As I’ve said here before, I’m intentional about the spaces I create for mental health and wellness providers because I know that the way we engage together around the topics of trauma, oppression and relationships matters. 

I don’t promise a safe space because feeling safe can mean feeling comfortable. Growth requires that we feel past the edges of our comfort. Comfort is also a state that white supremacy culture has conditioned us to believe is deserved by white people. Feeling into anti-oppressive principles can feel dangerous to white people because they threaten our sense of who we are in the world.

To begin to build group cultures that can hold all that comes up as we consider our roles in systems of oppression, I’ve come up with some group agreements that I center in my work with providers.

In these spaces, we center…

✅ Confidentiality for our clients and each other

✅ Consent, always in our choice about how we show up

✅ Dignity of ourselves, each other, our clients and all people

✅ Curiosity over judgment, especially when we’re aware of guilt, shame, anger and other strong emotions

✅ Process over productivity to maintain a focus on relationship and embodiment

✅ Collectivism over individualism to be accountable to each other and the broader impact of our words and actions

What agreements would you add? What helps you to show up to your work around trauma and oppression with embodied courage and accountability?

Leave a comment to let me know.