Support for White Leaders to lead culture change work around race/racism.

I offer a hybrid mix of psychotherapeutic coaching, mentoring and support to white people negotiating with racism within public, voluntary and private sectors. For example if you are leading a culture change strategy, or you are seeking to bring awareness to racism within a public service.

My energy to do this work comes from having worked on consultancy projects to explore the impact of institutional racism within public services. It is usual for these endeavours to be met with some resistance. I have observed my own racism play out whilst delivering these projects and sometimes with it barely tolerable experiences of shame. In these difficult moments, the support of colleagues has been incredibly important in enabling me to continue to love myself whilst struggling with my racism. In my experience institutional racism tends to manifest when there is not sufficient support for white people to face their discomfort - and consequently the pain and discomfort is projected outwards into the ‘field’ (and this is the phenomenon of racism).

As white people we owe it to our Black and Brown brethren to be better at sitting with and processing the discomfort that comes up for us when we engage with fields that are structured by race and racism. The work I offer here is therapeutically supported (I will access supervision to support myself in the work with you). There is space to look at feelings that come up around race/racism, and to explore the way that our personal and cultural “narratives of origin” intersect with those of differently raced others. I can recommend literature in support of your work, and we can explore different understandings of the phenomenon of structural and institutionalised racism with the aim of supporting you to broker conversations that bring awareness and facilitate greater openness within your area of practice.