Training Date: November 4, 2020
[Slide 1] Photo of speaker: Akané Kousaka (向坂あかね, she/her/hers), LICSW
Program made possible by the Division of Student Affairs, Brandeis Counseling Center, International Students and Scholars Office, and the Gender and Sexuality Center at Brandeis University.
[Slide 2] Logo of GSC Lunch & Learn and Announcement: GSC Lunch and Learn ally training series for faculty and staff are presented via Zoom every first Wednesday of the month at 12 pm and offer affirming and up-to-date information and resources for building inclusive classrooms and communities.
[Slide 3] Past Ally Training for Faculty and Staff:
Photo of Qwin Mbabazi, GLAD, who presented Acting Against Cyberbullying
September 2, 2020
Photo of Dr. Xavier Guadalupe-Díaz, FSU, who presented LGBTQ+ Academic Publication
October 7, 2020
[Slide 4] Repeated slide of speaker: Akané Kousaka
[Slide 5] Program will begin shortly.
Lunch and Learn is Led by:
Watch a recording of the Lunch & Learn
Julián Cancino (he/him): Hello, I am. Welcome to our positive youth development in times of crisis program. I am Julián Cancino, Director of the Gender and Sexuality Center here at Brandeis University. Today's program is part of our lunch and learn ally training series, which seeks to bring affirming and up to date information and resources for faculty and staff. On building inclusive classrooms in campus. And I sincerely hope you can stay with us throughout the duration of the program and participate in the Q and A session, which is really where we are going to translate some of those learnings into our Brandeis context. These are tumultuous times and tumultuous times call for a deeper dives and creative collaborations and so I'm really, really, really thankful for our sponsors and for our trainer and to all of you for being with us today. So, I would like to introduce the director of the Brandeis counseling center Amy Scobie-Carroll. Thank you, Amy.
Amy Scobie-Carroll (she/her/hers): Thank you, Julián and thank you to all of you for being here today. I am the director of the Counseling Center, and I'm a social worker and I-- Julián invited me to just say a few words about resilience, before we get started with the program. And it's, it's actually, it's very interesting timing to be thinking about resilience today. And in, you know, in the scope of what we're facing not only today but with the political situation. But also, you know, the broader Amy Scobie-Carroll (she/her/hers): concern of Covid and other factors. So-- You know the word resilience is such a buzz word and it's it's heard in so many contexts, these days. And actually, the field of psychology has been developing around this concept of resilience in a number of different ways in recent years. And— you know, and I think instead instead of really kind of trying to understand it cognitively, I would just like to share some of what really sits with me, and resonates with me, when I think about resilience and when I talked with students about resilience and what it really what it really means. And I think a way for students to understand it is it's it's adaptability to extremely challenging or traumatic circumstances and one of the, the images or concepts that you'll hear it described as, is this idea of a tree that sways in the wind. And a powerful image or idea to represent this is-- is bamboo.
Bamboo tree can look weak. Indeed, it is quite strong; and the strength is really due to its – its nature in the it sways in the face of adversity or strong wind, as opposed to a tree that is so, so stiff and solid that it breaks. And what's so powerful about that image to me, is that it it really symbolizes leaning in-- leaning into difficulty, leaning into emotion, and -- and mindfulness presence with difficulty and presence with emotion.
And the you know the other the other key concept, I think when we think about resilience is, is to challenge this sort of typical dominant American concept of pull yourself up by your bootstraps. And that really what we're learning about resilience is not so much that it's a kind of an individualistic sense of determination. It actually-- we can be much more resilient: when we connect, when we talk, when we communicate, when we rely on each other and so— that's such a powerful idea for our students to know that they're in community and that resilience is so much easier to muster up and find when we have each other.
So, I wish all of you today, to ask yourselves what what you need. And and to find, you know, your own patterns and and strategies for being resilient; and to help you know to help each other in supporting our students. Thank you.
