brings together staff and leaders from all programs working to achieve our agency’s goals for equity and improving staff relationships with our diverse clients.
Through a generous expansion of the scholarship fund, Alexis Yalon and Lindsay Fairchild were each granted $1,000 to go towards upcoming training opportunities.
Alexis applied to help with expenses for the upcoming Gender Spectrum Conference and Professionals’ Symposium. Taking place in Moraga, CA, the conference will cover a wide variety of topics concerning both transgender and gender-nonconforming youth, inviting conversations between youth, families, and human services professionals that serve them.
Alexis wanted to attend the conference because “Research shows that LGBTQ youth are at a higher risk of suicide, substance abuse, and mental health problems as compared to their non-LGBTQ peers. Research also shows that family support and supportive school environments are key elements in reducing those risks and helping LGBTQ youth lead healthy lives. This conference provides an opportunity to learn how to more effectively partner with schools and families and advocate for my clients within those systems.” Alexis explained. “I hope that the conference gives me clarity on how to engage with school professionals in order to create safer school environments for LGBTQ youth.”
Lindsay applied to help fund her enrollment in the Body Trust Certification Program. This six month training program provides tools for being weight-inclusive in therapy and training on how to foster resilience and self-love in clients who are struggling with body image and shame.
Lindsay identified the need for this specialized training after seeing a need from her clients. Lindsay said “Eating disorder treatment settings and approaches are not immune to the dangerous impact of weight-bias and fat phobia. For example, the same behaviors that are understood as symptoms in a thin person with an eating disorder (food restriction, excessive exercise, etc.) are often prescribed for a large-bodied person with an eating disorder, which further harms the client and often leads to decreased health markers (mental and medical),” Lindsay explained. “I hope to learn ways to support clients on the journey of trauma healing and disordered eating recovery, taking back power from the systems that aim to keep us small. When we were born we trusted our bodies and all of its cues. Over time, this trust is often eroded by toxic messages from the dominant culture, including the medical field and some traditional eating disorder treatment models….I hope to help myself, colleagues, and clients repair and heal this broken trust, and build connection.”
Congratulations to both of these amazing therapists with Looking Glass. It is there dedication and hard work that is integral to the healing that we provide to youth in Lane County.