Chosen Family Therapy

The Chosen Family Empowerment Project is a fiscally sponsored project of the Good Rural, and is missioned-aligned with Chosen Family Therapy.  The Chosen Family Empowerment Project centers the needs and voices of members of overlooked and underserved communities who have been disproportionately impacted by this racial and public health pandemic.

 

About

Chosen Family Empowerment Project was Co-founded by Madilynn A. Beck, and Giovanni Trimble (JS Very) on February 4. 2021.

Chosen Family Empowerment Project became a Fiscally Sponsored Project of the Good Rural on March 25. 2021

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Vision: We envision an inclusive society that creates resources based on their community's needs

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Mission: To develop culturally humble and gender affirming programming and events that produce positive social change, and are informed by the members of overlooked and underserved communities.

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Values

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We value sharing resources, knowledge, and skills

We are passionate about every person's right to access information

We respect each other's differences

We prioritize equity and access for all

We center the needs and voices of those who are the most marginalized

We empower those who have been disempowered

We allow everyone to have the autonomy to self-define

We​ promote body positivity

We do not judge each other's lifestyles

We respect each other's pronouns

We promote the human right to have equal access to quality food, housing, and healthcare

We are committed to abolishing racism and white supremacy

We are committed to prison abolition

We believe in applying restorative justice and transformative justice to repair harm

We are committed to de-stigmatizing mental health and physical health disabilities 

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The Beginnings of Chosen Family Empowerment Project

 

Since the inception of Chosen Family Therapy, the founder realized that most of the clients who accessed psychotherapy services at Chosen Family Therapy felt isolated and needed to build their support network. However, there was a dearth of culturally humble and gender-affirming programs and events that were low-fee or free to attend. 

 

In an effort to remedy this disparity, Chosen Family Therapy decided to fund the research, development, and implementation of Chosen Family Empowerment Project, a grassroots organization committed to creating programming and events that promote positive social change.

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Chosen Family Empowerment Project creates culturally humble and gender-affirming programs and events in coalition with the resources and psychotherapists of Chosen Family Therapy, a Marriage and Family Therapist Professional Corporation founded in August of 2018, and Chosen Family Sanctuary, a church in the process of obtaining tax exempt status founded in October of 2020.

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By creating multiple types of entities that work collaboratively and are mission-aligned, we are able to provide a wider range of wellness, therapeutic, and healing services to individuals, couples, families, and groups who are seeking culturally humble and gender affirming treatment. Independently, these entities can only offer a limited scope of services, however together, we can operate from a holistic model that prioritizes continuity of care. Were Chosen Family Empowerment Project to receive fiscal sponsorship status, we would be eligible for funding and opportunities that would allow us to extend our reach to include underserved and overlooked communities. Our goal is to be able to provide pro-bono and low-fee psychotherapy and wellness services to queer, trans, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (QTBIPOC) who are experiencing financial hardship.

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Madilynn A. Beck, a psychotherapist at Chosen Family Therapy, conducted a needs assessment among overlooked and underserved community members based in Participatory Action Research to ensure that Chosen Family Empowerment Project’s programs are actually producing positive social change by fulfilling the needs identified by these communities. Based on the responses and needs identified by these communities, Madilynn created the program, “Healing on Display” a proactive journey of catharsis, emotional development, and financial literacy, through sponsored art-based healing  and digital commerce of individually generated works of art. Chosen Family Empowerment Project will host “Healing on Display” programs remotely via secure video sessions, technology platforms and apps to accommodate residents of both rural and urban communities within the state of California.

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All donations raised for Chosen Family Empowerment Project will directly fund low-fee and pro-bono programs and events that benefit overlooked and underserved communities and are informed by members of these communities.

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To find out more about the Chosen Family Empowerment Project, click the button below and provide your name, pronouns, and the best days and times to reach you. Due to COVID, all of our regular programs and events are provided via online video conferencing and phone conferencing. Please do not provide any sensitive private health information.

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