Andrea Dine: And good morning everyone, I'm Andrea Dine, Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs. And thank you, Amy. I'm-- my gears were already turning, as you were talking about the illustration of bamboo. I'm actually going to try to pick that up on in my sort of notes of this welcome. So again, thank you all for coming to this very important session as we think about our own work and supporting students as we think about supporting students in times of crisis, and again taking that bamboo illustration as we think about resilience. Part of what allows bamboo to be resilient, not only to Amy's point does it have flexibility, but it also has structure. When you think about if you've seen bamboo and its joints and how it grows and develops, as a-- as a tree, as a plant. It not only grows individually, but actually grows in a forest. So, you talk-- you see, lovely photos and people walking through bamboo forests, as a point of-- to destress to take a nature bath, if you will. And so, part of what makes that bamboo resilient is also that it grows together. And so, as we think about professional development for ourselves and for our students, there is a strength in structure and a framework that comes with professional development. It allows us to structure thoughts that allows us to present information to help us as individuals develop as professionals and as— as and if not more importantly, help our students develop as professionals, as resilient individuals.
And students who are also engaged in work and helping others as well. So, I think that's another element, that brings strength, using our bamboo as an illustration and the piece around the critical nature of building inclusive classrooms-- classroom, communities, cohorts, etc. really allows everyone strength to be at the four. And I know that one of the elements will be talking about today, is really seeing identity as a strength and we often talk about not only singular identities, but sort of the multiple faceted-- multifaceted identities, we each bring to the table. And those in some ways, bring our own sets of bamboo forest with us. And that we are not alone in the work that we do. But we really do enter it in community. And so, we don't have to be that soul tree, looking to provide support for ourselves and our students, but really there are a forest of trees to do that work with us and we are in this together as community; so that, even beyond the lovely things I'm sure that we will learn today, in ways to better support our students and our communities. We are ourselves a community, across departments and divisions, to provide that support for each other as well. So again, I thank you everyone for coming. This is such an important topic. as-- as we think of supporting ourselves and our students. And let's keep the conversation going long beyond this meeting today, so that we're supporting our students and our and our-- each other as we move forward. Thank you.
Julián Cancino (he/him): Thank you Amy and Andrea. It is my pleasure to introduce Akané Kousaka. Akané was born and raised in Japan, and she earned her degrees at Simmons University, just a here and also Boston College, but the piece that really, you know, it's amazing to me is is her global perspective and training and the ability to really work with people on the ground with the work that she does here in Boston over the past eight years, but also what she's now her new adventure. She's returning to Japan in December to help support young people, in Japan, who are navigating their own identities. So, before she goes to a different time zone, I thought maybe she can share some insights with us. And I'm just delighted and thrilled that we get to think with her today. So please join me in welcoming Akané Kousaka.
Slide: Agenda
Akané Kousaka (she/her): Thank you, Julián. And thank you everyone for being here. I'm so excited that you take your lunch break to be here. Thank you so much. So again, I'm Akané Kousaka and I'll be running this training titled Positive Youth Development in Times of Crisis. Here's the agenda of the day, or for this training or introduce myself a little bit more, and they are all introduce you to positive youth development approach. Which includes couple of activities where I'll ask you to engage in through the chat and then we'll have a Q&A session. And I also want to note that the introduction to PYD approach pieces very intro, but I hope you all have something to take from it and use it later.
Slide: Akane's Hometown -- Photo of Takeyama, Japan
Akané Kousaka (she/her): So, about Akané, about myself. Again, my name is Akané Kousaka, and I use she, her, hers as pronouns. My name in Japanese here is Kousaka Akané. There you go and I see that you can't see the bottom of the presentation right now. But you see-- it great, I'm a therapist clinical social worker clinical supervisor, I'm a Queer woman, I'm also multicultural.
You're seeing the picture of my hometown, where I grew up, and coincidentally, it's called 竹山 (Takeyama) directly translates to bamboo mountain. So, you can't quite see in this picture, but around here and all, we have our bamboo trees. And I like to share this picture with you because, and I think that this will give you a little bit of the context as to where I came from. This is, this was my life growing up lots of mountain and more trees than humans in my little town and it's pretty country in Japan.
