Story of the Deer

Written by Gavin Bejaimal [they/he] MSW RSW

Jul 3

*Illustrated deer with antlers adorned in stars and music notes, wearing a pearl necklace with a pendant made of amethyst crystal and markings of all the astrological signs.*

At Positive Space, therapy is rooted in community, not conformity.

When we went through our rebrand, we wanted a way to represent the diversity of our community of clients and therapists.

To create the Forest Friends, each of our team members worked with illustrator King Freddie to provide input on their design. We are so excited to share these illustrations with you, and most of all, we hope you see glimpses of yourself in them.

**The Deer was inspired by PSC Therapist Gavin Bejaimal [they/he]**
**MSW, RSW**

Read Gavin’s Therapist Profile

In this blog post, Gavin shares more of the Deer's story and the symbols they wanted included in the illustration:

The deer speaks a lot to me as a symbol of fluidity, dance, and attunement. I am inspired by and study many forms of astrology, and the deer is a symbol in one of the Mayan calendar signs, known as Manik.

For me, the deer is a powerful symbol that reflects the softer, and intuitive aspects of my gender complexity.

The Deer's antlers extend upwards into the sky, their points akin to a constellation. Hanging on its antlers are stars, musical symbols, astrological symbols, and radiant crystals. These hanging symbols along the presence of the deer are meant to represent the dignity that comes from honouring your passions alongside your practice.

I am hoping my clients can be reminded that they are able to honour their multitudes and see softness as strength with the support of this forest friend.

They can achieve a state of balance and grace, while hanging their passions on their own proverbial antlers. And while they hold their passions close to them (just above their head, as it were), they are that much closer to the sky/stars.