Hakim of Beyond Living was able to do exceptional work with my middle school community. The first time we got to work with him was during Black History Month, when he was a guest speaker sharing his experience as a therapist, and entrepreneur. The second time we worked with him was when he did a professional development with 40+ members of our staff, discussing subjects ranging from vicarious trauma, to emotional wellness. On both occasions our students and teachers were able to gain new strategies to deal with and identify stressful situations and emotional wellness. Our students and staff still use these strategies regularly.

Hakim met with our team of mental health therapists for a couple of workshops in 2020. Initially, our providers ranged in how they incorporated social justice and anti-racism frameworks into their practices, and Hakim was able to facilitate education and discussion that was beneficial for each of us. Through a combination of psycho-education and group conversation, we were able to ask questions and confront internal barriers that surface when talking about racism. This was in addition to exploring how we can address the impacts of white supremacy and related trauma in our work with clients. Following our time with Hakim, providers demonstrate more shared understanding and willingness to discuss systemic racism within our field among each other and with clients. We look forward to working with Beyond Living again in the future!