Slide: About Akané -- graphics of Glass, company logo and Akané 's non-profit Proud Futures
Akané Kousaka (she/her): And I am currently working as the behavioral health services manager at Glass a Justice Resource Institute in Boston. And at Glass, I provide individual therapy to LGBTQ-plus youth of color ages just between 13 and 25. And a family therapy to families who want LGBTQ-plus affirmative care. I also supervise therapists who are providing these services to the community, but as Julian, said, are we leaving very soon. Unfortunately, and it actually makes me sad to leave this organization because I think that we've done really great work. And it's a really community to be part of. But this year, I co-founded – founded a program based in Japan called Proud Futures and our vision as a society in which LGBTQ-plus children and a youth live their lives feeling secure, confident, and liberated. To achieve this vision, we have been building and sharing resources with LGBTQ youth and children there and they're supportive adults. Our areas of expertise include mental health support and advocacy for LGBTQ-plus children and youth and LGBTQ-plus inclusive education in the Japanese school system.
Slide: "Youth" -- The period between childhood and adulthood. Age difference across cultures and context exists. And the brain reaches full maturity around age 30. Young People.
Akané Kousaka (she/her): And I know that I said the word youth today at least six times by this slide already, and I know I will be saying the term youth many more times today. So, I wanted to make sure that we know what the term youth means today, when I say it. And the first youth means the period between childhood and adulthood. Please know that the age difference across cultures and contexts exist. And in the United States- in many cases, it's usually ages between 13 and 25. But it's also important to note that the recent studies, studies indicate that our brain doesn't reach the full maturity until around the age of 30. So, I don't think it's wrong to include people who are older than 25 in that youth category, when we think about PYD approach today. Also use the term young people interchangeably with the term youth. So that's it for the introduction of me and the term youth. So, let's learn about PYD approach.
Slide: "Quick Activity!" -- Put in the chat what comes to mind when you think about LGBTQ-plus students and risk factors.
Akané Kousaka (she/her): But before that, I have a quick activity here, so please put in the chat, what comes to mind when you think about LGBTQ-plus students and risk factors.
I see depression. Violence. Isolation. Discrimination. Intersectionality. Loneliness. Isolation. Employment discrimination. Yes. Having to go back in the closet when going home. Suicide risk. Loneliness.
Just please experience what— what is coming to mind. Notice, what you're experiencing is. [Reading] Homeless-- homelessness. Desperate need for treatment. Trauma and disconnect from families. Lots of fear. Religious and spiritual disconnect. Homelessness and housing instability. Physical threat. Yes. Mistrust in the system. Yes.
Slide: Youth as Victims
Slide: Graphic of Youth as Victims
Akané Kousaka (she/her): I appreciate that. Thank you so much. And just, just notice what you're experiencing right now as you think of those things. And it is absolutely important that we think about those challenges and risk factors faced by LGBTQ-plus youth. It's also true that the risk prevention and intervention play a vital role when working with the marginalized communities and populations. But—When we focus too much on the risks and how to protect young people from those risks, you might start seeing young people as victims. And maybe just as victims. And when we do that. Here's what could happen. We might start thinking that they need help. And not from anyone, but they need help from the professionals and the help from the specialists. They cannot make their own healthy choices because they're too hard for that. May also think, what else can go wrong. So, let's identify other risk factors and let's manage those factors.
And we do that with all good intentions, usually; and thinking about those things aren't necessarily bad. But, over emphasis of adolescent developmental programs can lead to focusing too much on the young people developmental problems and pathologies. So, when we see young people as victims, we can end up overlooking the strength and power of the young people and this is the resiliency piece that – that we-- we heard. Also, over emphasis of those problems and seeing people as victims can lead us to think- to start thinking that the young people are the problems.
