Bread and Roses Therapy

The phrase 'bread and roses' comes from a 1912 textile strike in which Rose Schneiderman yelled that "the worker must have bread, but she must have roses, too." This phrase has been used for over a century by feminists and activists, meaning that we want our sustenance but we also want beauty, and we want both without compromise. Therapy is the fight for autonomy over our decisions and connection in the aftermath. The universal social work tradition is to build practice based on reciprocity, continuity of care, consent, and affirmation. Therapists build supportive networks through community-based knowledge, connection and love. We labor for access to self determination over our own identities and communities at large. We take a holistic view of the self through a social context, and work to create open and dynamic spaces and roles for ourselves and each other. This must include confronting stigma, isolation and disconnection. This is the struggle of mental health. "Yes, it is bread we fight for, but we fight for roses too."