How I work

My approach to healing is informed by politicized somatics, narrative techniques, parts work, and intersectional feminism. That means that we’ll work with the ways that your body and mind have been shaped by trauma, oppression and privilege. We’ll tend to younger parts of you that might feel immobilized by despair, incapable of intimacy, or tangled up in shame. We’ll explore - and sometimes revise - the stories you’ve told to make sense of your own experience. Below are some of the core principles that will guide our work.

  • Healing is political.

    Oppression takes a toll on our minds, bodies, and spirits. White supremacy, patriarchy, capitalism, and other forms of systemic violence literally restrict our access to the things that keep us alive. This can ultimately convince us that we shouldn’t be alive.

    All of us need and deserve safety, belonging, and dignity. It will take deep systemic transformation to make those things readily available to all people. For this reason, individual healing work cannot be separated from systemic change work.

    In our work together, we won’t pretend that you can think your way out of oppression. Instead, we’ll work directly with your body to heal internalized oppression and to cultivate a sturdy love - for yourself and for your people.

  • Healing is communal.

    Individual therapy is an important part of many people’s healing paths, but it’s not the whole thing. Healing takes root in us when community holds us and supports our transformation. This can include loving and being loved by people who share our experiences of systemic and interpersonal violence.

    Healing means growing our capacity to give and receive love. Therapy can help with unblocking the channels so that love can flow more freely, but the real change happens as we practice loving and being loved.

    In our work together, we will talk about how to invite your close people into your healing process in boundaried, intentional, and affirming ways.

  • Healing is transgenerational.

    So many of the painful experiences that shape us - abuse, exploitation, oppression - accumulate across generations and are transmitted both epigenetically and interpersonally. This is also true of our inherent resilience and survival skills.

    When you commit to your own healing work, it can have powerful ripple effects. It can rearrange your relationships with family members who are still living and with those who are no longer here. It can illuminate the places where you carry shame that’s not yours to carry. It can interrupt cycles of violence and soften the way for future generations.

    In our work together, we’ll gather resource from ancestors, care for your younger self, and envision the futures you long for.

Together we can work on:

  • healing experiences of interpersonal and systemic violence

  • finding joy and freedom as you embody your gender and sexuality

  • asserting clear boundaries and making vulnerable requests

  • navigating complex interpersonal and organizational conflicts

  • reconnecting to a sense of agency and self-trust

  • weathering personal and collective grief and loss

  • honing your contribution to liberation movements

  • identifying and moving toward your longings

If this resonates, get in touch to schedule a free phone consultation.