Collective liberation & healing for a time like this

One thing I've been reflecting on and truly believe is that for some reason, we are in this place and timeline. And so, what does that mean for us as people born in the late 20th century living in 2025 right now? 

From conversations with clients, fellow therapists, and people in my personal life, a lot of us are wondering how we got here and what do we do about it. We're witnessing in the world right now so much injustice that is causing our hearts to ache, our minds to freeze, and causing our bodies to feel tense.

A big question I've been hearing a lot and dissecting myself is what do we do when we have witnessed so much already and seemingly don't have control over the laws and directives being made?

What do we do with the skills we've acquired to make the world a better place?

How do we contribute to the collective moment and healing that is so needed right now?

And how do we do all of this without falling into compassion fatigue?

Sigh. The questions are many and the answers are few. A common response I've been seeing lately is anger, sometimes with no place to go. But here's one piece of insight I'd like to offer for you to mull on…

Explore what you may be called to in this moment.

One revelation I've recently had is that anger has wisdom. It reveals that something is not right, unjust, or not aligned. Instead of trying to get rid of anger, it may behoove us to be curious about what our anger is trying to call us to make right again. Often times we channel our anger and typically think the main way to advocate & support the justice and care for people who are being oppressed is to go straight to protesting on the streets. But it's not the only way! Our anger can be transformational. I want to encourage you to think about your specific skills and the ways you show up in the world, and see how advocacy can be a part of that. Slow Factory has an excellent framework for this - check it out here.

Engage in something creative

Art & creativity provide space to heal and can refuel our tank when we're feeling low. Your creativity can be expressed through writing a song of lament, painting your vision of liberation, sculpting a vase for a friend in need, or something else that comes to mind. 

Spending money wisely

Money talks and collectively, it holds a lot of power. Economic boycotts, divestments, and sanctions (BDS) have been used in several civil rights movements and is most widely known through the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa. Your money also allows you to do good outside of your sphere of influence, so you can invest in small businesses that resonate with you. 

Make space for others

Sometimes the greatest gift we can give is our presence. In graduate school, we learned about the 10/90 rule - speak 10% of the time in order to make space for the client to speak 90% of the time. While I use a variety of modalities depending on the client, I keep this rule in mind a lot, especially when I'm with those who have experienced trauma.

My hope is that you give yourself the time to think through your unique ways of contributing to the world right now, and know that your presence matters.💛