Tag: Mindful Ecotherapy Center

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We’re Moving YouTube Content to Substack

Youtube

Dear friends of the Mindful Ecotherapy Center,

Our YouTube content is moving to Substack! We are announcing that, effective November 1, 2025, we will transition our primary online platform from YouTube to Substack. This decision is about integrity, equity, and ensuring our content is shared in a space aligned with our values of inclusion, ecological healing, and relational community.

What prompted this move

While YouTube has been immensely useful for building our community and sharing guided ecotherapy content, there is growing evidence that the platform systematically treats LGBTQ+ voices and related content in ways that conflict with our mission. Below are some of the key issues we find incompatible with our commitment to inclusive healing.

Demonetization and algorithmic suppression of LGBTQ+ content

no youtube

A significant investigation found that videos with LGBTQ‑related vocabulary in titles such as “gay”, “lesbian”, or “transgender” were disproportionately flagged for advertiser‑unfriendly status even when they contained non‑sexual, educational material. For instance, one study noted that 33% of a small sample of queer‑titled videos were demonetized by YouTube’s automated system. The Independent | The Verge
Such suppression means that LGBTQ+ – friendly creators and educational voices can lose revenue or reach not because of content quality, but because of identity or subject matter.

Restricted discoverability and youth access limitations

YouTube’s “Restricted Mode” has been shown to hide even benign LGBTQ+ videos from younger audiences precisely when access to affirming representation matters most. One analysis noted that educational LGBTQ‐themed videos were being flagged or hidden under age or content restrictions even when they lacked explicit sexual content. Gnovis Journal | mastersofmedia.hum.uva.nl
For the work of the Mindful Ecotherapy Center, which often reaches people seeking connection, healing, and authenticity, such limitations create a barrier to access and undermine our inclusive community goals.

Unequal enforcement of harassment and viewpoint bias

Though YouTube’s public hate‑speech policy lists “sexual orientation” and “gender identity or expression” as protected classes, in practice, creators and commentators have raised concerns that harassment directed at LGBTQ+ people is not consistently or effectively challenged, while automated systems penalize non‑harassing queer content. A class‑action style lawsuit alleged that YouTube “systemically” discriminated against LGBTQ+ creators by suppressing their content while allowing hostile materials to persist. Google Help | classaction.org
For an organization like ours, committed to relational community and mindful ecological healing, this dynamic is simply unacceptable.

Lack of transparency and accountability

Because many decisions around monetization, filtering, and recommendations on YouTube are driven by opaque algorithms, creators often cannot even understand why their videos are restricted or suppressed. Research warns that such algorithmic discrimination is real and structural. PubMed
We believe the platforms that host our work should be transparent and aligned with the ethics of inclusivity, not opaque gatekeepers.

What Substack offers us

Moving to Substack allows us to reclaim more control over distribution, monetization, and community access. Specifically, we will:

  • Ensure that content related to queer ecology, inclusive healing, and relational practice is treated equitably, without hidden restrictions tied to identity or keywords.
  • Provide direct access to our community without relying on hidden algorithms that decide who sees what.
  • Offer a platform where creators and members can engage safely, with fewer intermediary commercial constraints and clearer transparency.
  • Build a relational, intentional space rather than relying on broad‑reach broadcast models that may de-prioritize marginalized voices.

What this means for you

  • Starting Nov 1, 2025, all new guided sessions, interviews, reflections, and video content that were formerly posted on YouTube will be hosted on our Substack channel.
  • Existing YouTube content will remain accessible for the transition period; however, we encourage you to subscribe to our new Substack channel to ensure you don’t miss anything.
  • You’ll receive email notifications and be able to access posts, videos, and community dialogue in one place on our Substack feed. This means you won’t have to log in to a separate YouTube account to view our video content.

We invite you to join us!

Thank you for being part of this community grounded in mindful ecotherapy, relational healing, and inclusive belonging. This platform shift is a commitment to you, to our creators, and to the Mindful Ecotherapy Center’s values of equity and access.

