Systemic Oppression & Justice-impacted

Therapy for Systemic Oppression and Justice-Impacted Clients in Los Angeles

If you’ve been shaped by systems of harm—whether it’s incarceration, immigration detention, family separation, or surveillance by child welfare or the mental health system—you deserve a therapeutic space that understands those experiences without judgment, pathologizing, or pity. I specialize in working with people who have been directly or indirectly impacted by systems of oppression, violence, and control. This includes survivors of state violence, those navigating the aftermath of incarceration, and people who have been labeled, punished, or erased by institutions.

I also work with people who carry intergenerational trauma tied to systemic oppression. You may be living with the legacy of colonialism, war, family displacement, or forced migration. Or you may be navigating the complexities of being a caregiver or family member of someone who has been incarcerated or deported. My work is to hold all of this with you, not apart from you.

Who I Work With

My practice welcomes people across a range of lived experiences, including:

Individuals impacted by incarceration, probation, or parole
Survivors of family separation through immigration or foster systems
People navigating intergenerational trauma and historical oppression
Clients labeled as “perpetrators” who are seeking healing and accountability
Family members or caregivers of incarcerated or system-impacted loved ones
Those navigating ongoing surveillance or criminalization in their communities

You do not have to identify with a specific label to work with me. What matters is that you want a therapeutic space where the impact of systems isn’t ignored, erased, or minimized.

Therapy That Centers Power and Context

Too often, therapy individualizes pain that is structural. You might have been told to manage your triggers or regulate your emotions without ever being given space to talk about the systems that created those conditions. My approach starts by acknowledging the truth: you are not broken. You have adapted in ways that made sense in the context of what you’ve survived.

Together, we look at how institutions, power structures, and historical forces have shaped your experience—and how you want to relate to that truth now. This might include unpacking the internalized messages you’ve carried, understanding how survival strategies show up in relationships, or exploring what healing and liberation look like on your terms.

A Different Kind of Clinical Relationship

I understand that for many system-impacted people, therapists have not felt safe. Mental health providers have often been part of the harm—mandated reporters, gatekeepers, evaluators. Therapy might bring up fears of being misunderstood, judged, or pathologized.

I don’t approach this work from a place of “fixing” or “saving.” I’m not here to decide what healing should look like for you. Instead, I strive to offer a relationship that is grounded in mutual respect, transparency, and attunement. We move at your pace. You have full permission to name what feels off, what feels helpful, and what you need from the process.

Complex Trauma in the Context of Systemic Harm

Many clients I work with carry complex trauma rooted in chronic, repeated exposure to threat.

For justice-impacted individuals, this often includes:

Surveillance, confinement, and institutional betrayal
Generational incarceration and forced family separation
Police violence or community trauma
Loss of identity, purpose, or connection after release
Shame, guilt, or grief about past actions or harm caused

We make space to hold both the harm that was done to you and, if applicable, the harm you may have done to others. Therapy becomes a space for accountability, not punishment; for repair, not erasure.

Language, Culture, and Liberation

Language matters. Culture matters. And in therapy, these should never be treated as footnotes. I work with many clients who have had their languages, traditions, or ancestral wisdoms ignored or erased by dominant systems. You deserve a space where your cultural knowledge is centered, not silenced.

That might mean integrating your own words for grief, spirit, or healing. It might mean exploring how you connect with your ancestors, your community, or your sense of self outside of the stories systems have written about you. I welcome all of it.

Abolitionist-Aligned, Liberation-Oriented Care

My clinical lens is rooted in abolitionist values. That means I believe in the capacity for people to grow, change, and heal—outside of cages, coercion, or carceral logic. Therapy, at its best, is not about compliance. It’s about reclaiming what has been taken and reconnecting with your own agency.

I don’t have a rigid model or 10-step framework. What I offer is presence, collaboration, and deep commitment to walking alongside you as you figure out what healing looks like on your own terms.

What Therapy Looks Like

In our work together, we might:

Process your experience with incarceration, surveillance, or family separation
Explore how systems of harm have shaped your relationships, emotions, and sense of safety
Develop practices for nervous system regulation and emotional safety
Reconnect with your values, purpose, and community supports
Build capacity for accountability, forgiveness, and repair

Ready to Begin Therapy for Systemic Oppression and Justice-Impacted Experiences in Los Angeles?

If you’ve been impacted by incarceration, surveillance, or systemic violence, and are seeking a therapeutic space that honors your full humanity, I’m here to support you. Healing is possible—and you don’t have to do it alone.

📞 Call us: (323) 673-5562
🖥️ Book Online: Free 20-minute Consultation
📩 Email us: dk@healingwithdeepa.com

Reach out for your
free consultation today.

(323) 673-5562

Free 20-min Consultation

Healing with Deepa

Deepa Karmakar, LCSW