Ancestral Work
Connecting to who we were before whiteness
We all carry trauma in our body, in our DNA. The trauma of our ancestors, being passed down, generation after generation. The trauma of acculturation, assimilation, genocide. The traumas of wars, famines, rapes, murders. The traumas of child loss, land loss, kin loss.
We also all carry resilience, joy, connection and knowing in our body, in our DNA. The experiences of celebrations, rituals, joining families, births. The experiences growing, harvesting, making, eating food together in community. The experiences of laughter, music making, dancing.
And we all carry a deep connection with the land, the water, the air, animals (including humans), in our body, in our DNA. Connection to the solar cycles, lunar cycles, weather. Connection to dirt, soil, roots of plants. Connection to tides, the flow of rivers, the melting of snow off the mountains. Connection to trees, fungi, flowers, herbs. Connection to the air, the stillness, the breeze, the gale.
What would it take to get to those connections back? To have intimate relationship, with your ancestors, the land, yourself, lovers, friends? To reclaim kinship with the soil, the trees, the rivers and ocean? To come home into your own body, your own knowing, your own rhythmic connections to the natural cycles around you? To find your ways away from the cultural indoctrination of, and assimilation to, whiteness and back to your own roots?
What would it mean to grieve the traumas that live within you? To find your way to peace, to joy, to belonging? To move away from self-protection, from (re)traumatizing isolation, and towards revitalizing connection, intimacy, belonging?
In my work as a therapist, we often touch on and even do intentional work around, ancestral trauma and how it impacts us. I have offered multiple online and in person groups, specifically centered around connecting to our ancestors, building relationship with them, and finding healing. For over a decade I have practiced my own reconnection with my lineage, and over the last couple of years have done intimate research on assimilation, acculturation, and the ways my (and many others) ancestors were stripped of our heritage, our language, our customs, our land and have been finding my way back to customs and rituals that contain rooted ancestral meaning.
As I shift, grow, heal, and change personally, so does my work. My writing has become more expansive and integrating more ancestral connection themes and work. My work as a therapist has also expanded, integrating more and more somatic exploration practices as well as ways to (re)connect with nature and the people who came before us.
Now it is time for me to offer work that is primarily, instead of secondarily, ancestral work related for individual clients. This work will look similar to the work I do with clients who have experienced abuse (physical, sexual, emotional) and neglect in childhood and or adulthood. It includes finding ways to soothe the nervous system, reclaiming the body as your own, and somatic sensory exploration, just as I have done with my clients for years. In addition, we will also do meditative journeying to connect with ancestors, and I will offer homework and practices to you to find your way into relationship with those who came before you, with the land, with your friends and family, and with yourself.
The logistics
Individual sessions
Weekly or bi-weekly 60-minute meetings, or monthly 90 minute meetings to practice nervous system regulation, body reclamation, somatic sensory exploration, and or ancestral (re)connection
Homework that will vary based on individual needs and wants
Occassionally I will offer an audio recording of the meditative journey work for you to listen to and practice on your own
Cost
I offer a sliding scale for all my work, and this is no different. I want to make this work as financially accessible as possible, while also still earning enough to pay my own bills. My hourly rate is $200/hour, and those who are able to pay this full rate help supplement those who need to utilize my sliding scale. If your financial situation does not allow you to pay my full rate, we can discuss what is affordable for you in our consultation meeting.
If this kind of work interests you, I invite you to reach out so we can set up a 30-minute free consultation to discuss what this work could look like for you by emailing me at raimondi dot gwynn at gmail dot com with “Ancestral Connection Inquiry” in the subject line.
I look forward to connecting with you soon.
In rebellious solidarity, always,
xoox
gwynn