Meet Jasmine Hansen | Queer Therapist & Anti-imperialist veteran

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jasmine Hansen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jasmine, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
My experiences in the military and as a Queer person greatly influenced my inspiration for Solidarity Therapy. I entered the military at a young age in order to go to college. I suffered in the military’s environment and I felt trapped. Finally, after trying to get help for years, I found a therapist who saw me in my pain. As a method of self-protection often shared by trauma survivors, I blamed myself and carried a mountain of shame and guilt for the abuse, sexual harassment and assault, and moral injury I experienced in the military. My therapist, connecting with others who experienced sexual or military trauma, and Yoga helped me start to find myself and listen to my body and heart, and it truly saved my life.

Trauma healing to me means finding yourself, your community, and path for justice and liberation. After leaving the military, I was able to come into my identities as Queer and nonbinary, find my connection to spirituality after religious trauma, start finding my community, and embrace my values of feminism and anti-imperialism. And by anti-imperialist values I mean that I oppose colonialism, white supremacy, capitalism, war, and the United States empire and ruling class that has stolen and continues to exploit Turtle Island and the world through the military and funding war and genocide. Becoming a therapist and starting Solidarity Therapy is my act of love and justice to offer a space to others to find and connect with themselves and their bodies, community, and liberation.

The word solidarity originates from the Latin word “solidus” which means solid and whole. In Latin, “solidus” described something that was firm and united. To me, solidarity means unity through recognizing the interconnectedness of our experiences, trauma, and oppression. Trauma and systems of oppression like imperialism and the military industrial complex disconnect us from ourselves and each other. My heart’s passion as a trauma and relationship therapist is to support and truly be with folks in connecting with themselves and their relationships in their healing.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My therapy practice specializes in complex trauma, relationships, couples, and supporting the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, neurodivergent folks, and young adults. I hold space for individuals, relationships, and couples to slow down with patterns and attachment or trauma responses with compassion, connect with their internal experience, amplify strengths, and explore new patterns and possibilities for healing.

I am most proud of my courage to start Solidarity Therapy where I can be honest with my clients about my values and who I am. Many people in the therapy field say not to talk about politics. I have found the opposite leads to building trust and connection. Talking about identity, politics, and systems of oppression might turn some people away, and for me, it has only brought me closer to my clients who are seeking an authentic, deep connection that can only come from truth and honesty.

Starting Solidarity Therapy was intimidating at times. I followed my intuition and knowing that having my voice and autonomy as a therapist would better support current and future clients. I’ve learned to build trust with myself, and that I don’t need to mask or hide myself from clients or be the “blank slate” that is taught in many therapist trainings.

From my story, I want the world to know that is possible to leave and resist systems, hierarchies, and institutions that are harming you and harming us. You deserve to be yourself and find your voice, inner wisdom, and community. I am honored to walk alongside clients in their healing, and I have so much hope for the ripples of our collective healing together.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Ooh so many gems to choose from! For food, my favorites I would take them to are City ‘o City, Fellow Traveler, Sushi Den, and Indian food from Total Vegan. I’d take them to the South Pearl Farmer’s market for veggies and fruit, have a picnic at Wash Park, go see some live music at the Bluebird, check out some queer art or an event at the Town Hall Collaborative, and do a hike in the mountains.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First, I would like to thank the queer and trans ancestors who have paved the way for me to find myself and my queerness. I would like to thank my longtime supervisor who believes in me and cheers me on. Huge thank you to my community of queer therapists who continually inspire me and remind me I can be myself. Thank you to the many Yoga teachers who have guided me in my spirituality and a new relationship with my body.

Thank you to my mom and friends for listening, loving, and supporting me. Thank you to my therapists along the way who have helped me see new possibilities in my life I never dreamed possible. I would like to thank my partner and my dog for being there every step of the way, believing in me, and reminding me to laugh, cook, rest, be outside, and play ball.

Lastly and very importantly, I would like to share my deep appreciation for the feminist, anti-imperial, and abolitionist writers, educators, artists, leaders, and activists, most of whom are Black, Indigenous, and people of color, who have helped me learn. Thank you for sharing your stories, experiences, and calling me in as I learn to be a comrade in resistance with you. Free Palestine and all oppressed people.

Website: https://www.solidarity-therapy.com