LICENSE ISSUED: I am officially a Pennsylvania LPC! 🐺✨

I am vibrating as I write this, but it is official: I am Joan Elizabeth Burgos, Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), License No. PC019845.

The Board meeting happened yesterday, the "Educational Transcript" hurdles have been cleared, and I am now fully authorized to practice in the State of Pennsylvania. I have already notified the recruiter at my dream UPMC job, and so... here we go!

Where I Stand Now: For months, I’ve been a "whispering wind," feeling like my value was invisible while I fought through the darkness of poverty and bureaucratic static. But today, I won.

No, WE won! All the barriers are gone, and I could never have held out this long without you. Without ANY of you. Whether you gave $400 or $5, I know what I was asking, and I know that you've given all that you could, and OMG I may finally be able to start paying it all back by GIVING rather than RECEIVING soon!

Well, there is only ONE potential hurdle left, and that's the literal cost of movement.

I still need to navigate interviews and onboarding logistics. IF I get my dream job (a high probability), then after a week, I will be so good and so safe as I finally start welding some disconnected pieces of my life together. But if I don't, things'll just be a little harder a little while longer. It's not forever, but I hope I get my dream job and all this comes to an end sooner.

Transportation costs in Pittsburgh (Lyfts to hospitals, transit passes, and basic survival until that first paycheck hits) are the only things left between me and a career where I can finally be a full person again. I am so close I can taste the stable, independent life ahead of me. If you can help me cross this final gap, I can finally stop surviving and start building.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/ellis-emergency-fund
https://cash.app/$CeruleanArc
https://venmo.com/joanburgos

Thank you for seeing me when I was discouraged and when I was at my worst. And for helping me stay in the fight until the stars aligned.

Now, then.

Let’s finish this.

#Pittsburgh #LPC #TransHires #NeuroDivergent #AuDHD #ActuallyAutistic #BPD #MutualAid #TransCrowdfund #MutualAidPgh #Transportation #Writer #TherapistsOfMastodon

LICENSE ISSUED: I am officially a Pennsylvania LPC! 🐺✨

I am vibrating as I write this, but it is official: I am Joan Elizabeth Burgos, Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), License No. PC019845.

The Board meeting happened yesterday, the "Educational Transcript" hurdles have been cleared, and I am now fully authorized to practice in the State of Pennsylvania. I have already notified the recruiter at my dream UPMC job, and so... here we go!

Where I Stand Now: For months, I’ve been a "whispering wind," feeling like my value was invisible while I fought through the darkness of poverty and bureaucratic static. But today, I won.

No, WE won! All the barriers are gone, and I could never have held out this long without you. Without ANY of you. Whether you gave $400 or $5, I know what I was asking, and I know that you've given all that you could, and OMG I may finally be able to start paying it all back by GIVING rather than RECEIVING soon!

Well, there is only ONE potential hurdle left, and that's the literal cost of movement.

I still need to navigate interviews and onboarding logistics. IF I get my dream job (a high probability), then after a week, I will be so good and so safe as I finally start welding some disconnected pieces of my life together. But if I don't, things'll just be a little harder a little while longer. It's not forever, but I hope I get my dream job and all this comes to an end sooner.

Transportation costs in Pittsburgh (Lyfts to hospitals, transit passes, and basic survival until that first paycheck hits) are the only things left between me and a career where I can finally be a full person again. I am so close I can taste the stable, independent life ahead of me. If you can help me cross this final gap, I can finally stop surviving and start building.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/ellis-emergency-fund
https://cash.app/$CeruleanArc
https://venmo.com/joanburgos

Thank you for seeing me when I was discouraged and when I was at my worst. And for helping me stay in the fight until the stars aligned.

Now, then.

Let’s finish this.

#Pittsburgh #LPC #TransHires #NeuroDivergent #AuDHD #ActuallyAutistic #BPD #MutualAid #TransCrowdfund #MutualAidPgh #Transportation #Writer #TherapistsOfMastodon

These have been really difficult days. It's easy to feel no hope when your locus of control is zero. When you have no income, your locus of control is zero. In a capitalist society, this makes you, by definition, little more than an NPC, incapable of anything but scripted responses (unless you want to be seen as a crazy person, which I am tired enough no longer to mind).

