DIVERSITY
Message from SBCAMFT’s Diversity Director
Aute Porter, LMFT
‘Ia ora na tātou!
My name is Aute Porter, and I am honored to serve as SBCAMFT’s Diversity Director. My hope for our chapter is that inclusivity becomes not only a stated value, but a consistent, lived practice. As therapists, it is essential that we explore and embrace the fullness of our identities, personally and professionally. When we feel grounded in that freedom, we help cultivate a community that is welcoming and safe for all.
This page is both a resource and an invitation. Here you’ll find opportunities to learn, grow, get involved, and connect with others committed to shaping equity and belonging. I welcome your ideas, your stories, and your collaborations, as your presence and participation help us all to feel seen and acknowledged.
I invite folks who are passionate about diversity efforts to join our Diversity Subcommittee. Our monthly meetings are a space to speak honestly about our journeys as humans and therapists, and to consult on growing edges related to social justice. We meet every second Tuesday of the month at 1pm on Zoom. You’re welcome to share your interest in joining us here, or reach out to me by email.
Thank you for showing up to this challenging work with continued curiosity and humility. Sending wishes of gratitude, and hopes that we’ll connect soon.
In solidarity,
Aute Porter, LMFT (she/elle/’ona)
Diversity Director, SBCAMFT
Honoring the Lands, Ocean, and Indigenous Peoples of Chumash Territory
We acknowledge that the lands and ocean where our lives unfold are the ancestral homelands once known as Syuxthun, Mishopshno, ‘Asuskwa, Lompo’, Kasma’li, and Kuyam, today making up Santa Barbara County. These unceded lands belong to the Chumash people, whose relationship to this land spans a period of over 13,000 years. We acknowledge the pain, grief, trauma, and immense loss committed to the Chumash peoples through colonization by Spain and the United States, and the aftermath of hardships that Chumash descendants experience today.
We honor Chumash wisdom, and commit ourselves to continued studies of their traditions, history, and cultural practices, past, present, and future. We support Chumash-led efforts that promote reconnection, revitalization, decolonization, sovereignty, and sustainability. We support demands for the rematriation of Chumash land, ancestors, and belongings. Above all, we hope to uplift their presence and resilience, and acknowledge the ways in which their stories and knowledges have been, and continue to be, invisibilized. We hope to engage respectfully and reciprocally with the Chumash, and all Indigenous communities native to Turtle Island. Read an overview on the Chumash people, alongside a list of resources, here.
Chumash Landback
and Stewardship Efforts
Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary Project
Shalawa Meadow Restoration - Barbareño Band of Chumash Indians
Camp 4 Rematriation - Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians
Co-Management of Rincon Island - Coastal Band of the Chumash Nation
Your Voice Matters: Get In Touch
In the realm of diversity, equity, and inclusion, we recognize that there will always be work to do, and opportunities for learning and un-learning. We greatly value your voice in this process.
If you have feedback or ideas for our diversity initiatives, wish to share an experience or need related to diversity, or are seeking specific resources or support, we invite you to connect with us below!
Connect and Contribute: Upcoming Diversity Events
Diversity Newsletters
