I help therapists, healers, and space-holders bring decolonial and liberatory values into their work—so you’re not just saying you’re aligned… you’re actually practicing it. ⬆️ More integrity, more connection, more liberation. ⬇️ Less burnout, less performative wokeness, less colonial residue. If you want a practice where marginalized clients feel safe, seen, and honored—and you want to feel more grounded and intentional in your work—subscribe and join a growing community of practitioners doing this work differently. You practice can be liberatory-- let's get you there!
Safe spaces are a myth
Reader,
Lately I’ve been thinking of the idea of creating safe spaces especially for people who hold systemically marginalized identities. That was my aim as a facilitator… “creating a brave and safe space for all participants”, but that is impossible! Yes, impossible, I bet you knew that already.
I wish I could, but I cannot ensure your safety if we’re in a shared/communal space, so why should I offer that? I’m not trying to be pessimistic or jaded when I say this. But I know that sooner or later, someone, even with the best of intentions, could cause harm. And I do want to be prepared for that.
How do you prepare for and recover from harm in communal spaces?
By setting a container for your meetings.
By offering repair.
If you have provided relationship counseling, or are trained in systems, you know how it goes. Even in the most loving of relationships there is the potential of causing unintended harm. And here is where we learn to offer repair.
But I know life is more complex than relationship counseling. And offering repair in communal spaces means:
- I need to be ready to hold space for all people involved.
- I need to have in mind the identities of the individual who caused rupture and the identities of the individual who was harmed.
In other words, if you caused rupture and offer repair, don’t expect your offer to be accepted. And if you were harmed by rupture, I’ll do my best to hold space for you and your needs.
Want to add more complexity to this puzzle?
Have in mind your identities, were your privileged identities harmed, or were your marginalized identities harmed? or both??
What's your reaction when one of your privileged identities is harmed vs. one of your marginalized identities?
How do you set a boundary if you're not ready for repair?
How do you create responsive and brave spaces in your community that can offer repair?
In community,
Silvana @ Decolonize Your Practice
Let's connect!
Liberatory Letters
I help therapists, healers, and space-holders bring decolonial and liberatory values into their work—so you’re not just saying you’re aligned… you’re actually practicing it. ⬆️ More integrity, more connection, more liberation. ⬇️ Less burnout, less performative wokeness, less colonial residue. If you want a practice where marginalized clients feel safe, seen, and honored—and you want to feel more grounded and intentional in your work—subscribe and join a growing community of practitioners doing this work differently. You practice can be liberatory-- let's get you there!
Reader, A quick update on what I've been up to: 🌻 Community Liberation Sessions, the next meetings take place in May, and you're welcome to join live (with a limited replay available.) This is a virtual gathering space for therapists, healers, and space-holders practicing decolonization — in real time.Learn more below or here. 💻 Decolonizing Mental Health Therapy: Examining power, identity, and practice, a 3-hour workshop (with CEUs) in collaboration with Therapist To Therapists.Learn more...
Reader, A quick note—honoring my bandwidth… This Monday, the second Community Liberation Session for BIPoC clinicians took place. And tomorrow (Thursday), we gather for the second session for white-identified clinicians. Someone recently asked: "What space do I join if I’m half white and half BIPoC? Here’s my answer—one that might help you decide which space to join, and also support you if you’re thinking about offering your own affinity spaces: who are affinity spaces for? With care,...
Reader, We meet next week for the second round of Community Liberation Sessions.These are affinity spaces. The group of BIPOC clinicians will meet on Monday, Apr 20 — 3pm PT / 6pm ETThe group of white-identified clinicians will meet on Thursday, Apr 23 — 2pm PT / 5pm ET So… why affinity? Because shared identity can create shared context and accountability.And shared context can create something we don’t often get elsewhere: Less explaining, less code-switching, less managing how we’re...