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Aurora Brown, Registered Counsellor

@aurorabrown.bsky.social

23 followers 30 following 31 posts

Queer-friendly, intersectional wheelchair-using Registered Counsellor. Mental health ambassador for SADAG, volunteer for Triangle Project, human rights activist. HPCSA reg.: PRC0042951 PR1206737 For emergency care, contact 0800 567 567.

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Aurora Brown, Registered Counsellor @aurorabrown.bsky.social · Jan 29

Disclaimer: All posts are for education purposes only and not intended to be a substitute for professional mental health advice, diagnosis or treatment. I'm not able to answer specific questions about individual situations. Always seek the advice of your health provider with any questions you have.

Disclaimer: All posts are for educational purposes only and are not intended to be a substitute for professional mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. I am not able to answer specific questions about individual situations. Always seek the advice of your health provider with any questions you may have regarding a mental health condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this social media page. If you think you need immediate assistance, call your local emergency number or any mental health crisis hotline.

Aurora Brown, Registered Counsellor @aurorabrown.bsky.social · 9d

💛 Talking about suicide doesn’t make it more likely — silence does. Checking in with someone can be a lifeline. But how we talk also matters.

🎧 Full episode: intersectionalpsychology.podbean.com/e/ipsp001-wo...

#MentalHealthAwarenessMonth #SuicidePrevention #LanguageMatters #MentalHealth

Aurora Brown, Registered Counsellor @aurorabrown.bsky.social · 10d

From Bechdel to Fanon - it's time we talk about how mental health shows up in media. Listen on Intersectional Psychology, wherever you get your podcasts. #FilmAnalysis #FanonTest #MentalHealth

Intersectional Psychology @intersectpsych.bsky.social · 10d

🎬 New Episode: Does Your Favourite Film Pass the #FanonTest?
Media doesn’t just reflect mental health; it shapes how we understand it. Who gets empathy? Who gets pathologised? Who is edited out completely?
youtu.be/LcV8eJUONEc?...

#IntersectionalPsychology #MentalHealthRepresentation #FilmAnalysis

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Aurora Brown, Registered Counsellor @aurorabrown.bsky.social · 11d

Dr Haley McEwen explains how the U.S. Christian Right is co-opting human rights language to fight abortion, CSE, and gender equality at the UN.

This isn’t just local repression. It’s a coordinated global attack on human rights.

#IntersectionalPsychology #QueerRights #SRHR #Decolonise #HumanRights

Intersectional Psychology @intersectpsych.bsky.social · 11d

The US Christian Right isn’t just pushing anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-SRHR laws in Africa. They’re reframing reproductive & #QueerRights as “cultural imperialism” at the UN in a global attack on #HumanRights.
intersectionalpsychology.podbean.com/e/ip0303-god...
#IntersectionalPsychology #SRHR #Decolonise

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Aurora Brown, Registered Counsellor @aurorabrown.bsky.social · 13d

🌈 #GenderAffirmation also means creating safe environments: from restrooms to clinic spaces. It’s dismantling the barriers that stop people from being affirmed in the first place.
intersectionalpsychology.podbean.com/e/ip0301-wha...
#TransHealth #IntersectionalPsychology #BathroomAccess

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Reposted by Aurora Brown, Registered Counsellor

Intersectional Psychology @intersectpsych.bsky.social · 18d

Shaheeda Sadeck on #Islamophobia in South Africa: from mosque desecrations to stereotypes linking Muslims with extremism. Despite exclusion, Muslim communities lead in politics & social justice, promoting interfaith solidarity. 🎧 Full ep: www.podbean.com/ew/pb-56sq2-... #SocialJustice #resilience

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Aurora Brown, Registered Counsellor @aurorabrown.bsky.social · 20d

Apartheid left scars on how we think about gender. Rigid stereotypes of masculinity & "strong" women fuel stigma today. But stigma is learned — which means it can be unlearned. 💛
🎧 Full ep: intersectionalpsychology.podbean.com/e/ipsp001-wo...
#SuicidePrevention #MentalHealthAwareness #BreakTheStigma

Aurora Brown, Registered Counsellor @aurorabrown.bsky.social · 24d

Our heritage is our community. 🫂 On Heritage Day 🇿🇦, Neesha Chhiba highlights how child wellbeing grows when we respect culture & involve families & leaders. intersectionalpsychology.podbean.com/e/ip0202-par... #HeritageDay #SouthAfrica #IntersectionalPsychology #DecolonisingPsychology #CommunityCare

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Aurora Brown, Registered Counsellor @aurorabrown.bsky.social · 27d

