Reader,

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Here’s something I want to say plainly:

Shame will probably always be somewhere in the room.

Especially when we’re unlearning the ways we were trained to stay silent, compliant, and polite.

But shame is not a stop sign.

And it’s definitely not a reason to stay quiet when harm is happening.

Whether you’re speaking up in a team meeting…

Naming power dynamics in the therapy room…

Or calling someone in (or out) for oppressive behavior…

You are modeling liberation.

You are showing your clients—especially those with marginalized identities—that voicing harm is possible.

That rupture isn’t the end of connection.

That accountability can exist without shame swallowing us whole.

You don’t need to be perfect. You don’t need to have the most articulate (polished, eloquent, professional, academic, formal, etc, etc) language.

You just need to remember: your voice has value.

And yes—therapy is political.

Because policies shape lives.

Because systems shape symptoms.

Because silence protects power, not people.

So let the shame be there.

But let it be in the passenger seat, not driving the car.

We don’t have to wait until we feel ready.

Liberatory practice means speaking truth even when our voice shakes.

And holding space for others to do the same.

You’re not just a clinician.

You’re a disruptor.

A bridge-builder.

A community-carer.

A mirror for the world your clients are imagining—one where their voice, and yours, actually matters.

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🌱 Reflection Prompts for you:

• What messages did I receive about staying silent to avoid conflict or discomfort?
• Where has shame silenced me in the past—and what did that cost me or others?
• How might I use my voice differently if I believed it could create healing instead of rupture?
• How do I model political courage in the therapy room, even in small ways?
• When I avoid being “too political,” who or what am I protecting?

🔥 Hit reply ad share your reflections with me, I want to know what's happening in your world!

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Here's to imperfectly speaking up from the heart without waiting for the "right" words,

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With care,

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Silvana @ Decolonize Your Practice​

PS. You can read previous Liberatory Letters here.

PPS. Sign up for a 1:1 Decolonial Consultation here before the price goes up in July. Therapists and healers have been using this meeting to process how their decolonial work is pivoting to ground and remain grounded during during these extra uncertain times.

PPPS. If someone forwarded this newsletter to you, you can subscribe here.

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⬆️ Let's connect!