Slide: Arrow from Youth as Victims to Youth as Problems
Akané Kousaka (she/her): So, this shift from youth as victims to youth as problems also have to do with the shift from: what happened to you? To what's wrong with you? This is also a shift from thinking about how youth are in danger to youth are broken. And through my own experience as having being a young person before, not long ago, and also hearing how adolescence and young adulthood are being talked about. Also, through my own professional training as a clinical social worker, I know, I had definitely internalized this notion that you are in a time of stress and storm.
Slide: Youth are doing well when they don't display problems
Slide: What does it mean to do well? What is wellbeing?
Akané Kousaka (she/her): Also, in the mainstream US society. It's often seen as they're doing well, when they don't display problems. They do well because they don't seem to have problems; that they don't show the problems. And of course, it's not what everyone thinks all the time. But we know that this is a notion that exists. Which leads me to think, what does it mean, really, to be- to do well and what is well-being.
Is it the lack of problem? And lack of illness, that makes us be well? Is that what well-being means or can we be well and experience that well-being, even when we face challenges and problems? And even when we are ill? And I think that the positive youth development approach could offer the antidote to viewing young people as victims or problems. So, let's learn a little bit about it today.
Slide: Definitions (read below)
Akané Kousaka (she/her): I have three definitions, because there are so many different ways to talk about PYD approach. But I had to select a top three that I like. Today, I liked different ones in the past. But today, this is what I'm introducing you to. 1 PYD means viewing youth as full of potential rather than problems to be solved. To feel it is an approach to working with youth that emphasizes building on youth strength and providing support and opportunities that will help them achieve goals and transition to adulthood in a productive healthy manner. And 3 PYD: it is an approach or philosophy that guides communities in a way they organize services, supports, and opportunities; so that all young people can develop to their full potential.
Slide: Graphic of PYD Keywords - Potential, Supports, and Opportunities
Akané Kousaka (she/her): And some of you might have noticed that there were a few words that are repeated- repeatedly used among those three definitions. Let's call them key words. PYD key words. Its potential, supports, and opportunities. Potential: as in youth are seen as full of potential. Supports- as in supports are provided to help young people build on their strengths and develop their full potential. And opportunities as in young people are connected to opportunities to do what they're good at and help them transition to adulthood in a healthy and productive manner. So just observe this and experience what comes to mind when you think about those three things. And I also prepared a couple of notes on PYD that I want to introduce you to.
Slide: Notes on PYD
Slide: Traditional Approach vs. PYD Approach
Traditional Approach: for targeted youth, focuses on management of risk factors and current problems to prevent future problems, services are seen as primary, deficit-based approach that identifies problems and "fixes" problems, youth are people "served."
PYD Approach: for any youth, focuses on promoting the wellbeing of youth now and their future adulthood, services are seen as secondary, strength-based approach that engages youth in opportunities to grow, youth are resourceful and actively involved in shaping their own development.
Akané Kousaka (she/her): 1 PYD. It is an approach, not a curriculum or an intervention module. And to because it's an approach PYD can be implemented across different types of programs systems and settings and it can take on different forms to fit different settings, including clinical settings, classrooms, in student organizing— so, I think college is kind of a perfect place to experiment what it's like to use PYD and there are so many ways in which you can do this. So, I'm pretty excited that you're learning about this a little bit today. And here's also another tool to understand PYD.
So, let's look at the traditional approach. Traditional approach came from the prevention field. Parents, teachers, and youth service professionals tried to identify and fix the problems affecting young people. Such as school failure and drop out. Unemployment, unplanned pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, substance abuse and misuse, and crime.
Also, all the things that you put in the chat earlier about the risks and challenges faced by young people who are LGBTQ, that just mental health challenges, violence that they experienced, but in some cases, they are, they become part of the violence. Whatever the reasons. Isolation. Loneliness and housing instability. So generally speaking, traditional approaches for targeted to youth who are experiencing those challenges. And PYD focuses on management of those risks and the current problems they're facing in order to prevent the future problems from happening. And services are generally seen as primary in the traditional approach. And it's the deficit-based approach that identifies it-- fixes problems. So, in that young people are seeing as people served. Whereas this PYD approach, it is for any young people. And it focuses on promoting the wellbeing of young people now and their future adulthood. So, it's not just about the prevention of the future problems. Services are seen as secondary. When just wholly-- solely using PYD approach, and it's a strengths-based approach that engages young people in opportunities to grow. Young people are so resourceful – considered as resourceful in PYD approach and are actively involved in shaping their own development. As opposed to being seen as people served.