In this week’s @intersectpsych.bsky.social, I guide you through a Loving-Kindness Meditation. It reduces stress, softens the inner critic and strengthens connection with yourself and others. 💜
intersectionalpsychology.podbean.com/e/ipgr003-gu...
#IntersectionalPsychology #Mindfulness #LovingKindness

Aurora Brown, Registered Counsellor @aurorabrown.bsky.social · Sep 19

Being offline might feel like you’ve stopped existing. Disconnection doesn’t have to mean isolation. Psychologist Pierre Brouard shares tips for finding joy & safe spaces — on or offline. intersectionalpsychology.podbean.com/e/ip0304-big...
#MentalHealth #DigitalWellbeing #OnlineSafety #DigitalDetox

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Aurora Brown, Registered Counsellor @aurorabrown.bsky.social · Sep 18

Dr Haley McEwen on the state of reproductive rights in Africa before U.S. Christian Right influence shifted public health strategies, increased moral panic & criminalised queer communities, contrasting with prior efforts that reduced stigma & advanced rights. #QueerAfrica #SRHR #ReproductiveJustice

Intersectional Psychology @intersectpsych.bsky.social · Sep 18

What were sexual and reproductive rights in Africa before U.S. Christian Right interference? 🌍 Dr. Haley McEwen highlights Uganda’s progressive HIV/AIDS campaigns — later undermined by abstinence-only policies and anti-LGBTQIA+ laws.
#QueerAfrica #SRHR #ReproductiveJustice #SexualityEducation

Aurora Brown, Registered Counsellor @aurorabrown.bsky.social · Sep 17

Discrimination isn’t passive. 🌈
Clinical Psychologist Thembi Dlamini reminds us non-discrimination means deliberate, ongoing action. As professionals we must ask: Does my work challenge inequality or reinforce it? intersectionalpsychology.podbean.com/e/ip0302-the...
#GenderAffirmingCare #HumanRights

Aurora Brown, Registered Counsellor @aurorabrown.bsky.social · Sep 16

Transition isn’t just hormones or surgery. 🌈 It can mean legal, social, or physical changes like binding, tucking, voice training, or even breaking gender “rules.” No two transitions look alike — and that’s valid. Cis people affirm gender too. #TransHealth #GenderAffirmation #GenderAffirmingCare

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Aurora Brown, Registered Counsellor @aurorabrown.bsky.social · Sep 15

Suicide is a global public health issue — as well as an individual tragedy. And like all public health issues, it’s one we can change. 💛
intersectionalpsychology.podbean.com/e/ipsp001-wo...
#SuicidePrevention #MentalHealthAwareness

Aurora Brown, Registered Counsellor @aurorabrown.bsky.social · Sep 14

In many communities, housing is scarce and unaffordable. RC Neesha Chhiba explains how these are not just financial issues but also social and psychological ones, shaping family wellbeing even generations after apartheid.
#IntersectionalPsychology #DecolonisingPsychology #SocialJustice #MentalHealth

Intersectional Psychology @intersectpsych.bsky.social · Sep 14

Apartheid shaped the map. 🗺️ Its effects are still felt in our homes. 🏠
RC Neesha Chhiba shares how overcrowded housing affects family life — and why psychology must always consider context.
#IntersectionalPsychology #DecolonisingPsychology #SocialJustice #SouthAfrica #FamilyDynamics #MentalHealth

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Aurora Brown, Registered Counsellor @aurorabrown.bsky.social · Sep 13

Clinical Psychologist Thembi Dlamini explains that diversity is a natural part of human development. It's not explained by trauma, bad parenting or confusion. #GenderAffirmingCare shifts the focus from pathologising difference to creating spaces of affirmation, dignity and care. #QueerPsychology

Intersectional Psychology @intersectpsych.bsky.social · Sep 13

Stop asking “why?” — start asking “how?” 🌈
Sexual & gender diversity is a natural part of human development. The real question: How can we create space for people to explore who they are without shame, suspicion, or scrutiny? 💜
#GenderAffirmingCare #QueerMentalHealth #inclusivity #QueerPsychology

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Aurora Brown, Registered Counsellor @aurorabrown.bsky.social · Sep 12

🕯️ This week on #IntersectionalPsychology, a special episode for #WorldSuicidePreventionDay: why suicide happens, how to spot warning signs, & how to support with care. 🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts: intersectionalpsychology.podbean.com/e/ipsp001-wo... #WSPD2025 #WSPD #SuicidePrevention

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Aurora Brown, Registered Counsellor @aurorabrown.bsky.social · Sep 10

Changing the narrative on suicide requires systemic change. It's about shifting from a culture of silence and stigma to one of openness, understanding, and support.

