Intergenerational Trauma

I am the Great Great Great+ Granddaughter of enslaved Africans and African Freedmen of the Muskogee (Creek) Nation. I stand on their shoulders.

I believe that society is shifting its focus—companies/billionaires are planning to create “metaverses” and it leaves me wondering about the role of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in these new “worlds.” Considering that many of the current roles for communities of color have been that of consumers, are “we” planning to assume the same roles in new worlds?

I am an AfroFuturist and I propose that we RE-Imagine our roles in the new world meta landscape from consumer to CREATOR. I believe we can only do that by REIMAGINING Liberation. So, my contribution is a space for Black, Indigenous, and POC to safely explore lineage healing as a roadmap to a future of our own design—we create our participation from a place of power, imagination, and equity.

The paradox of Ancestor psychotherapy is that it wants us to look back at the past and identify the roots of our suffering to contribute to our future. My theory is that it is in this process we go back and RETRIEVE what is nurturing, what is healing, and what is necessary for our evolutionary journey. This is what the Akan of Ghana refer to as Sankofa.

Ancestral psychotherapy holds that we (BIPOC) are critical shapers of the future and that the key to our survival is rooted in the past wisdom of our Ancestors.

I grew up in a family where social justice was a regular topic of conversation at the kitchen table. My family linked personal success with knowing one’s self, history, and culture as a source of strength. I have worked and lived within a variety of communities and have had the opportunity to learn from many rich cultural traditions. It is important to me to practice cultural humility by being respectful and curious. As a clinician, I believe deeply in the exploration of ancient ancestral wisdom as a psychological resource. Over the last few years, I have been working with traditional African Indigenous practices and honoring the wisdom of plant medicines to help heal generational trauma.

My psychotherapy practice is holistic in its foundation—meaning my primary focus is the whole person. Everything a person brings into therapy is important, valid, and worthy of exploration. I hold sacred the intersectionality of race, age, sexuality, religion, gender, ability, socio-economic background, citizenship status, and more. All identities are welcome in my practice, which I hold with integrity and respect. I work with the understanding that people are multiplicitous and there exist unique relationships to the many parts of the self. As an African American womxn, I understand the importance of linking our mental health to re-remembering our personal narratives and evolving identities. I am an advocate for addressing historical harms and healing intergenerational wounds through trauma-informed practices, that can include ancestral veneration, expressive arts, mindfulness, depth/dream analysis, nature-based spirituality, and the exploration of consciousness.