ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the use of self in therapy, particularly in the context of an intersectional understanding of identity. The purpose of this chapter is threefold. First, the chapter aims to walk readers through an intersectional analysis of the author's own identity as a therapist. Second, with the use of a number of clinical vignettes, it shows readers how the use of self and intersectionality concretely inform the author's therapeutic approach. Third, the chapter informs how the use of self and an intersectional identity (during later stages of treatment) can create a therapeutic space with a social justice perspective that challenges oppression both inside and outside the therapy room. The hope is that by becoming more aware of the interdependencies between social categories and different social, economic, and political locations and systems, it will become easier to understand clients, tailoring interventions that meet their specific needs.