And one is not exclusively better than the other, although I might have done a little bit of injustice to traditional approach by saying things like, it's a deficit-based approach. But it's true that both have benefits in that role to play in our communities. And it's also entirely possible to mix those two approaches. So, let's look at what it's like to use PYD approach, real quick.
Slide: Photo of Pride Wrist-bands and Example of Glass
Mission: To improve the wellbing of LGTBQ-plus youth of color.
How?: Addressing the immediate needs of LGTBQ-plus youth of color, equipping them with tools to make healthy decisions and live fulfilling lives, support them to create communities in which they can thrive and transition to adulthood.
Akané Kousaka (she/her): Here's an example of Glass, where I currently work. The mission of Glass is to improve the wellbeing of LGBTQ-plus youth of color. And how do we do that is by addressing the immediate needs of LGBTQ-plus youth of color. So that's where sort of the services are happening for us. We address the needs through mental health services. HIV and STI testing, and counseling, and treatment. We also have housing stabilization services. We also try addressing the goal of our program by equipping them, young people, with tools to make healthy decisions and live fulfilling lives. So, we have groups to talk about healthy relationships, consent, sex, and more. We have that drop-in space to casually engage in conversation about things that matter to them. We also have Youth Leadership Program: where young people serve as peer leaders and engage in various works, including public health work and peer to peer support work, using their strengths and areas of interests. So, for example, we have a peer leader who loves poetry and going to open mic. So, this person, as soon as Covid started and we couldn't go to the office to work decided to host an open mic through Instagram; using one of the glass accounts. We have Boston Glass and Framingham glass. And so, the Framingham glass Instagram account, once a month, hosts the open mic program. And this just directly came from this young person who's very passionate about poetry, community, and open mic. So, they made it happen. And this person needed very real little support from adults; and they already had the strings and skills to organize those events and use Instagram really smoothly and navigate all those things. So, all we needed to do was to to say: "Yes, let's do it and support this person."
Anyways, we can also have a young person, who has a love for art. And they want to be a professional artist. And one of the things this person started at Glass, as a peer leader, is to start an art club; where they come up with topics, or problems, and activities to do for the community and facilitate the art club weekly. It's a very popular programming. And that was also-- the idea directly came from the young person. And adults just sort of supported in the way that this person has needed. By asking: what they need? How we can be useful in any ways? Or in some cases, we just don't do anything and participate in the programming. So that's right here. It could have been done with tools to make healthy decisions and live fulfilling lives.
And lastly, we support them to create communities in which they can thrive and transition to adulthood. So that's by having the drop-in space, where they can connect with other people. We still have the drop-in space online. Right now, we have the zoom drop-in hours where they can show up, connect with staff members, connect with other young people, create communities where they feel connected And they can thrive.
So, let's do another activity.
Slide: Photo of a counter with cracked eggshells, silver spoons and utensils, a burlap sack in the background, a bowl of eggs in the background, and white flower or powder everywhere.
Akané Kousaka (she/her): Here's a picture of broken eggshells— White powder. I can't tell you if it's-- it's sugar or flour or something else. You all-- you also see a bag of the same white powder-- that I know- that in the back and a couple of other things. Now, take a moment, to notice what you experience—when you hold the perspective that youth are problems; while, you look at this picture. So, hold the perspective that youth are problems. As you look at this picture. And type in the chat, what comes up for you. And what you notice about yourself.
It can be about your feelings. Images, memories, even body sensations.
