Principles and Practices of Healing by Choice!
In order to do the work, we must be the work. How to be the work, we believe, is the work before the work. We begin by honoring and naming the foundations of how we be as a Circle in Healing by Choice! Our principles and practices are rooted in Healing Justice Principles: 1. Collective trauma is transformed collectively. 2. There is no single model of care. 3. Healing strategies are rooted in place and ancestral technologies. (Healing Justice Lineages by Cara Page and Erica Woodland)
Healing Justice principles originate from black queer feminists who are rooted in disability justice, abolition, anti-capitalism, environmental justice, economic justice, gender justice, LGBTQI justice, and transformative justice. These principles and practices are also rooted in the teachings of the lineages of current members of Healing by Choice!, those who have been a part of HbC!’s circle, and a big part from our founder, Adela Nieves Martinez.
We share our principles and practices here with the hopes that some of it may be useful for you as we re-imagine the ways we are in relationship with ourselves, the earth, and our neighbors. A world in which healing justice is integrated into all of our systems and practices from the micro to the macro. If you use any of what is written here, please source those from whom it arose.
Healing by Choice! Principles and Practices:
We begin by listening
We show up in community when and where we are called. Our intention is to hear from communities directly about what is needed and how we can make offerings aligned with those needs while honoring folks’ dignity and agency. We listen to the people, the land, and ourselves.
We do not go alone
We always have at least two people go together to make offerings. As a team, we are better able to listen and make offerings that are supportive to ourselves and the people who are coming to the gathering.
Everything is by invitation only
We believe that everyone is capable of their own healing and it is important to have community spaces for us to individually and collectively heal. We believe in the innate power and Sacredness of each person. Everything that we offer is an opportunity for people to choose where and how they want to participate. We trust that each person knows what they need and we are here to hold space for them to access what they need.
All of who you are is welcome here
All of your SPICEE self is welcome. SPICEE stands for Spirit, Physical, Intellect, Community, Emotions, and Environment. You are welcome to show up in whatever way feels most nourishing for you, your community, and the land that we are on. We trust that you come in a good way and we welcome all of who you are into the space.
We are explicit in inviting folks to do what they need to be present, noting examples such as being on or off camera (online), sitting/ lying down/ moving around, speaking out loud or writing in chat, etc. We typically have a trained emotional support person to hold space for people who may need one-on-one or small group time away from the fuller group, and we encourage autonomy through self-care table (physical and virtual) options, so that folks can engage with the tools they most desire in a given moment.
As we listen, we determine how and what to offer by these three questions:
What do I need for my own healing?
What time is it on the clock of the world? (~Grace Lee Boggs)
What does the community need and/or what are they asking for?
We do our work in community
Recognizing everyone as the expert of their own experience, we learn from and with community by intentionally welcoming varied voices and contributions. This is often accomplished through popular education methods. Justice for all of creation is essential to this work. We consider the impact that our work has not just on the people of the land, but on the land, animals, water, etc. on whose land we are on.
Self and Community Care
Taking time to be introspective helps to identify what I need, while processing experiences in community makes space for collective learning as well as trust-building through showing up and filling the gaps. We strive for balance of Me/We by offering tools and practices individuals can use to go inward, and also co-create brave spaces to heal collectively. Caring for community and self means that we center people, places, and Beings who are most impacted by racism, capitalism, patriarchy, and militarism.
We move at the pace of community
Based on what we hear, we offer what is requested by others, in a way that sustains and nourishes the practitioner, the land, and those whom we serve. We move not only at the pace of the community that is in the present, but also from the teachings of our ancestors and of those who come 7 generations from now.
What we offer to others we also offer to ourselves.
There is a positive feedback loop with the work we do. As much as we give out to others, we want to also give to ourselves. The exchange is not a one for one. There are times when we do things that we do not ‘like,’ but as much as possible we strive to live as a gift to ourselves and each other. We gift what we have learned and learn from what we give. As much as possible, we give from a place of abundance and experience in our own healing practice.
Interdependence and Right Relationship
We believe that each Being has something valuable to offer and each Being has something valuable to receive. We strive to listen for each Being’s strengths and to honor the season that they are in in their lives. We rotate leadership so that each person has an opportunity to grow and shape themselves and the organization.
Principles and practice by Healing by Choice! Circle. Descriptions written by Amanda Hill and Marcia Lee
