Claire Tam

Social justice activist Dolores Huerta once said, “All that a person has is his or her story: who they are, what they’ve gone through, what their families have gone through. This is their story, and when you’re trying to deny them their story, you’re taking away their power.”Listening to and acknowledging a person’s story lies at the core of my practice as a counselor because I view a person’s story as a reflection of their identity. When I graduated from high school, I set out to become a filmmaker that would tell the stories of individuals who are often ignored or erased. Documenting on film, however, became less important to me as the pull I felt towards nurturing others grew. Volunteering as an emergency responder in Greece solidified my passion to serve people beyond limited and temporary interactions and motivated me to pursue a career in counseling so that I may support others in a longer lasting and more impactful way. LGBTQ+ people and persons of color encounter prejudice and oppression in innumerable ways that impair their mental health, and the intersection of LGBTQ+ and ethnic minorities remains to be a neglected area of health care. Systemic racism, heterosexism, and other institutionalized forms of oppression means that individuals from marginalized communities often face insurmountable barriers to accessing high quality, culturally affirming care. I am committed to removing such barriers and through the opportunities I have had in serving individuals from marginalized populations, I strive to embrace others within the context of their varying cultures, communities, and beliefs.