Reader,

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Have you been feeling the weight of knowing that the system you work within contradicts your deepest values? That gut-level frustration when you’re forced to navigate policies, institutions, or frameworks that perpetuate harm—even as you try to do the work of healing?

That feeling has a name: moral injury.

Moral injury happens when we’re put in situations where we must uphold or witness harm while knowing another way is possible. In mental health, this might look like:

• Being pressured to prioritize billable hours over client well-being.
• Having to diagnose clients in ways that feel pathologizing to access care.
• Having to call on CPS, APS, or 911 on a person with minoritized identities.
• Working within agencies that claim to be trauma-informed but ignore systemic oppression.
• Working alongside clinicians who claim to be liberatory in their approach but still perpetuate colonialism and harm.
• Feeling isolated in your commitment to decolonial, liberatory, or anti-oppressive care.

Decolonizing our practice means acknowledging this harm—not just for our clients but for ourselves. Moral injury doesn’t just cause burnout; it erodes our sense of purpose and belonging. But here’s your reminder: you don’t have to carry this alone.

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And here is your prompt to do some reflection:

💭 What parts of your work feel misaligned with your values? Where have you had to make compromises that didn’t sit right with you?

Naming these experiences is a first step toward liberation. The next is imagining (and building) something different. Decolonial mental health is not just about dismantling oppressive models—it’s about reclaiming joy, agency, and collective healing.

I’d love to hear from you. What does a liberatory mental health practice look like for you? What do you wish could be different? Hit reply and let me know.

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Here’s to communal joy and decolonial practices ☀️

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In community,

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Silvana @ Decolonize Your Practice​

PS. You can read previous Liberatory Letters here.

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⬆️ Let's connect!