We See You: A Letter From President Linda Metcalf

Dear TAMFT Members and Friends, 

The past week has presented our nation with tragic events that have caused many of us to take pause and consider how to help all of our communities. The TAMFT Board wanted to reach out to you with support—to write this letter, I asked every Board member to provide their thoughts so that together we could send our message to you and your community. I am grateful for their contributions and have crafted them into the rest of this letter. 

Our association stands for systemic change and justice. Therefore, we see ourselves as leaders that pay attention to the political events that directly impact our members and their communities. As an association representing families in Texas, we consider ourselves to be responsible for the well-being of all of our members as well as educating them on topics that they and their clients may be facing by providing appropriate and accurate resources and acknowledging the issues at hand. We recognize the importance of diversity and inclusion in every community across Texas.

Our Texas families have been heavily impacted by financial disparity, fear of the unknown, concern for general health and the overall toll of all of these things, which also includes racism. Each of these factors affects the psyche for each of us individually, the families of Texas and as an organization. Therefore, this letter intends to send a statement of support and validation to all of the communities that we serve. We plan on making sure that you, our members, have the resources and support that you need. We have created a list of Social Justice Resources on our website for you and your clients.

So, to all of our members and communities in Texas, please know this:

We see you, we hear you, and we recognize that your experiences are valid. As an association, we promise to always hear your voices as Texas Marriage and Family Therapists and Texas families and to always do our best to educate ourselves to help you live the lives you wish. In the words of Malcom X: “When ‘I’ is replaced by ‘we’ illness becomes wellness.”

Sincerely,

Linda Metcalf, PhD, LMFT-S, LPC-S, CSC

President, TAMFT