[Reading] Concern. Anger out of control-- neglect. Mess to be cleaned up. Are the eggs broken or using something else. What happened. It looks like a mess. And I wrote: now who made this mess and left this mess.
You're feeling like I can't find any problem here. So maybe there's disconnect between the picture and the perspective
Now, take another moment to notice what you experience when you hold the perspective that youth are resourceful and full of potential. As you look at this picture, again, notice what comes to mind. And type in the chat. What you're noticing about yourself.
[Reading] Time to create a cake. You have some eggs left. Maybe some helpfulness. There's Creative Cooking happening. Ingredients to make delicious cake. Several parts make up the whole. Creativity, spontaneous, energetic. Connection between ingredients and strengths to make something wonderful. Yes. Great.
Slide: Graphic -- Thoughts create feelings, feelings influence behaviors, behaviors impacts others and reinforces thoughts.
Akané Kousaka (she/her): So, we can provide support, whether we see people as problems— as well as resourceful and full potential. But what you might have experienced just now is these thoughts create feelings. Feelings influence the behavior. And our behavior impacts others and reinforces thoughts. When I have the perspective that the youth are problems, this is the thoughts I have; I started to experience this annoyance. Frustration. Maybe even sadness and hopelessness, that maybe there's nothing I can do. I really want to be supportive when I just feel sad, or I feel annoyed. I might even feel like, there's only me. Only I can support this person. So, I really have to do it. And when I have those feelings and internal experiences that will show my behavior. That will influence how I show up to the world and interact with young people.So, I may be forceful, or I might be too quick to give advice that's not being asked for. And I'm I starting to count down how many more minutes, I have with this person to spend-- because I want to go. I really want to be supportive. I want to be here to work with you but I kind of want to go. And that might show. And of course, that will influence our relationship and how the other person experiences Me and My presence in the relationship. And by seeing that, and experiencing that I might develop more thoughts, or I might just really confirm: Yes, they are the problems. They don't want to work with me. They're not as invested in them, as I am. So, I don't want to work hard. I don't want to meet with this person.
When I had this perspective- that the young person is resourceful and full of potential, I noticed that that relaxes me a little bit. I feel, a little lighter. I feel this warmth. I feel excited and curious. The what's there? What more is there for me to see and learn about this person? I just get really excited. I don't experience hopelessness sadness. I might still experience anxiety, depending on the day, and depending on what's happening; but I know that it's not coming from meeting with this person. I know it's about something else. So, I can better really understand myself. And again, that will show up in the relationship. I might be more curious and ask questions to learn more about the person, which I will hope, that will help the other person, the young person, learn more about themselves, their perspectives, their feelings, who they are, who they become when facing challenges, who they become when they are engaged in something fun. I can probably ask more questions to learn about their strengths, resiliency, and what opportunities they already have. Opportunity-- opportunities we can create for the person to engage in and grow. So that also reinforces the thoughts that this person is resourceful and full of potential; and always develop other thoughts. Like this person is really strong. This person knows the best. This person is struggling right now; but all I can do is to show up, and be with the person, and support. I don't have to worry. So, we know that this is true.
Slide: Final Activity! (Read Below)
Akané Kousaka (she/her): Now here's the final activity related to this. Please think of a student, you are supporting, who you feel particularly worried about or challenged by something. Think about the student who fits this description. And hold the perspective that the student is resourceful and a full of potential. And type in the chat. What opportunities exist for or within the student? Or even what opportunities can be created. Incoming students that you're supporting, whom you feel worried about, or challenge by. As you think of that person, hold that perspective-- perspective that they are resourceful and full of potential. With that- with that version of who you are known as, what opportunities exist for that person or within the person? Or even, think what opportunities can be created. And type in the chat.