Please subscribe here:

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With gratitude,
The Mindful Ecotherapy Center Team

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SCOTUS vs. Human Rights

Supreme Court SCOTUS

On June 18th, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 to uphold state bans on access to gender-affirming care for transgender and gender expansive (TGE) youth. This devastating decision by our Supreme Court allows 27 states to restrict or eliminate healthcare options that are not only evidence-based, but also life-saving. By doing so, the highest court in the country has endorsed a dangerous narrative—one that undermines medical consensus, restricts provider autonomy, and endangers the mental and physical health of TGE children and adolescents across the United States.

Organizations like SAIGE (Society for Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender Expansive Identities) have openly condemned the decision, calling it a “profound miscarriage of justice.” Yet in the wake of this political regression by our Supreme Court, many mental health professionals and organizations are doubling down on their commitment to ethical, inclusive, and affirming care. Among them is the Mindful Ecotherapy Center, PLLC, an organization steadfast in its mission to uphold dignity, agency, and compassion for all clients, especially TGE youth and their families.

Supreme Court

Understanding Gender-Affirming Care

Gender-affirming care encompasses a range of services designed to support individuals in aligning their gender identity with their lived experience. For TGE youth, this may include counseling, social support, and in some cases, medical interventions such as puberty blockers or hormone therapy. These services are backed by extensive research from the American Psychological Association, American Medical Association, and World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH).

The Supreme Court’s decision to allow states to ban such care ignores decades of psychological and medical evidence, disrupts the ethical delivery of mental health services, and legitimizes discrimination under the false guise of protecting children.

The Mindful Ecotherapy Center’s Commitment to TGE Youth

At the Mindful Ecotherapy Center, PLLC, we believe that affirming care is ethical care. While the legal landscape may shift, in spite of this disastrous Supreme Court decision, our values remain rooted in compassion, inclusivity, and evidence-based practice. Here’s how we continue to support TGE youth and their families in a climate of increasing hostility:

1. Providing Gender-Affirming Therapy

All therapists at the Mindful Ecotherapy Center are trained in gender-affirming best practices, including the use of correct pronouns, respecting name changes, and navigating the complex intersections of identity, family dynamics, and trauma. We create safe, nonjudgmental spaces where clients can explore their gender identity without fear of coercion, ridicule, or invalidation.

2. Offering Support to Families and Caregivers

Affirming care doesn’t end with the individual. The Center also offers family systems therapy, parent education, and caregiver support to help families better understand and support their TGE loved ones. We equip families with the tools to become strong allies, especially in states where legal protections are eroding.

3. Advocacy and Education

The Mindful Ecotherapy Center believes in the power of education to dismantle prejudice. We regularly offer continuing education courses, webinars, and community outreach programs to raise awareness about gender diversity, the mental health needs of trans youth, and the importance of affirming care in clinical practice.

4. Telehealth Services Across State Lines

While some states have banned access to medical gender-affirming care, and while our United States Supreme Court has chosen to interfere in medical decisions made by individuals and their families, mental health services remain legally accessible in many regions. The Mindful Ecotherapy Center offers secure telehealth sessions that allow TGE youth in hostile states to access affirming therapy. We are currently working to expand access wherever possible.

Why This Matters

In spite of what the Supreme Court might think, numerous studies have shown that access to gender-affirming care reduces rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide among TGE youth. When that access is denied, the consequences can be fatal. The Supreme Court’s decision effectively criminalizes compassion and threatens the very lives of those already at high risk of marginalization and violence.

The Mindful Ecotherapy Center refuses to stand by silently. We are actively seeking partnerships with schools, clinics, and advocacy organizations to continue this essential work. As part of the broader mental health community, we reaffirm that our duty is to heal, not to harm.

Standing Firm in the Face of Injustice

The recent Supreme Court ruling does not define the future of TGE youth; we do. Through therapeutic presence, inclusive policy, and relentless advocacy, the Mindful Ecotherapy Center stands firm in our mission: to provide a healing space for all people, regardless of gender identity or expression.

Now more than ever, we invite you to join us in supporting dignity, equity, and resilience for TGE youth and the professionals who serve them. Together, we can continue to build a world where gender diversity is celebrated, not criminalized.

Please join us! We are currently assembling a task force and a network to provide gender-affirming care to states actively working to deny life-saving care. Complete the contact form below to participate!

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