June Updates from Vered
Summer Season
It’s here!
Check out this season’s lineup of CEUs.
All Ethics. All Free.
Note on AI: It’s bad. I don’t use it and you probably shouldn’t either. Even if it’s made of goats.
I don’t dislike victory
Fighting the Long Defeat
Pride Month feels weird in 2026. Same with Juneteenth.
These celebrations of identity and history feel out of place amidst a backdrop that is increasingly hostile.
When I think about what approach resonates with me, I think about the work of the late Dr. Paul Farmer.
Farmer was famously profiled in the book Mountains Beyond Mountains by my recently-deceased nemesis Tracy Kidder.
Kidder wrote two books on White, straight, cis, able-bodied men who had been trained at Harvard working in Marginalized communities. These men gave medical care to people that Kidder clearly thought did not deserve medical care, or at least not care of this caliber. When the doctors would tell Kidder that their patients were deserving humans, Kidder’s response was “Wow, this doctor thinks these wretches are people! What a cool guy!” His work betrays his deep lack of character and his unwillingness to get the point.
Kidder has an exchange with Farmer, asking why Farmer bothered working with the people of Haiti. The odds are stacked against them, so why not leave for a cushier, easier life? Farmer gives his reply:
I have fought the long defeat and brought other people on to fight the long defeat, and I'm not going to stop because we keep losing. Now I actually think sometimes we may win. I don't dislike victory. ... You know, people from our background-like you, like most PIH-ers [Partners in Health organization], like me-we're used to being on a victory team, and actually what we're really trying to do in PIH is to make common cause with the losers. Those are two very different things. We want to be on the winning team, but at the risk of turning our backs on the losers, no, it's not worth it. So you fight the long defeat.
I’ve been specializing in the field of trans youth for over a decade now.
I’ve seen allies come and go. I’ve seen advocates win titles for their contributions, then turn tail and abandon their communities when things get hard.
Bad things can and do happen.
I don’t know if we’re going to win.
But if I’m not going to win, I’m sure as hell going to fight the long defeat.
Therapist Volunteer Project
Help families released from detention
Spanish Speakers Needed!
The (creatively named) Therapist Volunteer Project has launched!
We’re matching therapists with clients of legal aid organizations, who have recently been released from ICE detention facilities.
We’re hearing from our partner organizations that there’s an increased need for therapists who speak Spanish.
If you or someone you know is interested in volunteering, read more about the program and sign up here:
CEU Spotlight
Working Across Cultures
Tomorrow!
Come to the CEU that one person called “not professional” because it focused too much on the lived experiences of people of color!1
This CEU is a result of the effort of many people, all kind enough to share their experiences, pains, and fears.
Come learn how we all can be better friends, allies, and therapists!
If someone you know would benefit from any of the free CEUs, please share!
Showing Some Love
Hungry Hill Foundation
Summer in Austin is brutal.
If you’re without housing, it’s even worse.
The Hungry Hill Foundation in East Austin is focused on providing comprehensive support to people who are experiencing long-term homelessness.2
They provide showers, food, laundry services, and apprenticeship programs to unhoused people - all with the goal of addressing the housing crisis in a way that promotes dignity, not pity.
How is it that five guys who went to high school together wind up living in the park next to the houses their parents owned? The system that allowed that to happen needs to be changed.
When economics, climate, and infrastructure are making our lives harder, the work of Hungry Hill Foundation and organizations like it are more essential than ever.3
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Monthly Hater’s Corner
Sources Regarding My Ire
a.k.a. please don’t sue me
1 Almost all comments from CEUs are helpful and productive! Please keep letting me know ways to make these classes better, but maybe not at the expense of the people most affected.
2 I think this is how to describe it. Much of the language I grew up with is incredibly stigmatizing, so please let me know if I got it wrong!
3 Ideally, these organizations wouldn’t be needed and we’d have a robust safety net. Until then, this is what we’ve got :/
Until next time,
Vered