Reader, For the last three of weeks I've shared with you the 7 steps to bridge the gap between your and your client’s identities. There are 7 steps to bridging the Gap:
This week I am unpacking step 4, Acknowledging Power Dynamics: Acknowledging Power Dynamics: Navigating Power for Equitable Therapy Recognizing and addressing power dynamics in therapy is vital to decolonizing mental health. In traditional therapeutic relationships, the therapist typically holds significant power due to their expertise and authority. Add to that factors like race, gender, socioeconomic background, and cultural context (if these are present), and the power imbalance can grow even larger. It’s crucial for therapists and healers to acknowledge whatever inherent privilege they have, while giving clients a true sense of agency. To effectively address power dynamics, therapists/healers should:
What does Acknowledging Power Dynamics have to with Decolonizing the Mental Health and Wellness Industrial Complex? In short, understanding and addressing power dynamics is essential for fostering trust and creating a space that is truly equitable, not just in theory but in practice. This goes BEYOND recognizing and sharing the power, but knowing from the get go that:
How are you Acknowledging Power Dynamics in your healing space? Hit reply and let me know! (I really want to know!) I’ll tell you more about step 5 of Bridging the Gap (Commit to Ongoing Learning) in the next weeks. ☀️ In community, Silvana @ Decolonize Your Practice PS. Starting next year I will be offering workshops on the various ways of having inclusive and affirming practices🔥 not causing unintended harm to our clients ❤️🩹 and healing in community 💫
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I help clinicians, healers, and coaches incorporate decolonized and liberatory values in their practices so that you can have a practice and/or service-based business that is truly affirming and welcoming to clients who hold marginalized identities.
Reader, A quick update on what I've been up to: 📖 Reading: Room At The Table, A Leader's Guide To Advancing Health Equity And Justice by Dr. Renée Branch Canady 🖥️ Developing a self-paced course on identities and intersectionality as key components of having a decolonial practice. Get automatically on the waitlist by clicking this link. ☀️ The last round (ever) of the program Decolonize Your Practice later this year. This will be a condensed version and you can automatically get on the...
Reader, A quick update on what I've been working on: 🎙️ A podcast interview with Shelby Leigh from Relationship As Medicine on What Grad School Didn't Teach Us 📖 A course on identities and intersectionality as key components of having a decolonial practice. Get automatically on the waitlist by clicking this link. ☀️ The last round (ever) of the program Decolonize Your Practice later this year. This will be a condensed version and you can automatically get on the waitlist by clicking this...
Reader, It’s been a few weeks since I last landed in your inbox, and I want to take a moment to reconnect. Life has been full (and I imagine yours has too). Whether you’ve been navigating the heaviness of the world, showing up for your community, or just trying to get through the day, I see you. If you’re new here, welcome! I’m so glad you found your way to this newsletter (and a big thank-you to those who sent you this way!) A few things I’ve been up to lately: 💫 I prepared and delivered a...