Last week I saw a really cringy interview with Drew Barrymore and Vice President Kamala Harris (USA) where she was asking her to be the county’s ‘Mamula.’ It was clearly giving, ‘be the black mammy’ vibes and there were a lot of us on social media saying how tired they were of having this stereotype […]
Author: June Allen
How does slavery continue to destroy secure childhood attachment today?
Chattel slavery kept mothers and babies in bondage for centuries, so it’s important to explore how it still impacts our community today. Frederick Douglass was an iconic African American abolitionist, writer, speaker, and statesman. Born into slavery in Talbot County, Maryland around 1818, he escaped in 1838 and became one of the leading voices in the fight against […]
The Power of Kitty Calm.
Ever since I was a little girl, cats have always been a great source of comfort. There’s something so settling about being around the purring and ‘biscuit’ making. When I had no safe people to turn to, my cat with the only consistent love I knew. There’ve been many times when I’ve been upset and […]
What exactly does justice for your inner child mean?
One of the most powerful aspects of my work is holding space for a client’s inner child to emerge. It can take a while before this younger part of ourselves feels safe enough to come out from where they’ve been hiding. Sometimes I’ll need to slow them down from intellectualising and using words to cover […]
Recognizing Coping Mechanisms
The things that kept us soothed and safe as children in dysfunctional families can block us from what we need as adults. Journaling can help us identify any recurring patterns, beliefs, and behaviours that no longer serve us. Exploring these experiences compassionately can give us clarity on how the past continues to bleed into the […]
How do childhood attachment patterns impact our adult relationships?
In a healthy mother and baby relationship, a secure attachment is formed when they are responsive and can provide nurturing care, protection, and emotional support. Building a secure attachment is important for: Babies’ brain development. Learning to self soothe. Feeling deserving of care. Seeding self esteem. The first experience of love. Building confidence to communicate […]
Shut Your Inner Critic Up!
Journaling is a powerful tool to unpack, explore and change the relationship with your inner critic which is often in our unconscious chattin’ sh*t. Understanding the intersections of racism, oppression and gender within your family of origin or wider society is an important starting point to explore how we internalise the negative messages at a […]
Is your past hurting the present?
This month’s conversation in the Sacred Sista Sanctuary is about justice for your inner child. Inner child work provides an opportunity to explore how the pain of your past is hurting you today and will continue to bleed into your future without support. Journaling allows us to express and release pent-up emotions and feelings related […]
What does inner child work mean for black women?
If you were raised in an abusive, unsafe environment with neglectful caregivers, you would have had to adapt in some way in order to cope and survive. In this live I explore 6 maladaptive roles that children fall into to cope and also how they may still be playing out in an unhelpful way in your adult life.
‘How can I grieve the loss of someone still alive?’
One of the questions I am being asked a lot in session recently, is how clients can grieve the loss of someone still alive? If you have no contact with parents or other family members. this is a particularly complex and emotionally challenging issue that requires professional support, a support network and lots of self […]