Meet Onyx Fujii | Onyx Fujii, LCSW // therapist, supervisor, consultant, and co-director of Kintsugi Therapist Collective

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

Hi Onyx, every day, we about how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
Kintsugi Therapist Collective (KTC) began in conversation between me and fellow disabled therapist, and dear friend, Asher Pandjiris. During the pandemic, the challenges we had already been experiencing as care workers navigating the extractive dynamics of the mental health industrial complex, fighting to sustain our chronically ill bodies, felt beyond repair. And yet, we ourselves and our children to provide for, and a glimmer of the dedication and reverence we both hold for our clients and our vision for what clinical practice should be — or what it could become.

We built KTC, our labor of love, with the belief that when we have nothing left, we have each other. Asher and I have had to rely on one another to survive in field that is so deeply ableist, capitalistic, and rooted in white supremacy. Holding close the gentle power created by the affirmation and support, as well as the radical honesty and care, that is the magic of chronic illness and disability community, we were inspired to center these vital aspects as we dreamed up what KTC is today.

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?
At its core, KTC is a space and growing community that sees care workers as whole people, many of whom come to this work with complex physical, mental, and emotional care needs. KTC values and aims to respond to the realities of therapists and aligned care workers navigating the challenge of maintaining active, successful practices without being harmed by the toxic professionalism embedded in extractive clinical business models and clinical training programs. KTC believes that thoughtfully planned, well-supported private practices can provide stability to practitioners, in addition to those we serve, by learning to live and model existing for our own wellbeing, not for everyone else at the detriment to ourselves.

KTC exists as a reminder that our wholeness matters and liberation is possible.

I also encourage anyone interested to read the manifesto Asher and I wrote together: https://medium.com/@kintsugitherapistcollective/we-need-not-be-fine-a-manifesto-for-mental-healthcare-workers-who-cant-go-on-like-this-2e939140c928

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
KTC is a virtual, international community, but I personally live on unceded Lenni Lenape land, colonially known as Philadelphia, PA. If anyone from CO is in town visiting, I suggest you checkout. Càphê Roasters — 3400 J St G1, Philadelphia, PA 19134

Vietnamese coffee roastery with delicious food and drinks

Cake Life Bake Shop — 1306 Frankford Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19125

amazing trans-owned bakery dreamed up by my college friends, Nima and Lily… in addition to being delicious, they made Beyoncé’s birthday cake!!

Double Knot Philly — 120 S 13th St, Philadelphia, PA 19107

robatayaki, sushi, and delicious cocktails and mocktails

Harriet’s Bookshop — 258 E Girard Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19125

black-owned bookstore that centers bipoc authors, artists, & activists

Sagami Japanese Restaurant — 37 Crescent Blvd, Collingswood, NJ 08108

definitely worth crossing the bridge to NJ to eat the best Japanese food I’ve eaten outside of Japan

F.A.N. — 2472 Frankford Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19125

in case you need the best haircut of your life while you’re in town

Martha — 2113 E York St, Philadelphia, PA 19125

a great place with a heated backyard (for those of us who recognize that the pandemic is far from over) for snacks, drinks, and hoagies

OMOI Life Goods — 41 S 3rd St, Philadelphia, PA 19106

a shop full of Japanese home goods, stationary, and accessories

Tea Do — 132 N 10th St. Philadelphia, PA 19107

my 8-year-old’s and my favorite bubble tea in Chinatown

Three Bears Park — 319 Delancey St, Philadelphia, PA 19106

a sweet little park that looks like a fairytale with a playground for the littles

Tom’s Dim Sum — 59 N 11th St. Philadelphia, PA 19107

my 8-year-old’s and my favorite dim sum

Wm. Mulherin’s Son’s — 1355 N Front St, Philadelphia, PA 19122

delicious Italian food & a gorgeous hotel inside of a former whiskey facility

…and of course all of the beautiful nature of the Wissahickon.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My co-director and forever friend, Asher Pandjiris! And honestly, KTC would not be what it is without our incredible members, so… Alice Wang, Nanae Ito, Daniella Acker, Meg Shaughnessy-Mogill, Katherine Evering-Rowe, Jenny Shiiba, Amanda Colon, Emma Nevel, Bridget Bertrand, Anisah Miley, Miriam Zisook, Blaise Fortunata, Suzette Cook, Joanna Lima, Leah Cohen, Em Stuart, Rae Rome, Mel Gericke, Lauren Sanford, Bec Bell-Gurwitz, Dani Sullivan, Margee Quinn, Sara Yassky, Sophia Zucker, Kim Konokpa, Isabel Baylor, Mahyar Nili, Elizabeth Donahue, Willa Mey Beckman, Quinn Haisley, Caitrin Salvucci, Sara Gillooly, Azra Poe, Deesha Narichania, Cynthia Magaña, Tasha Chemel, Julia Wise Kofi, Leigh Witzling, Gracielx Sedillo Lopez, Veronica Chin Hing-Michaluk, Summer Koo, Lavender Roland-Waring, Sierra Alexander, Natasha (Natty) Camille, Sebastian Barr, Melissa Erickson, Luca Bartlett, Cailin Mateleska, Katie Crank, Kristen Cole, Jess Reuveni, Amelia Foley, Avigail Hurvitz-Prinz, Chad Mosher, and Jessica Steinbach… and those who we will meet as we grow together.

Website: www.kintsugitherapistcollective.com

Instagram: @kintsugitherapistcollective

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KTConFB

Image Credits
All of these photos belong to me, except the 2 shots of the 4 therapists belong to Asher Pandjiris, my co-director of Kintsugi Therapist Collective.