Rooted in Resistance Hours

Service Description

As an activist chaplain, I provide spiritual and emotional support to people engaged in social justice work and organizing. I offer confidential listening, help you process trauma and grief, provide ritual or ceremony when desired, and offer spiritual accompaniment as you navigate the challenges of working for social change. I work from an interfaith and secular framework, meeting you where you are spiritually rather than imposing any particular religious tradition. Social justice and human rights activists are especially susceptible to burnout, with symptoms including depression, anxiety, changes in memory, high blood pressure, and weakened immune function. Constantly confronting injustice and witnessing suffering can lead to compassion fatigue—the diminished ability to empathize with others' pain—and moral injury, the profound inner conflict that occurs when situations violate your core values, leaving you struggling with guilt, shame, and disconnection from your sense of purpose. My role is to help sustain you and your movement by tending to your inner life, helping you process difficult emotions, and supporting your capacity to continue this vital work for the long haul. Activist burnout is a major threat not only to individual wellbeing but also to the sustainability and effectiveness of social movements themselves. By providing dedicated spiritual care, I help you navigate the "culture of martyrdom" and selflessness that often pervades activist spaces, where taking care of yourself can feel like abandoning the cause. Whether you're an individual activist or part of an organization, I'm here to walk alongside you in this journey—offering the support you need to stay grounded, connected to your purpose, and resilient in your commitment to justice. Use organization email to book or DM* Sources: "Activism Fatigue: The Mind is a Powerful Resource of Change." Morning Sign Out at UCI, October 5, 2020, sites.uci.edu/morningsignout/2020/10/05/activism-fatigue-the-mind-is-a-powerful-resource-of-change/. Chen, Cher Weixia, and Paul C. Gorski. "Burnout in Social Justice and Human Rights Activists: Symptoms, Causes and Implications." Journal of Human Rights Practice, vol. 7, no. 3, November 2015, pp. 366-390, doi.org/10.1093/jhuman/huv011. Danquah, R., et al. "Racial Justice Activist Burnout of Women of Color in the United States: Practical Tools for Counselor Intervention." International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, vol. 43, 2021, pp. 519-533