Amina Embodied

I’ve been thinking a lot about love lately. And not just because Valentine’s day is around the corner and all that. I also think that love has become a somewhat watered down word these days that can mean a great many different things to different people, or even used without much meaning attached to it. And since my practice is literally named “amina” which means “love” in English, I felt it was about time that I sat down and really thought deeply about what that means for me and Amina TCK Therapy.

I didn't choose to name my practice “love” in some mushy, half hearted, poetic sense. I chose it because this is the reason this company was founded - to show love to TCKs. And because of that, love is the underlying value that will forever be the standard on which I judge every action Amina TCK Therapy takes.

“So what does that even mean?”

It means that every business decision must be made in the name of love. Before meeting with a potential client, engaging in a networking opportunity, choosing to engage and disengage in contract work, how to market, how I show up in therapy, what continuing education I participate in, any and all business operation decisions...

I must ask myself:

Is this action a way to show love to my neighbor? To myself? To do unto others as I would have done unto myself? 

Does this action show love to my clients? To those in my personal life? To others who might be impacted by my decision? To those who have an emotional connection to or who may be impacted by the words I say? What about the pictures I use in marketing? The policies in my paperwork? The decisions made in treatment?

It must be done with love, in love, fueled by love at its core. 

“Ok but what does it mean to do something in love?”

That’s not an easy question to answer! I think everyone really needs to sit down and think deeply about what that means for them. We might come up with vastly different answers, and that’s ok! I thought about this question deeply because it’s important for me to know for myself - but also because I want this to be in writing for others to read. I think it’s important to know about the company and the therapist you are investing in. And I know that words can hold a lot of power - both when they are said and when they are not said. While by no means perfect or exhaustive, this is the answer I came up with:

• Love is sincere and trustworthy.

  • I am committed to being authentic with my clients, with other professionals, honest about expectations for therapy, transparent in my business practices and fees, and never intentionally misrepresenting something or someone for my own agenda.

• Love does not knowingly do harm

  • I am committed to being held accountable to the ethical codes and standards of practice of the professional organizations I am a part of for the good of the clients I serve and the communities I am professionally involved in. Which obviously means not engaging in illicit activities that harm people. But it also means things like not judging others, or seeking to control, manipulate or use people. Love means the absence of harm.

• Love does not discriminate

  • I am committed to welcoming clients of all ages, genders, gender identities, sexual orientations, races, cultures, ethnicities, citizenships, ability levels, political affiliations, socioeconomic statuses, religions, or any other characteristic, social, genetic or otherwise. You are welcome and valued exactly as you are!

• Love holds space with compassion

  • Holding space means that all of you, your experiences, your thoughts, opinions and feelings are welcome in therapy. I am not here to tell you who to be or what to think, or whether you “should” or “shouldn’t” feel a certain way. But to help you see it and understand it and make your own decisions about the direction you want to go in. I’m not only here for the happy vibes, to “fix” problems, to only talk about specific topics as determined by me. I am here for the whole client and whatever way they are experiencing the world around them.

• Love is sustainable

  • Sustainable means lasting, right? In order for this business and the services it offers to be sustainable, than I need to make sure that I am also taking care of it and the person behind it - myself. The business model needs to work. I need to charge fees so that the business can survive. I need to have healthy boundaries and not burn out so that I can continue to do this work. Sometimes - almost always - showing love to others also means also taking care of yourself and being a good steward of the resources you are responsible for.

I am by no means perfect, and neither is this list. I am sure that I will evolve, as will my understanding of how to better embody love through Amina TCK Therapy. It’s a question we have to continually ask and re-ask ourselves throughout our lives, isn’t it?

Have you ever asked yourself “How am I embodying love right now?” Or is that a question you even want to ask yourself? It’s up to you.

But if this is a value of yours, and something that you want to better understand how to embody, I found that it was certainly worth the time to examine and write out. Not just for my own benefit, but because you never know what good speaking love can do for someone who might need to hear it right now.