I know you don’t want to hear me cough up all my identities and say something about how I can’t truly understand the marginalized experience. Girl we know! I’ve done it many times (maybe on my about page??), but it still feels rote and more like an insurance policy against criticism than a meaningful informed consent for people with different identities than the therapist.

Instead, let me give you a sense of who you’re working with and what stage of consciousness I’m at.

I believe that white supremacy consciousness and patriarchy are the root of this mess we are in. I honor that both have caused centuries of harm, and continue to ripple outward in spirals of violence against black, brown, and queer bodies. I don’t think it will end until we white folks acknowledge that our humanity has been injured, and that if we don’t heal, we will continue to harm.

The original injury to white people happened around the birth of patriarchy and crescendoed in the insane trauma of the middle ages. We lost our connection to the land, viewed women as objects or threats to be tortured into submission, criminalized queer identities, and stripped men of their humanity. We lost singing, dancing, grieving, and self trust. My ancestors then exported this disembodied trauma and “spirituality” all across the globe. And look how that turned out. 

I have had no choice in my life but to follow the strange little glowing knowing inside me. The glowing knowing has taken me back to the plants, to my well and wise ancestors (way back), to singing, to grief, to self trust. (Still working on my middle-ages dancing wound, thank you Pulse PDX!) In my practice, I try to help other people connect to their glowing knowing so they can shake off the big dark thing that we call white supremacy patriarchy. I work on shaking it off myself through: 1.) Listening to the glowing knowing 2.) Studying the harm I cause others and myself  with trusted mentors 3.) The ancient practice of listening to podcasts on this stuff. 

So that is how I work with dominant systems that insidiously rob us of our ability to feel beloved and free. I want us all to reclaim it. I think it’s possible.