Collective Spotlight: Luke “Tt” King
Meet Luke “Tt” King, a Yoga Teacher and Somatic Psychotherapist
Why did you want to become a psychotherapist? A teacher?
For a long time I resisted! I originally wanted to be a case manager, believing that concrete social supports and needs are core to relieving trauma and oppression. I still believe this. But then I met Rachel Dibella, an incredible trauma therapist, who I saw creating a community where folks felt nourished, seen, and held in the midst of a harmful world. I remember approaching her, saying, "I want to do what YOU do." Here we are!
As an educator and yoga instrutor, I see my classes as a means of creating more space. Space to question, space to think critically, space to stumble, and as a result, to inevitably find more compassion and nuance for the world.
What have you gained from this work?
A sense of purpose and hope in an often traumatic world. Everyday I get to be in intimate, emotional relationships with people in my community. I imagine it like holding a precious glass ornament. This is an experience so few people will ever get to have, and even when it's hard, I rarely lose the wonder, awe, and meaning of my labor.
Also, a dark sense of humor.
What do you hope your students/clients feel after working with you?
A sense of greater clarity and audacity. Audacity to be honest, to say "no," to yell "yes," to know what they want and wildly pursue it! With those abilities, frequently, an ability to settle and find peace ensues. I really just want to be an agent to reduce suffering, even if by 0.1%.
How does your work inform your activism or understanding of the world?
Honestly, working is my activism in the world! I believe we can live in a world with less suffering, and that it is unnatural for humans to do things like hate, hoard, and traumatize one another.
As a result, I was part of feminist antiracist movements in college doing more "frontline" work, and have been heavily influenced by movements like BLM, HAES, disability justice, the beliefs of the Coast Salish People in the Pacific Northwest, and the work of Freire, Baker, and Lorde, to name a few! But street activist work grated on my nervous system in an unsustainable way. I see my clinical work and teaching as the "non-instagrammable" activism, moving toward a world where all humans can thrive, know what they need, and be fostered to have those needs met. Knowing how to listen to and love oneself/others, and challenging what we're taught to see and not-see, are the heart of my clinical work and teaching. I believe these are some keys to fostering a beautiful world.
What’s your favorite season of the year and why?
Hot take: winter. I love ice. I love naked trees. I love snow. My dog loves romping in the cold. Less people are everywhere. It's the best for me! (But also spring flowers in trees, FOLIAGE, and summer fireflies, how lucky to live in 3 dimensions).
What has made you smile recently that you feel the need to share?
My puppy learned to roll over. The dormant flowers in my neighborhood are holding snow like little cups. Before We Were Trans by Kit Heyam. My nephew learned to read. A friend remembered my birthday. Absurdist protests like playing off-key tubas to cause disruption. I saw a corgi try to run on ice. So much!