Thanks to @IASPinfo for starting the conversation.
#WorldSuicidePreventionDay #WSPD2025 #SuicidePrevention

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World Suicide Prevention Day, 10 September

Text in a speech bubble, saying:
More than 720,000 people die due to suicide every year.

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Suicide remains illegal in at least 23 countries.

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Every conversation, no matter how small, contributes to a more supportive and understanding society.

Aurora Brown, Registered Counsellor @aurorabrown.bsky.social · Sep 5

"Professionals must create safe spaces where both families of origin and choice are respected. This includes navigating disclosure, supporting relational repair when possible, and validating chosen family bonds in therapy, law, policies, and institutions." - Clinical Psychologist Thembisile Dlamini.

Intersectional Psychology @intersectpsych.bsky.social · Sep 5

Family isn't just blood. 💜🌈
Supporting LGBTQIA+ mental health means affirming chosen families & diverse relationships — queer kinship, poly, ace & more. Respect, validation & advocacy are essential.
#ChosenFamily #QueerMentalHealth #GenderAffirmingCare

Aurora Brown, Registered Counsellor @aurorabrown.bsky.social · Sep 4

"I stopped using language like, 'Let's do CBT today.' It shifted to, 'Let's work through some of the difficulties that you're facing. How do you feel like you're self-sabotaging today?' And that shift has just really improved my counselling overall." - Neesha Chhiba on @intersectpsych.bsky.social.

Intersectional Psychology @intersectpsych.bsky.social · Sep 4

From “Let’s do CBT today” ➡️ “How do you feel you’re self-sabotaging?”
Registered Counsellor Neesha Chhiba shows how decolonising psychology makes practice more real, contextual, and transformative. 🎙️

#IntersectionalPsychology #DecolonisingMentalHealth #DecolonialPsychology #MulticulturalPsychology

Aurora Brown, Registered Counsellor @aurorabrown.bsky.social · Sep 4

Loved my discussion with RC Shaheeda Sadeck on @intersectpsych.bsky.social podcast. "Multicultural approaches push psychology to expand its frameworks, incorporating narrative therapy and indigenous healing practices. This ensures therapy is culturally responsive & aligns with clients’ worldviews."

Intersectional Psychology @intersectpsych.bsky.social · Sep 3

Shaheeda Sadeck on why decolonial psychology must respect spiritual experiences instead of pathologising them. Embracing indigenous healing & interfaith practices makes counselling truly responsive. 🎧 Full ep: #IntersectionalPsychology podcast.

#DecolonisingMentalHealth #SpiritualHealing

Aurora Brown, Registered Counsellor @aurorabrown.bsky.social · Sep 2

Mistakes aren’t the end of the world — they’re part of being human. 🌱
Unlearning cis-hetero conditioning takes honesty and repair, not perfection.
#QueerVoices #PsychologyForJustice #TransRights

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Reposted by Aurora Brown, Registered Counsellor

Intersectional Psychology @intersectpsych.bsky.social · Sep 1

New ep!🎙️ Big Brother is Still Cis: Countering Anti-Gender Attacks
With Clinical Psychologist Pierre Brouard, we unpack online harassment, anti-gender disinfo, and survival strategies. Learn how to fight trolls and protect your queer joy online. 🌈✨ #TransRights #OnlineSafety #IntersectionalPsychology

Poster advertising new podcast episode.
Headline: "Big Brother is still Cis: Counting anti-gender movements online"
S03E03 special guest: Pierre Brouard
[Photo of Clinical Psychologist Pierre Brouard]

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Reposted by Aurora Brown, Registered Counsellor

Intersectional Psychology @intersectpsych.bsky.social · Aug 29

“What kind of future do we want—one that values equality, or one that normalises inequality?” Dr. Haley McEwen shows how UN votes on inclusive language reveal the global struggle over human rights.
#equity #inequality #IntersectionalPsychology

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Reposted by Aurora Brown, Registered Counsellor

Intersectional Psychology @intersectpsych.bsky.social · Aug 28

Shaheeda Sadeck on why psychology must engage with social practice: addressing housing, education, & discrimination while building peer networks, safe spaces, and culturally resonant healing. #IntersectionalPsychology #SocialPsychology #CommunityPsychology

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Reposted by Aurora Brown, Registered Counsellor

Intersectional Psychology @intersectpsych.bsky.social · Aug 28

“If I struggled like this as a doctor, what about the people who don’t have a medical degree?” 🏳️‍⚧️

Dr Anastacia Tomson reflects on how her own medical trauma — and the gaps in our healthcare system — pushed her into providing #GenderAffirmingCare.
#TransHealth #IntersectionalPsychology

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