Building your relationship to joy is highlighted in this podcast, on Living From Happiness (KSFR 101.1fm). It features Kelsey Blackwell talking about her new book Decolonizing the Body: Healing, Body-Centered Practices for Women of Color to Reclaim Confidence, Dignity, and Self-Worth.
It’s a powerful guide for women of color, as well as white women, seeking to trust and follow the guidance of their bodies.
As a cultural somatics practitioner, coach, and speaker, Blackwell has brought embodied practices to diverse groups, from riders on Bay Area Rapid Transit trains to students at Stanford University to the offices of LinkedIn. Her new book, Decolonizing the Body, is a groundbreaking work that explores the relationship between mindfulness, self-confidence, and personal and collective liberation. 
Blackwell wrote Decolonizing the Body for women of color who are seeking to reclaim their confidence, dignity, and self-worth. The book is a powerful guide for women who are seeking to trust and follow the guidance of their bodies, and to find joy in the process.
In the book, Blackwell draws on her own experiences growing up as a biracial daughter of a Black father and a white mother in a predominately white Mormon community, where she was often called an “Oreo” by her white peers. These experiences taught her the importance of somatic practices for racial justice and the need to decolonize the body in order to achieve personal and collective liberation.
Blackwell’s work is particularly relevant for women of color, who often experience a “colonized body” as a result of systemic oppression. Signs of a colonized body include difficulty resting, difficulty saying “no,” feeling guilty for taking up space, putting others first and oneself last, suspecting that one can’t rely on anyone, finding it difficult to ask for and receive support, believing that one is meant to always be of service, useful, and working, and prioritizing getting ahead over self-connection. However, it’s important to note that some white people may also experience these signs, and may benefit from the practices outlined in Blackwell’s book.
One of the key concepts in Decolonizing the Body is the idea of embodied wisdom and embodied ritual practice. Blackwell emphasizes the importance of connecting with your heritage and ancestry, even when it has been erased or complicated by colonization.
Embracing Ritual
She acknowledges that creating meaningful rituals can be overwhelming, particularly for those with a multiplicity of ethnicities, but emphasizes that ritual in its essence is designed to turn us toward connecting with and trusting what guides us beyond the visible world. By embracing embodied wisdom and embodied ritual practice, we can begin to chart a path to liberation.
Self-Confidence
Blackwell also emphasizes the importance of self-confidence, which is shaped by how society treats the body we are born in. She notes that authentic confidence is a practice, and that in order to reclaim our bodies, we must also support collective transformation. By following feeling, we can reclaim what we have been instructed not to trust or to hide.
Building Your Relationship to Joy in Santa Fe, NM
Finally, Blackwell emphasizes the importance of joy and healing, and notes that taking risks can lead to freedom. She acknowledges that we are interdependent, and that bridging the divide between people of color and white is essential to achieving personal and collective liberation. She notes that boundaries are a form of love, and that by trusting ourselves to create meaningful rituals, we can fully honor our complexity.
Decolonizing the Body: Healing, Body-Centered Practices for Women of Color to Reclaim Confidence, Dignity, and Self-Worth is a powerful guide for women seeking to trust and follow the guidance of their bodies. Blackwell’s work is particularly relevant for women of color who are seeking to decolonize their bodies in order to achieve personal and collective liberation. Her emphasis on embodied wisdom, embodied ritual practice, and self-confidence is essential to achieving this goal, and her message of joy, healing, and interdependence is one that
How The Santa Fe Therapist Can Help Build Joy
I’m Melanie, the Santa Fe Therapist. Over the years, I’ve helped a lot of people who are struggling with emotional overwhelm and having a hard time in relationships. I use somatic therapy and mindfulness techniques to help you re-connect with your body, explore what happened to you that may still be painful, and help you live from joy. One thing I’ve learned is that profoundly positive things begin happening when you understand how to manage your emotions and learn how to calm down your nervous system. 
Together, we’ll figure out what’s going on and what you need to begin feeling more self-confidence and joy.
Your Emotions, Thoughts, and Actions are Connected
One of the most powerful ways to do that is to understand how your emotions, thoughts, and behaviors are connected. When you learn how to …
- make friends with your feelings,
- manage your thoughts,
- gently explore where to find your joy again,
- your life will begin changing in positive, healthy ways.
The dark times won’t feel so dark and isolating, and you’ll start believing in life again.
In balancing the science of therapy with the art of healing, I’ll create an innovative program for you that sets you on a path of success from the very first session.
You can learn to not be afraid of how you’re feeling, and how to begin feeling satisfied with life and looking forward to your future.
Neuroscience, Eastern Wisdom, & Earth-based Practices
My compassionate, creative approach weaves together my ability to hear below the surface of the words with advanced degrees, years of specialized training, professional experience, and my own personal healing around grief.
One of my specialities is giving women the tools to cope with intense emotions. I use the latest neuroscience findings, and combine Western systems, Eastern wisdom, gentle Earth-based practices, as well as creative, innovative ideas to help you feel better as quickly as possible.
My clients usually work with me weekly for 8 to 12 months. As we work together, you’ll be getting tools for long-term success and learning and using strategies and techniques to serve you for many years.
You’ll work hard for sure. But won’t all be horrible and terrible! I love sharing ideas about good books and films and laughing together once in a while.
My hope for you is that you’ll feel safe every step of the way.
How to Get Help With Building Your Joy in Santa Fe, NM
When you reach out for professional help, you’re making an investment in yourself that can change in your life in the best of ways.
When you strengthen your self-esteem and build your self-confidence, you’ll begin feeling safe in this sometimes chaotic world. You’ll be able to be in the world on your terms … to work, and love, and live as part of you deeply knows is possible.
All you have to do is send me an email to schedule a free, 15-minute phone consultation: melanie@melanieharth.com. Let’s get you feeling better as quickly as possible.
The Santa Fe Therapist Offers Online Counseling in New Mexico
Online therapy helps busy women find the time away from day-to-day pressures to calm their nervous systems. It also makes it easy and convenient to process emotions and learn new neuroscience techniques to cope with challenges, heal the past, and begin building your future.
I strongly believe in the power of online counseling. Along with the research that proves its effectiveness, I see the positive benefits for clients every week. Click here if you’ve got questions about online therapy.
Online counseling from anywhere in New Mexico, including Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Taos, Los Alamos, Pecos, Las Vegas, Tesuque and El Dorado.
Other Services From The Santa Fe Therapist
The Santa Fe Therapist specializes in several areas of health, wellbeing, healing and recovery. I know that one size never fits all. My services are individualized to each client, and are based on your values, your needs and desires, and your goals. 
I offer individual adult counseling and guidance in Santa Fe NM for:
- dealing with overwhelming angst and despair
- anxiety help
- depression help
- emotional and spiritual healing
- processing grief
- overcoming low self-esteem
- learning how to make peace with the present
- PTSD and CPTSD/trauma
- helping you manage stress
- online therapy
