My Commitment to Liberation & Decolonization
I have always been passionate about social justice.
I have witnessed, lived, and studied, how the kyriarchy – the intersectional systems of oppression, domination, suppression, and subjugation – has maintained and driven the increase of mental ill-health. The mechanisms by which this is accomplished is that systems of oppression are designed to alienate us from ourselves and others.
An act of rebellion is essential to reclaim our personal power and to dismantle the kyriarchy. Psychotherapy, in my opinion, is one of the greatest tools to do so. My aim, and endless commitment, is to do whatever I can to practice decolonized psychotherapy. This is embedded in how I work with my clients: how client issues are framed and the thoughtful use of language, the collaborative nature of our work together, and by creating opportunities for clients to be empowered within our therapeutic relationship. It is a mindful and intentional practice recognizing how coloniality shows up in psychotherapy and taking purposeful action to address and transform the unique form it might take within the therapeutic relationship.
Upon completion of my master’s degree, I was honoured to be named valedictorian. For your interest, you may like to read my commencement address which is a call to a practice of psychotherapy as a mechanism and tool for dismantling the kyriarchy and all forms of oppression. The ultimate rebel yell. Read it HERE.
Decolonizing Therapy
Collective and individual liberation is one of the most important and meaningful guiding principles of the work that I do as a psychotherapist, and it is a conviction that guides how I live my personal life as well.
My commitment to liberation and social justice is something that I strive to demonstrate through my words and my actions. It is not simply something I believe in, it is something I practice. This is something I touch on HERE.
Decolonizing therapy is an approach that seeks to recognize, and bring healing to, the many forms of systemic and institutionalized systems of oppression that disenfranchises, alienates, harms, and marginalizes the individual, and their community. It is an approach that centers and connects the individual to their personal and collective power, achieved through a strengthened relationship to self, fortified resiliency and improved coping, connection to one’s familial, cultural and ancestral wisdom and knowledge, and a values-based framework that acknowledges our inter-connectedness.
My personal commitment to decolonizing therapy, and my personal relationships, means that I dedicate time and energy towards learning, integrating, and practicing new ways of being that reflect a decolonized worldview. It means continuing to study and learn how forces of the kyriarchy systematically and violently upholds supremacy, imperialism, colonialism, and genocide. It means learning, and listening, to the lived experiences of others, and honouring how they have been harmed by systems of oppression. This expands one’s compassion and empathy, and understanding of how individuals, and their communities, are dehumanized.
Choosing to actively learn and explore systems of power and oppression provides insight into how mental health is affected and shaped, and the ways in which mental ill-health arises from experiences of oppression and violence. It calls on me, as a psychotherapist, to recognize and bring sensitivity to the ways in which the mental health profession has been shaped by its racist and colonial past, and how modern psychological and psychiatric practices continue to uphold oppressive systems of harm and disempowerment. It is recognizing how my role as a mental health professional can perpetuate harm and actively striving to disentangle myself from my own colonized worldview.
In the context of the therapeutic relationship, decolonization and anti-oppressive work looks like centering trust, safety, and authenticity. It also means practicing accountability, and a commitment to having difficult or uncomfortable conversations to uphold and enhance the health of the therapeutic alliance. It means remaining committed to my own personal healing and growth, to confront my own biases or prejudicial thoughts, and challenging my own fears, limitations, or positions of privilege.
Land Acknowledgement
Turtle Island is home.
Currently, I live in Aotearoa New Zealand, land of the long white cloud, home to Māori, tangata whenua.
I wish to acknowledge that the land that shaped me – that land whose spirit I feel deeply within every particle of my being – is the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe, protected by the Robinson Huron Treaty of 1850. The land on which I was born is the traditional territory of the Anishnaabeg (Garden River and Batchewana First Nations) and the Métis Nation of Ontario. The land which represents home to me, glorious northern Ontario along the shores of the Great Lakes, is the traditional territories of many Indigenous peoples, representing the territories of Atikameksheng Anishnawbek (which are descendants of the Ojibwe, Algonquin and Odawa nations), and Atikameksheng Anishnaabeg.
Recognizing the land is a gesture of gratitude and respect for the lands and territory that has birthed me and shaped me, and that has nourished me and held me, from my first breath to this very moment in time. The land has been my solace, my peace and calm, my source of healing and growth. From the first birch trees that I fell in love with at age three and vowed to marry, to the familiar footpaths of the deep Boreal woods that inspired curiosity and wonder within me, to the waters that hold my tears from a lifetime of heartbreak and joy, to the glorious sun and moon that are my greatest sources of wisdom, there is no time or place in my memory that does not exist without the majesty of the land.
I am thankful for the incredible relationship I have with the land from which I was born and raised, and the land that I currently call home. It is a relationship that I have devotedly and solemnly fostered and cultivated, but not without the support, wisdom and leadership of many influential and inspiring individuals within the various Indigenous communities of the land I call home. I am grateful and honoured as a recipient of their teachings and their support. I am thankful for the land that nourishes me and holds me so lovingly.
This land acknowledgement serves as a recognition of the invaluable contributions and stewardship of Indigenous peoples, and the respect and gratitude I hold for them. I stand unwaveringly committed to Indigenous liberation, land back, and reconciliation. This is, in part, demonstrated through my commitment to continuous learning and practice of decolonized therapy, and through my previous and continued activism for a liberated future for all.