Also, I'm sure that if you die, instead of accountability, somebody gets experience points.

Your compassion and generosity have been a lifesaver in these days. The first time I tried to get into Pittsburgh, I learned the bus ran only in the early morning and in the late afternoon. Incredibly, it was only 10 AM, and already my day was ruined. That was Wednesday.

Thursday, I was broke. And it was Thanksgiving. On a day celebrating the genocide of American Indigenous people, I considered the ways in which capitalism is designed to force us to destroy ourselves when we can no longer serve in the people-grinder that is the American workforce. It is a day to remember all that we must fight for and against.

I'm not sure when I was reminded about Venmo's existence for the second time, but I was dissociating so intensely that I ended the night as Joan with Pip, Carmen, and Chaz so exhausted they passed out. And I started getting this really bad headache that hasn't really gone away since. But Venmo existed, and you had come through for me big time. I could end Thursday much better off than I started it. And now, I think maybe I'll be OK for a week or so. As long as I don't get hit by too many surprises like the transportation one on Friday (see below).

At some point I got half the Budget money back, but my account is now overdrawn by $400, and now by $35 less thanks to a new GoFundMe donation that just came through. (I'd talked about this before in short, but I fought so hard for this that I'm still tired about it.) I'm not optimistic we'll get that checking account cleared soon, but I'm happy it's not as daunting a prospect now. The GoFundMe goal is currently to clear this final $400 deficit so I can use my bank account again.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/ellis-emergency-fund

#MutualAid #Pittsburgh #PublicTransit #SystemicFailure #TransCrowdfund #WritingCommunity #Capitalism #ActuallyAutistic #BudgetRentACar #Solidarity #PovertyTax

(Thread 1/2 👇)

These have been really difficult days. It's easy to feel no hope when your locus of control is zero. When you have no income, your locus of control is zero. In a capitalist society, this makes you, by definition, little more than an NPC, incapable of anything but scripted responses (unless you want to be seen as a crazy person, which I am tired enough no longer to mind).

Also, I'm sure that if you die, instead of accountability, somebody gets experience points.

Your compassion and generosity have been a lifesaver in these days. The first time I tried to get into Pittsburgh, I learned the bus ran only in the early morning and in the late afternoon. Incredibly, it was only 10 AM, and already my day was ruined. That was Wednesday.

Thursday, I was broke. And it was Thanksgiving. On a day celebrating the genocide of American Indigenous people, I considered the ways in which capitalism is designed to force us to destroy ourselves when we can no longer serve in the people-grinder that is the American workforce. It is a day to remember all that we must fight for and against.

I'm not sure when I was reminded about Venmo's existence for the second time, but I was dissociating so intensely that I ended the night as Joan with Pip, Carmen, and Chaz so exhausted they passed out. And I started getting this really bad headache that hasn't really gone away since. But Venmo existed, and you had come through for me big time. I could end Thursday much better off than I started it. And now, I think maybe I'll be OK for a week or so. As long as I don't get hit by too many surprises like the transportation one on Friday (see below).

At some point I got half the Budget money back, but my account is now overdrawn by $400, and now by $35 less thanks to a new GoFundMe donation that just came through. (I'd talked about this before in short, but I fought so hard for this that I'm still tired about it.) I'm not optimistic we'll get that checking account cleared soon, but I'm happy it's not as daunting a prospect now. The GoFundMe goal is currently to clear this final $400 deficit so I can use my bank account again.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/ellis-emergency-fund

#MutualAid #Pittsburgh #PublicTransit #SystemicFailure #TransCrowdfund #WritingCommunity #Capitalism #ActuallyAutistic #BudgetRentACar #Solidarity #PovertyTax

(Thread 1/2 👇)

🚀 CRITICAL: Environment Toxic. Fund Gap. FINAL 36 HOURS.

This is the final, most urgent update. We are in the last 36 hours.

The Situation: I returned to the house to pack. I lasted less than an hour. The environment is not just unsafe; it's physically toxic. My housemates' cats have saturated my room with ammonia in the time that I was gone washing my clothes and engaging in basic fucking self-care. So my last safe space is gone.