[Reading] Student can advocate for themselves. They'll find their way, to their futures or career or home life. Is the opportunity to respond to faculty members or reaching out to offer support. Yes. In noticing the resources available for that person, you see, they might have gone through a similar experience in the past, and knows that works for them knows-- What works for them. Creating handshake connections to others in my network. Just keep noticing what shifts for you. When you hold this perspective, as you think of this student, you feel challenged by or worried about. Just be with that. And notice, less shifts for you. And for those who were able to type in your answers here. I hope you're noticing this shift. Or even, if it's not a shift you're noticing. Yes, this has always been part of me and I just know-- really need to do more. Or just show up as who I am, because this has been my perspective. Students can learn from each other by being in community. Great. Outreach, the offices where the student feels trusted and can be heard as there. Yeah. There's offices in your community. Great. Wonderful, thank you so much.
Slide: Thanks! Any Questions? You can find me (Akané) at Proudfutures.org or email akousaka@proudfutures.org
Akané Kousaka (she/her): So, that was the introduction to positive youth approach. And we have a little bit of time left for Q and A. And you can please contact me through my email or this is the website for the Futures. Most of the content there is currently in Japanese. But I'm going to be working on English page-- so soon, you'll know what we're saying there.
Julián Cancino (he/him): Thank you Akané. We'll open it up for for conversation, right. That's how I think about it, both with Akané, but hopefully, also amongst each other. I think that now that we're in a virtual world, it makes it much more difficult really to reach out across offices. So, this is our opportunities, I would like to actually start with a question that came to mind. Akané, I really want to hold on to the optimism piece. And I will like your thoughts and everybody else's thoughts on you know, we were talking about how as as educators, can help lead our relationship with the students and they can be active participants. My question relates to the context, right, the environment around us. Things that I, as an educator, can control and that the student cannot control themselves. How does this framework, help us navigate say global pandemic, or the post-election stress? Like, how can we address the fact that we do exist in this context and really be able to use this framework?
Akané Kousaka (she/her): And…So, I will start from perspective shift- what I just notice, who I become. And I'm using: I. But you can sort of think about a student and imagine yourself asking that person that question. But I think we have to start from ourselves, our experiences. That-- to be really authentically be there for somebody else and actually, have that real compassion, empathy. So, I often start from myself, who do I become with the thought that I'm powerless. There's nothing I can do. And who do I become with that thought that… The phrase I actually use more often than resourceful and potential-- for potential, is: Who do I become with the thoughts that I am naturally creative, resourceful, and whole. And what I would notice is: Me having that perspective doesn't magically change the environment I'm in. The environment, kind of stays as it is. But I notice, that how I might I see myself and what I can do shifts. And when I'm holding the perspective, but I'm powerless and there's nothing I can do-- I tend to isolate. That's also my personality.
Some people, when feeling down and powerless- seek out communities. And that's what they naturally do or they train themselves to do. I naturally isolate myself and I want to sleep forever. And it took me some time for me to really learn that and accept it. And because I really learned that about myself, now I know what's possible; with that thought that I'm naturally creative resourceful and whole. And so, I'm using this election as an example. I'm, I'm not a US citizen, I can't vote. And besides the fact that I'm leaving the country, it is kind of hard to be in this situation, where I know I'll be deeply impacted by who becomes the President; but I can't vote. I-- There's no vote for me- to vote and be counted. But my perspective, that I'm naturally resourceful, creative, and whole— I know that there are volunteer work I can do. I know that I can hold a space as a clinician, with my skills and experience for people and myself to come together and process experiences. And I know, either way, the fight to eradicate oppression doesn't end for me. And that's something I know we just need to keep engaging. And so I just noticed my experience shift, although the environment hasn't changed. I hope that answered your question a little bit.
Dvora Pemstein (she/her): I also have a question. I'm wondering if during your work here or maybe the work that you plan to do in Japan, you've— connected with or done some of this type of education with the medical professionals who work with LGBTQ-plus youth. Because I see, particularly for trans and non-binary youth, a very significant pathologies. A path-a-lot— Pathological, right? So, there's like—creating a medical problem or an issue in order to be valid. And I think about how there are different environments here in Boston, where you can access health care and it's some of them-- there's a requirement for mental health treatment, even if the only presenting problem is that someone is trans. That was the first thing I thought of, when you started talking. Like there's another, there's a way that, that inherently, to me seems like it's a problem focused approach rather than a strengths-based approach. And I'm just wondering if there's been any any connection with that community or how how this type of thought work has been received.
