anti-oppression statement

I’ve written this statement because I want you to know my values and practices so that you can feel informed to make a decision about whether working together will feel like a good fit for you. It includes information about my commitment to anti-racist, anti-oppression and social justice work in both my personal and professional work, as well as the vantage point that has been afforded to me as a result of my privilege. I see this page as something living, with the capacity to change and evolve. I am constantly learning, listening, making mistakes and re-evaluating the alignment of my intentions with my impact, a whole-hearted and deeply feeling human.

I come to this work with the unearned privilege extended to me as a white, cis-het, middle-class, educated, neurotypical, able-bodied, settler woman of small-average size. I live and work as an uninvited settler in Nogojiwanong, traditional Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg Territory, on the land associated with the Williams Treaty of 1923 and Rice Lake Treaty #20 of 1818. This is land covered by the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, which was an agreement between the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabek to share and care for the resources around the Great Lakes. 

At the core of my naturopathic practice is a commitment to centring my patients’ lived experience and to hold space for their full, diverse and complex identities, which can include but isn’t limited to gender, race, ethnicity, age, class, immigration & citizenship status, body size and abilities. I am indebted and deeply appreciative of the folks I have supported in the past who have shared with me their different viewpoints and background in order to find a way forward for their health that was empowering and aligned with their values.

I read, listen to, learn from and take courses from queer/trans, Indigenous and Black teachers. As a very small business, I have appreciated the opportunity to participate in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) trainings alongside larger clinics with the capacity to host these workshops. Some of the professional additional training I’ve pursued includes Decolonizing Medicine with Dr. Johanne McCarthy, ND, Trans Primary Care for NDs, The Color of Wellness with Andréa Ranae, Uprooting Racism: Cultural Competency in Naturopathic Practice, work with CAST Canada, Suicide Intervention for Weirdos, Freaks, & Queers with Carly Boyce, among others. I am also a contributing member of the OAND's Anti-Racism Working Group. I maintain relationships with colleagues who hold me accountable for ensuring the work I do continues to be aligned with my values and this anti-oppression statement. As a very small business/solopreneur, I contribute 5% of my personal income to financially support organizations on a monthly basis that directly support Indigenous and Black-run organizations local to me.

The work I do falls squarely in the realm of private healthcare in this province, and this significantly impacts its financial accessibility. I am committed to continual exploration and reassessment of how my work can be made more accessible; I have offered sliding scale prices in my private practice, no questions asked since I began practicing in 2014. From 2015-2020 I ran a low-cost community acupuncture and sliding-scale clinic called Inland Island Community Wellness Centre. I started and volunteered my time for a community acupuncture program at an emergency shelter and assisted living facility from 2015-2016. I offer both free and paid group health programs in addition to 1-on-1 naturopathic care as well as free downloadable content for independent use.

The patients that I work with who are able to pay full price or have the privilege of extended healthcare benefits for naturopathic medicine play an important role in ensuring my ability to continue to explore the feasibility of financial accessibility in a private practice.

It is truly an honour to do this work and I appreciate the time you took to read through this statement