I am currently wearing a mask lined with Vicks VapoRub just to be able to breathe inside. I cannot sleep here. I cannot stay here. Please, gods, I can't. ☠️

The Deadline: My exit deadline is no longer Monday. It is this Sunday night.

The Financial Reality: As had been discussed in a previous update, part of the $746 you all generously donated has been spent on the non-negotiable costs of escape:
🔹 Multiple, repeated washings of all my clothes (decontamination).
🔹 Packing supplies (boxes, tape, bins).
🔹 Food and supplies to survive while packing.

After accounting for everything, I have approximately $400 left for the exit itself.

This is the hard reality: $400 is not enough to cover the one-way truck rental (which requires a debit card hold) AND the gas/tolls for the 15-hour drive to Pittsburgh.

I am now in an impossible position. I am being poisoned by cat pee in a house I cannot leave, with a deadline I cannot meet. I have no other viable, safe options. This fund is the only path that gets me and my dog out safely by Sunday.

We are no longer building a buffer. We are funding the physical exit. The truck. The gas. The tolls.

If you have been watching and waiting, the time is now. This is the final 36 hours. Please. Help me close this gap and get on the road safely on Sunday.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/ellis-emergency-fund

#MutualAid #Trans #TransLatina #EmergencyFund #CrunchTime #GoFundMe #Pittsburgh #PleaseBoost #ToxicHousing #Urgent #UnsafeHousing #CatUrine #Ammonia

🚀 CRITICAL: Environment Toxic. Fund Gap. FINAL 36 HOURS.

This is the final, most urgent update. We are in the last 36 hours.

The Situation: I returned to the house to pack. I lasted less than an hour. The environment is not just unsafe; it's physically toxic. My housemates' cats have saturated my room with ammonia in the time that I was gone washing my clothes and engaging in basic fucking self-care. So my last safe space is gone.

I am currently wearing a mask lined with Vicks VapoRub just to be able to breathe inside. I cannot sleep here. I cannot stay here. Please, gods, I can't. ☠️

The Deadline: My exit deadline is no longer Monday. It is this Sunday night.

The Financial Reality: As had been discussed in a previous update, part of the $746 you all generously donated has been spent on the non-negotiable costs of escape:
🔹 Multiple, repeated washings of all my clothes (decontamination).
🔹 Packing supplies (boxes, tape, bins).
🔹 Food and supplies to survive while packing.

After accounting for everything, I have approximately $400 left for the exit itself.

This is the hard reality: $400 is not enough to cover the one-way truck rental (which requires a debit card hold) AND the gas/tolls for the 15-hour drive to Pittsburgh.

I am now in an impossible position. I am being poisoned by cat pee in a house I cannot leave, with a deadline I cannot meet. I have no other viable, safe options. This fund is the only path that gets me and my dog out safely by Sunday.

We are no longer building a buffer. We are funding the physical exit. The truck. The gas. The tolls.

If you have been watching and waiting, the time is now. This is the final 36 hours. Please. Help me close this gap and get on the road safely on Sunday.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/ellis-emergency-fund

#MutualAid #Trans #TransLatina #EmergencyFund #CrunchTime #GoFundMe #Pittsburgh #PleaseBoost #ToxicHousing #Urgent #UnsafeHousing #CatUrine #Ammonia

⭐ CRUNCH TIME: The Final Push. Leaving Monday. (Second Interview Secured!)

This is it. We are in the final 72 hours.

My absolute last day to leave this environment is this Monday, November 17th. We are in crunch time, and I have two massive updates—one about the future, and one about the present—all thanks to you.

First, the future: The job interview went incredibly well. I am officially in the second round of interviews for the therapist position in Pittsburgh! This isn't just a "hope" anymore; this is an active, in-progress reality. The path to stability is clear, and I am walking it.

Second, the present: I want to tell you what your $696 has already done.

Because of you, I had my first real shower in weeks. Because of you, I have socks again. I've been able to buy food, and I'd forgotten what it tasted like.

Your donations gave me back my basic human dignity and have brought me to tears.

I'm using that energy to get ready. I am packing. I am running all my clothes through the wash multiple times to get the allergens off them. When I came back into the house today, the smell... it's overwhelming. It smelled this bad two years ago, but back then, I believed this is what I deserved.
I don't anymore.

