Inclusion statement

Over the last 10 years or so, I have joined the missing dots on childhood developmental trauma and shame, and concluded that in almost every case, these can be traced back to unfair and unjust systems. You know when you see something and you cannot unsee it again - well, that.

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I have always been really super sensitive around justice - even as a little girl. Some give this a label and call it ‘injustice sensitivity’ due to my neurodivergence, which, in all honesty, I find on one hand laughable and on the other frustrating.  But, if, like me, you also feel this way, I promise you won’t find me pathologizing it. It is a good thing, right? Our communities and world need people who care - especially in our current political trash fire.

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It is fair to say that in my first few years as a practitioner, I still found myself following a little bit of a cringey ‘love and light’ narrative, and I kept justice and politics separate from my practice. Now I see how important it is to not only acknowledge the impact that capitalism, colonialism, white supremacy and patriarchy (which create the conditions for homophobia, transphobia, racism, ableism, sexism and classism) have had and continue to have on our bodies, but also to actively ‘do stuff’ to impact change.

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So it makes sense to me to be as open as possible about the journey of decolonizing my practice and teaching. This journey has been made possible by listening to those I work with deeply, and the work of Resmaa Menakem, Jennifer Mullan, Renee Linklater, and, in the early days, being a member of The Rooted Global Village.
 

Although I can’t update this statement every week, which is the current rate of change and learning I am at, I hope that in providing this statement, it gives you a better sense of whether this is a space for you or not. 

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Some things you might want to know:

 

As a coal miner's daughter through the miners' strike I was politicised from a very young age and more recently, injustice, as well as deep hope for a better world for future generations, has led me more and more to activism. Most of this is done offline, but you will see this from time to time on social media and or within emails. Right now, this is predominantly focused on a free Palestine. If you would like to read some background about how I approached speaking out about this with those I work with, you can read this Substack post here.

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When I talk about women, I mean all women, including cisgender and trans women. I also have experience working with clients of all genders, including trans men and nonbinary folk. While I'm always continuing to learn, I approach all gender identities in an open and supportive way.

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The origin of the term ‘safe space’ for marginalised communities in the ‘60’s I really understand, but like many of the Instagram wellness culture, it has been taken out of context and commodified. I will not tell you if this space is for you or not. That is for you, your nervous system, and biases to determine. I can only be open to help you make that decision.

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I do not expect or hope we will align fully on everything. We may not even discuss these things, but if you have got this far and are rolling your eyes and calling me woke or anything in your body says no to this approach, then this space is not for you.

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Currently and for the remainder of 2025:

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• I am actively working on access needs and touch points across the courses that I offer. Specifically, I am updating text on my website to be easier to read, overhauling courses for my larger containers that include audio guidance to have transcripts for different learning styles and accessibility needs. 

• Before I work with anyone, I ensure we have robust conversations about access needs.

• I am continuing to implement what I have learned from Jennifer Mullen by having bi-monthly reflection time to implement any coherent learnings. 

• I have been in a long, messy, and drawn-out break-up with white women's feminism for over 6 years, learning from many third-wave feminist writers and trainers. I reflect bi-weekly on this and my messaging - using my body as a barometer for this. 

• My work as part of the Leadership Team at the Focalizing Institute at the moment is also around being in right relationship with the material we teach, acknowledging and not extracting from some of the ancient techniques this modality draws from. This is very much an ongoing review after each cohort we teach, we take time to reflect and change where needed, our approach, and messaging materials.