Akané Kousaka (she/her): Yeah, so I just had to do lots of networking and connecting with medical professionals to find the people who don't pathologize people who are trans and non-binary; and they exist. And they know that they have to go through protocol and use the guidelines. But their perspective and approach isn't pathologizing. So you just-- they exist. And you need to connect with those people. And if you email me, I will share with you, who they are. I'll put my email and in terms of-- Sorry typing. I think it's the actual email.
In terms of working with the young people at Glass, and myself personally, to just create the environment that communicates that there's nothing wrong with you and you being who you are. What's wrong is the trans-phobia, queer-phobia, and discrimination. So, and even in terms of racism-- my race isn't what's wrong, when I experienced discrimination as a person of color, East Asian immigrant, but it's the discrimination. It's the racism that's wrong. And we really make it- that part of our language, or part of our culture. And we talk about those things. And that shows up everywhere. When working with people who have experiences of being marginalized. And I do have to write letters, sometimes for people to get what they really want and affirm their gender in a way that works for them. And I often say, just verbally say to them, I know there's nothing wrong with you and I don't intend to create a list of things that are wrong. And sort of use this letter to prove that, but I'm just writing this letter because that's what it is right now. And I try my best to make it as strength based as possible, highlighting what- what's been working for you. And of course, you get to tell me what to include and not included. So I asked them to read the letter, and we edit it together as needed.
Julián Cancino (he/him): Um, we have just a few, but we run out of time. But I will say, I'll ask one more question. Because this is something that I think is very... I see it a lot of at the Gender and Sexuality Center, and I want to hear your thoughts.
Many of our students, right, are finding themselves. Right. And so their identity is not necessarily solidified. Right. It's a process. And at the GSC, I know that many students are not comfortable affirming an identity or another. And so, since this- this sort of like optimistic strength-based approach, that looks at identity as a sort of like a foundation. Right. How do we, how do we navigate that, right? When a student says: "Well, I'm not really a member of the LGBTQ community. I'm an ally." Or I don't know how do we support that sort of identity formation without really forcing it?
Akané Kousaka (she/her): And I would be curious about. First of all, if that's what they want the support around. And and they may or may not be able to say that, but what is it that they can say right now, that they will support around? It's something I would definitely start from. And that can be something that's totally unrelated to their identity, they might want to talk about--- I don't know how to clean my room and I really need support around organizing my my room and life. And if that's what they can identify and say that to another person, I would start from there. And really focus on developing the relationship. And—
One of the concepts that weren't clearly said in today's three definitions of PYD, introduced to people, is this emphasis on relationship building and how you it is a very relational approach. And I didn't use one of the definitions that includes that language because it's kind of five pages long. Really long-- why I didn't want to include that. But relationship is really important and the mental health field knows that relationship is what heals people's pain and emotional injury so...
Instead of sort of pushing them or being creative about helping the person say what they're not saying, I'll just really be there. And start from developing their relationship. And start with what they are identifying as something they can share with you. Which may create more things to do. For you.
Julián Cancino (he/him): Thank you, Akané Kousaka. This makes me think right. In, like you said, in, in the context of our world and all that the things we're navigating it comes back to the relationship.
Yeah, and it comes back to the human- right. And sort of how to treat each other’s with grace.
Thank you. Thank you so much for being with us and sharing your thoughts, your experience, your insights. Thanks everybody who joined us. I just likely-- would like to close with huge thanks to our sponsors right at Division of Student Affairs. Thank you so much. Andrea Dine for being with us. The Brandeis counseling center, Office of International students and scholars, and of course the GSC. We have some links, we will like your feedback. There are only five questions. We just want to better improve these types of trainings and thank you, thank you again for being with us. I hope you have a good week. Goodbye.