Meet Luca
Luca Jin-Lin Bartlett, LMFT (CA)
白瑾琳
Rooster (zodiac)
they/he
Hi, I’m Luca. I am a queer, trans, non-binary, neuroqueer, disabled, mixed Chinese and White clinician. A Bay Area kid, I currently reside on unceded Chochenyo Ohlone Land (colonially known as Oakland, CA). Moving along the various planes of my identities, I am intimately familiar with the ways in which oppressive systems instill doubt and fear about who we are and our futures.
Most of the folks I work with similarly experience systematic and interpersonal barriers to being their full selves in the world. They have been made to feel that they do not belong; that they are too fat, too small, too disabled, too queer, too quiet, too loud, too dark, too light, and so on. They learned how to bury critical parts of themselves in order to survive, to avoid abandonment or rejection. When clients reach out, they express a desire for relief from the heaviness of hiding. Together we explore what it can mean to create abundant, loving space for all the different parts. We imagine, dream, and honor honesty over comfort.
At the core of my clinical stance is the therapy relationship itself. Within relationships is where we can experience the transformative power of connection, of truly being together in an expansive, honest, nuanced way—a need that we all have. This feels especially important given how oppressive systems keep us disconnected from one another and ourselves. I value co-creating a space where my clients and I can find reprieve from this isolation, push back against confinement, and breathe in solidarity.
As well as being relationally oriented, I draw from a number of different approaches. These include psychodynamic theory, attachment theory, somatics, parts work (Internal Family Systems), and storytelling practices. All of these modalities are exciting to me, in that they support my understanding of my clients’ experiences. I enjoy collaborating with folks around what resonates with them and doing away with what doesn’t. My practice is additionally informed by anti-oppression, anti-pathology, anti-diet culture, disability justice, sex and pleasure advocacy, humility, accountability (especially regarding my privilege and the power dynamic in the therapy relationship), curiosity, hope, and playfulness. I deeply value non-linear, non-outcome-oriented processing. This might mean that questions lead to more questions, and that we arrive at ourselves rather than an answer.
In our work together, healing can look like dismantling barriers to being ourselves, centering our needs, tending to shame, trusting the wisdom of the bodymind, developing sacred practices for joy and pleasure, seeking alignment with our values, and grounding in the felt knowledge that there is enough space for all of our different parts.
If you live in California and are interested in connecting, you can reach out via my website: www.softspottherapy.com