Our Commitments to Radical Compassion + Advocacy
“If you have come here to help me you are wasting your time, but if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.”
― Lilla Watson
Let’s just name the elephant in the room:
Nashville may be in the most socially progressive part of Tennessee, but we are still in the deep south.
For many of the clients we serve —especially queer, trans, and non-binary folks, immigrants, BIPOC communities, disabled and neurodivergent people—everyday life can feel exhausting or downright unsafe because of very real stigma, systemic harm, and political hostility.
That’s why The Gaia Center exists to offer more than just therapy.
We aim to be a place of refuge, and a source of care, solidarity, and political advocacy.
We see you.
We respect you.
We believe your rights and safety should be protected.
No matter who you love, how you identify, where you come from, or what systems you’ve had to survive, you are welcome here—fully and without judgment.
As therapists, a lot of our training— even today— is rooted in white, cisheteronormative approaches to psychology that are over a century old. Even the DSM as the mental health “bible” and the medical model of mental health are deeply individualistic. At The Gaia Center, we believe we can do a hell of a lot better than that for our clients.
Decolonizing Therapy
We are committed to reimagining how therapy can look when it’s approached in a decolonized way. Decolonizing therapy means questioning models of mental health that prioritize individualism, productivity, and “fixing” people while ignoring culture, history, power, and context. It means naming the ways traditional therapy has often pathologized natural responses to oppression or excluded entire communities from care.
In practice, this looks like honoring lived experience and cultural wisdom, naming systems of harm directly, valuing relational and embodied healing, and treating clients as experts on their own lives. We don’t claim to have this perfectly figured out—we see it as ongoing work, guided by humility, accountability, and listening.
Our Commitments to Liberation + Advocacy:
Respect: We reject harassment, misgendering, stereotyping, racism, xenophobia, ableism, and other forms of harm. Your care providers treating you with dignity should not be optional, yet we know in this landscape that is how it often is.
Affirming Language: We honor your name, pronouns, identity, and self-definition as you express them, and you can request changes at any point. This includes an explicit commitment to gender-affirming and queer-affirming care.
Trauma-Informed Support: Therapy that acknowledges both personal and collective experiences of trauma, including those shaped by racism, migration, religious harm, gender-based violence, and political oppression.
Confidentiality: All sessions, communications, and personal information are held with deep care and discretion. We understand that privacy is often essential for safety. Of course, this includes all records and communications being HIPAA-compliant— but we take your confidentiality and privacy more seriously than just being compliant with the rules.
Systemic Awareness: We recognize that distress doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Our work considers the impact of systemic oppression, intergenerational trauma, and marginalization, while remaining reflective and open to growth.
Accessibility: We offer sliding-scale, reduced-fee, pro-bono, and telehealth options to help reduce barriers to care. We know that being out of network with insurance can limit care for some, and that’s not a decision we’ve made lightly. See this page for more info on why.
Trusted Referrals: Care extends beyond sessions through internal and external referrals we trust to be affirming and respectful.
Healing needs to happen at an individual level— but also at a collective level. Mental health, identity, justice, and yes— also politics— are deeply connected.
At The Gaia Center, this means:
Systems-Informed Therapy: We address individual experiences while naming the systems that shape them.
Political Advocacy: We support policies, initiatives, and organizations that protect the rights and wellbeing of LGBTQIA+ people, immigrants, and other marginalized communities.
Community Education: We share resources, learning opportunities, and pathways to engagement that support collective care.
Amplifying Marginalized Voices: We work to uplift BIPOC, queer, trans, immigrant, and otherwise marginalized voices—while also recognizing that those with more safety and privilege should carry greater responsibility for speaking up.
Allyship & Solidarity: We welcome allies who are willing to listen, learn, and stay accountable.
We believe advocacy matters most when it’s rooted in action, not performance. We don’t keep a public checklist of everything we do. If you’re curious about how we show up in this work, you can read some of what we’re up to on our Mission page— we’re always open to setting up a conversation.
Our Vision:
We aim to create a space where ALL our clients— including those who carry multiple marginalized identities— can feel:
Seen and Validated: Your identity, experiences, and emotions are taken seriously—without explanation, justification, or minimization.
Protected and Respected: Your safety, dignity, privacy, and boundaries are actively upheld.
Connected to Community, Resources, and Advocacy: Your healing is supported through affirming care that recognizes the link between personal wellbeing and collective liberation.