Rachael Ha

Hi, I’m Rachael (she/her/hers). I am a Queer, Autistic, Chinese and Japanese American cisgender woman who was raised in the Evangelical Christian church. I have navigated and continue to fight for care within a flawed healthcare system for both my disabled parents and myself. As a later self-diagnosed Autistic, I finally have the language and knowledge to name and claim both my alienating struggles and vibrant strengths that define my neurotype. My various intersecting identities inform my experiences and worldview, and if you’ve found me, chances are that part of my identity(s) resonate with you and your story.

I have experienced mental health care both within the formal healthcare system and beyond it. While there are benefits to receiving support within formal systems, I believe it is also critical to validate, celebrate, and cultivate care from other sources. I have both given and received the healing power of being seen and heard by communities, friends, and other fellow humans who share my identity(s) and have walked similar journeys, and I know that these moments of connection and humanity can be so integral to one’s vitality.

There may be parts of you that you’re processing and unsure about. You might be wondering, “What does my cultural background mean to me and to those around me? What would it mean if I came to an understanding about my queerness or neurodiversity? How can I deconstruct or reconstruct my beliefs and relationship to the faith that I have known my whole life? Will learning more about myself help heal my relationship with myself and others?” These are just some of the questions that we can explore together. 

As a peer support specialist, we will foster care and progress towards your goals in community with one another. I am committed to facilitating an empathic, safe space that is uncoupled from formal healthcare institutions which have historically harmed and oppressed the people they serve, particularly those with marginalized identities. If you’re curious to begin your journey of exploring, naming, and claiming all parts of you, let’s connect.