Exploration of Depth Psychology: Communal, Liberation, Indigenous, Ecopsychology concentration, phd
Pacifica Graduate Institute
I can barely spell ‘psychology.’ I have to remember when my friend Belia texted me after I told my former work team, the “RJ Squad” that I was starting a phd program, her response was: “’Remember you can’t spell psychology without cholo; Psy CHOLO GY”
That how I remember to spell psychology- but I still get it wrong and often. I decided to apply for this program (of which I knew of from former professors and some friends and colleagues) beginning from conflict at a former workplace, grief that I was experiencing, and the loss of self advocacy of needs, all during a global pandemic. Through these ruptures I remembered what I had been curious about for a long time, what I had written on post-it’s on my desk:
“What if modes of conflict intervention involved embodied story telling?”
“In creating opportunities for transformation from conflict, you need a strong antagonist.”
This got me thinking about stories. The stories we tell of ourselves, of past conflicts, past solutions, stories of growth, stories of oppression, stories with an oppressor, stories of conflict.
What stories do we ingest to save us?
What stories are told to us to for our safety?
What stories do we create for ourselves?
Why do we need stories in our lives -constantly? (streaming services, phone, youtube, social media, etc…)
How can stories be used to liberate us?
To see an example of the scholarly work of liberation psychology visit here
Research Interests:
Stories
Storytelling
Witnessing
Internalized Oppression
Conflict, Harm
Restorative Justice
Theater of the Oppressed: Rainbow of Desire
Claiming Indigeneity
Settler Colonialism
Activation
Fragility
Unsettling
Performance Studies
Film
Masks
Papers written during program in the first year for future expansion:
Stories as Practiced Based Applications for Healing, Repair and Expression within Community Psychology
“La Llorona” (2019) Rupture and Memory
Indigenous Healing Through Cycles
Unsettling and Unmasking Settler Colonialism
Representations of Coloniality and Carceral Logic in Documentary Film
Unsettling Dreams and Melancholia: Could environmental melancholia be a condition of settler fragility within settler colonialism?
O’odham Soul Representation in I’itoi Ki:
Story and Ceremony as Remedy to Colonial Violence: Sippin’
Publications:
Passing the Cup of Vulnerability: Offering Vulnerability as a Challenge to White Fragility through the Elements of Circle, Colorizing Restorative Justice, Living Justice Press. 2020
Unmasked Stories: Witnessing ‘Then What Might Happen’: The International Journal of Restorative Justice: Arts and Restorative Justice 2022
Facilitation & Workshops: (2022)
Anne Arundel County Public Schools: “Vulnerability and Culturally Connected ‘Witnessing’ in Circle”
Colorizing Restorative Justice from an Indigenous Worldview, Dialogue: ‘Unsettling and Sippin’’
Teaching, Facilitation & Workshops: (2023)
California State University at Monterey Bay, upper division Service Learning class: My Story of Self in Service
Northwest RJ Forum: Using Theater Arts to create a new story of resiliency: processing Sippin’ for BIPOC folx
California State University at Monterey Bay, College Corps, Service and Social Justice
My curiosity and my Abuela, brought me to this program. She always valued education. “Gray’s Anatomy” was one of the first memories I have with a book. She always said I would drive up in a red Lamborghini and a white lab coat to her house. This was her dream.
My goal is to learn about stories. To create stories. She was my first story teacher. Her work is honored with this program.