Healing isn’t just about fixing physical or mental problems. It’s about understanding how different parts of who we are—like our race, gender, and background—affect our well-being. That’s what intersectional healing is all about. It’s a way of looking at how all these different parts of us fit together and how they impact our health and happiness.
Exploring Intersectional Healing
Intersectional healing says that everyone’s healing journey is unique because we all have different backgrounds and experiences. It’s like putting together a puzzle—each piece represents a part of who we are, and they all fit together to make the whole picture. This approach helps us understand why some people might need different kinds of help or support than others.
Inclusive wellness
Inclusive wellness means making sure everyone, no matter who they are, can get the help and support they need to feel good. Whether you are running an in-person wellness facility or a wellness product line: It’s about making places, services and products welcoming and easy to use for everyone, no matter their background. This includes using language that respects everyone and making sure services are accessible to people with different needs. When we focus on inclusive wellness, we help everyone feel like they belong and have the power to take care of themselves.
Key Principles of Intersectional Healing:
- Recognizing our differences: Intersectional healing starts with understanding that we’re all different and that those differences affect how we heal. For example, someone who faces discrimination because of their race might need different kinds of support than someone who doesn’t.
- Listening to everyone: It’s important to listen to the experiences of people who might not have been heard before, like those from minority groups or with disabilities. By listening to each other, we can learn from each other’s experiences and find better ways to help each other.
- Being kind to ourselves and others: We need to be understanding and caring towards ourselves and others, especially when we’re going through tough times. Sometimes, just knowing that someone cares can make a big difference in how we feel.
- Trying different ways to heal: Intersectional healing encourages us to explore different ways of feeling better, like talking to someone, practicing mindfulness, or doing things that make us happy. What works for one person might not work for another, so it’s important to try different things until we find what works best for us.
- Standing up for what’s right: It’s about fighting for fairness and justice for everyone, so we can all live in a world where we feel safe and supported. This might mean speaking up when we see unfairness or discrimination, or supporting organizations and causes that work towards making the world a better place for everyone.
How to practice intersectional healing and inclusive wellness
- Creating safe spaces: Making sure that everyone feels welcome and respected in places where they go for help or support. This might mean training staff to be more inclusive or providing resources and support specifically tailored to the needs of different communities.
- Thinking about everyone’s needs: When we help others, we need to think about what they might need based on who they are and what they’ve been through. For example, someone who has experienced racial trauma or discrimination might need extra support from a therapist with the same cultural background and have their experience validated to feel safe and comfortable.
- Finding strength in community: Being there for each other and sharing our experiences can make us all stronger and more resilient. By building supportive communities where everyone feels valued and included, we can help each other heal and thrive.
- Speaking out: Using our voices to speak up against unfairness and to make things better for everyone. Whether it’s advocating for policy changes, supporting grassroots movements, or simply speaking up when we see something wrong, speaking out is an important part of intersectional healing.
In conclusion,
Intersectional healing, combined with inclusive wellness, is all about understanding that we’re all different and that those differences matter when it comes to feeling better. By listening to each other, being kind, and standing up for fairness, we can create a world where everyone has a chance to heal and be happy.