We are in the final push. The $696 we've raised is a miracle, but it must cover the debit-card-friendly truck rental (Budget/Penske) AND the security deposit/first few days in a safe place. We are not at the goal, and Monday is the deadline.

If you have been watching and waiting, this is the moment. This is the final weekend. Help me cross this last bridge. Help me finally get home.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/ellis-emergency-fund

#MutualAid #Trans #TransLatina #EmergencyFund #CrunchTime #GoFundMe #Pittsburgh #PleaseBoost #MentalHealth #SecondInterview

⭐ CRUNCH TIME: The Final Push. Leaving Monday. (Second Interview Secured!)

This is it. We are in the final 72 hours.

My absolute last day to leave this environment is this Monday, November 17th. We are in crunch time, and I have two massive updates—one about the future, and one about the present—all thanks to you.

First, the future: The job interview went incredibly well. I am officially in the second round of interviews for the therapist position in Pittsburgh! This isn't just a "hope" anymore; this is an active, in-progress reality. The path to stability is clear, and I am walking it.

Second, the present: I want to tell you what your $696 has already done.

Because of you, I had my first real shower in weeks. Because of you, I have socks again. I've been able to buy food, and I'd forgotten what it tasted like.

Your donations gave me back my basic human dignity and have brought me to tears.

I'm using that energy to get ready. I am packing. I am running all my clothes through the wash multiple times to get the allergens off them. When I came back into the house today, the smell... it's overwhelming. It smelled this bad two years ago, but back then, I believed this is what I deserved.
I don't anymore.

We are in the final push. The $696 we've raised is a miracle, but it must cover the debit-card-friendly truck rental (Budget/Penske) AND the security deposit/first few days in a safe place. We are not at the goal, and Monday is the deadline.

If you have been watching and waiting, this is the moment. This is the final weekend. Help me cross this last bridge. Help me finally get home.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/ellis-emergency-fund

#MutualAid #Trans #TransLatina #EmergencyFund #CrunchTime #GoFundMe #Pittsburgh #PleaseBoost #MentalHealth #SecondInterview

⭐ URGENT! The situation has escalated. Emergency exit underway.

To my community, I need to update you immediately. The environment here has become actively unsafe and destructive. My personal resources, including my only clean clothes, have been actively sabotaged.

This is no longer a future plan; it is an immediate, critical safety extraction to Pittsburgh. I am leaving with compromised supplies.

I am engaging trans-focused housing services in Pittsburgh (SisTers PGH) to secure immediate sanctuary. The $8,500 #GoFundMe is now for:

🔹 Immediate Resupply: Necessities like essential clothes.
🔹 Securing the Bridge: Housing until #LPC licensure in PA for high-value employment.
🔹 Refugee Status: Life-saving migration from Iowa's hostile environment for #TransSafety & #HRT needs.

Every donation and share right now fuels my immediate safety. If you can help, this is the moment.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/ellis-emergency-fund

#Trans #TransLatina #MutualAid #EmergencyFund #CommunityFund #PleaseBoost #Latina #Pittsburgh

P.S. Apologies if I sound weird. I'm still a little numb from what happened. 😿

⭐ URGENT! The situation has escalated. Emergency exit underway.

To my community, I need to update you immediately. The environment here has become actively unsafe and destructive. My personal resources, including my only clean clothes, have been actively sabotaged.

This is no longer a future plan; it is an immediate, critical safety extraction to Pittsburgh. I am leaving with compromised supplies.

I am engaging trans-focused housing services in Pittsburgh (SisTers PGH) to secure immediate sanctuary. The $8,500 #GoFundMe is now for:

🔹 Immediate Resupply: Necessities like essential clothes.
🔹 Securing the Bridge: Housing until #LPC licensure in PA for high-value employment.
🔹 Refugee Status: Life-saving migration from Iowa's hostile environment for #TransSafety & #HRT needs.

Every donation and share right now fuels my immediate safety. If you can help, this is the moment.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/ellis-emergency-fund

#Trans #TransLatina #MutualAid #EmergencyFund #CommunityFund #PleaseBoost #Latina #Pittsburgh

P.S. Apologies if I sound weird. I'm still a little numb from what happened. 😿