Djinn K. Thompson, MSW Intern

BIOGRAPHY

Djinn is a woman of transgender experience, a parent of 3 queer and neurodivergent teens, and an autism educator. She obtained a BS in Anthropology from Michigan State University in 2002, and is currently in her final year of graduate school to obtain her Clinical MSW with a certificate in counseling combat veterans.

PROFESSIONAL VALUES

Intersectionality: As a therapist and a Social Worker, I am dedicated to recognizing the uniqueness of each client I encounter. I commit myself to understanding that my own intersecting identities, and those of my clients, compound and contribute to our experience of the world and ourselves in ways that discourage cookie cutter responses to client challenges and their solutions.

Revolutionary Justice: I believe that there is no lasting justice for marginalized people under our current system of white supremacist, cisheteronormative, patriarchal capitalism. I am committed to using my various privileges to deconstruct the barriers that prevent my clients and myself from fully integrating into society and constructing new ways of being that embrace and celebrate diversity rather than suppress it. I also commit to giving my clients the tools to do the same in their own lives whenever possible, rather than simply offering psychological band aids that make them feel better or place blame on the individual, when the structures of society are to blame.

Curiosity: As a clinician, I believe that each of us is truly capable of being our own superhero, our own Prince Charming, or our own guru. I believe it is my role to approach each therapeutic relationship with a curiosity that seeks ever deeper understanding of the client and their own inner teacher. Rather than offering solutions, I ask questions. “Tell me more about that.” “How did that make you feel?” “What would you like to get from that relationship in the future?”

Kindness: Holding space for another’s healing cannot be effective if it is not centered in kindness. I commit to offering an open, and upturned hand, a humble heart, and a spirit of acceptance. All the parts and emotions we bring to the therapeutic space are acceptable and loved. We offer each of them loving kindness and understanding. I recognize that the kindest path is not always the easiest, nor is kindness for ourselves always compatible with preventing heartbreak, especially when self-kindness means setting boundaries with others.