WORKING WITH OUR ANCESTORS' RAGE

By Samara Almonte

For Dr. Jennifer Mullan, founder of Decolonizing Therapy and lovingly called “The Rage Doctor”, the process of reconnecting with ancestral knowledge and healing intergenerational trauma is one of decolonisation.

Decolonizing Therapy is a platform and collective that is focused on supporting BIPOC and LGBTQI+ people of the global majority to address mental health issues and shift the world’s understanding of therapy and counselling in a way that centres healing, liberation and decolonisation.

Jennifer tells me: “since rage is born in the face of trauma, marginalised Black, brown and Indigenous bodies are frequently on the front line of this burden.” Colonists have always benefitted from demonising the anger expressed by BIPOC through violent tropes in media, and racist, violent structures.

For example, the trope of the “Angry Black Woman” or “Savage Indian” are just a few ways in which white supremacy has created shame for Black and Indigenous people to express their rage against colonisation.

Personally, I had never considered embracing my ancestor’s anger as part of my healing journey.

WORKING WITH OUR ANCESTORS' RAGE

By Samara Almonte