Barrel Children Documentary Reflections.

In this live stream I share reflections from a powerful documentary called “Barrel Children” which sheds light on the experiences of children left behind in the Caribbean during the Windrush period when their parents migrated to the UK in search of a better life. The film delves into the emotional and psychological impact on these children and explores the complex, painful challenges faced by each generation during this time.

Resmaaa Menakem and Nova Reid Live in London Reflections!

I’ve been following Resmaa’s work for a number of years and am currently in a 9 month somatic abolisionism process which has been amazing. After hearing he would be visiting London for the first time, I new I had to be there.

Resmaa, known for his no-nonsense approach, spoke passionately about the significance of community and the work required to address racial trauma collectively. During the event, he emphasized the importance of acknowledging the internalised messages of defectiveness prevalent in our community and challenged participants to work together to dismantle these systems of oppression.

I was also able to meet him afterwards to sign my book which was amazing! Watch to get the full breakdown of this powerful event.

 

Self deprivation V protection?

You would think that everyone wants to embrace abundance but many of us are stuck in a compulsive cycle of self deprivation. In this live stream I empower you to unpack and explore this topic with the following questions: What are we trying to protect ourselves from by depriving ourselves? What fears surround being vulnerable and expressing our needs? How does self-deprivation manifest in our lives, and what impact does it have on our well-being?

Cherish your black body: Part 2. 24/30 Live stream challenge.

In this live, I continue the conversation from part 1 on the importance of cherishing our black bodies and the significance of building relationships within our community. Drawing from personal experiences and observations, we will explore how our internalised oppression can impact the way we treat ourselves and others. By examining these issues, I aim to shed light on the challenges faced by black businesses in building relationships with clients (given our traumatic relational history) and encourage a shift towards a deeper valuing of ourselves and our community.

What is black body psychology?

Body psychology provides a framework for exploring how systems of oppression impact the relationship we have with our bodies. How we feel about ourselves in addition to the daily stress of living under the system can manifest in the body as stress, tension, and physical pain. After reading My Grandmothers Hands By Resmaa Menakem, I’m now in a 9 month process with him to fully embody and deepen my understanding of this work within the context of race. Black body psychology offers an exploration with techniques to increase awareness and heal our racial trauma. Join me in the mastermind on Thursday 8th June for a masterclass on An Introduction to Somatic Abolitionism.

How to deal with angry people.

In this session I continue the conversation around this months theme of anger and share three things to consider when dealing with someone who is angry.

  1. Is the anger being expressed respectfully?
  2. What comes alive in you being around their angry? Do you shut down or become defensive?
  3. Focus on what you will do in response to their anger rather than trying to control how they behave. What boundaries do you need to put in place in that moment or with that person in general?

Watch the live below for a more in depth exploration of these points. If you have any questions about what was shared, you can email me at [email protected]

The Powerful ‘Black’ Sheep?

In researching content for my Black Mother Wound  retreat, I came across a powerful piece of writing that reframes the negative meaning of the ‘black’ sheep of the family. In this live stream I share my thoughts on how this position is an opportunity to reclaim your autonomy and break destructive family patterns!

The Black Sheep. By Bert Hellinger.

‘The so-called black sheep of the family are, in fact, hunters born of paths of liberation into the family tree.

The members of a tree who do not conform to the norms or traditions of the family system, those who since childhood have constantly sought to revolutionise beliefs, going against the paths marked by family traditions, those criticised, judged and even rejected, these are usually called to free the tree of repetitive stories that frustrate entire generations.

The black sheep, those who do not adapt, those who cry rebelliously, play a basic role within each family system, they repair, pick up and create new and unfold branches in the family tree.

Thanks to these members, our trees renew their roots. Its rebellion is fertile soil, its madness is water that nourishes, its stubbornness is new air, its passion is fire that re-ignites the light of the heart of the ancestors.

Uncountable repressed desires, unfulfilled dreams, the frustrated talents of our ancestors are manifested in the rebelliousness of these black sheep seeking fulfilment. The genealogical tree, by inertia will want to continue to maintain the castrating and toxic course of its trunk, which makes the task of our sheep a difficult and conflicting work.

However, who would bring new flowers to our tree if it were not for them? Who would create new branches? Without them, the unfulfilled dreams of those who support the tree generations ago would die buried beneath their own roots.

Let no one cause you to doubt, take care of your rarity as the most precious flower of your tree.

You are the dream of all your ancestors.’

 

Suicide support in the black community.

This time of year can be a very vulnerable time for many with the expectations of the holidays and being around unsafe family members. Add the recent suicide of Steven ‘Twitch’ Boss in the US, the racist abuse toward Megan and Ngosi from the royals / Jeremy Clarkson and the cost of living crisis, it makes sense that there are a lot of strong emotions. 

There is a lot of stigma in our community about dealing with our mental health so I wanted to take the opportunity to have an honest conversation about this tender topic and how we can begin to embrace the suffering with more compassion and understanding instead of fear, guilt and shame.   

In this live, fellow therapist Yvonne Douglas and I explore the stigma of suicide in the black community, some statistics, why do black people feel suicidal, how to help a suicidal friend, how therapy can help and what to do if you can’t afford therapy.

Resources:

More details about how to connect with Yvonne can be found at https://yvonnejdouglas.com/

The black and asian therapists network. https://www.baatn.org.uk/

Black men’s wellness. https://findabalance.org/

Recovery support www.theblacksteps.com