{"id":573,"date":"2026-04-22T12:25:41","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T19:25:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/counsellingconcepts.ca\/decolonizing-health-healing-care\/?page_id=573"},"modified":"2026-04-24T16:51:01","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T23:51:01","slug":"practice-17","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/counsellingconcepts.ca\/decolonizing-health-healing-care\/practice-17\/","title":{"rendered":"Practice 17 Presence"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\"Decolonizing<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Chapter 8.1<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Practice 17 Presence: A Self-Reflective Way of Being<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

By Melissa Jay, Sandra Collins, Gwendolyn Villebrun, Kitana Connelly, Gurmukh Aujla, and Alexandra Z\u00fa\u00f1iga<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Book: Decolonizing Health, Healing, and Care<\/a>
Published: June 1, 2025
Publisher: Counselling Concepts<\/a>
Chapter DOI: https:\/\/doi.org\/10.71446\/op438597208<\/a>
Book ISBN: 978-0-9738085-6-8
Format: ePub
Distributor: Vital Source<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Purchase your copy at<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Vital Source<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Abstract<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Melissa and Sandra position self-reflection and presence as a starting place for learning and unlearning the layers of coloniality and other forms of cultural oppression that can seep into relationships with clients. This ongoing personal and professional practice enhances therapist cultural humility and authenticity in support of equitable and culturally safe environments for the people and communities they walk alongside. This chapter offers nurturing practices for helping professionals committed to decolonial care and relational care. The choice of themes arose from Melissa\u2019s own evolution as a psychologist and reflects gaps in learning along her educational journey. The first thematic cluster relates to self-reflection and includes embodiment, therapist healing work, and vulnerability. The second cluster centres relationship with a focus on prioritizing relationship over skills. Next Melissa and Sandra address ethical decision-making, including presence and relationality, resistance, professional boundaries, and intuition. The section on self-care considers self-care paradoxes, burnout, community care, and supervision and mentorship. Each section of the chapter includes reflective prompts to invite readers to lean into presence through experiential learning and unlearning. Melissa and Sandra position a presence-focused journey as part of life-long learning as healthcare practitioners, and they invite readers to embrace discomfort as part of their continued personal and professional growth. The invitation to action at the end of the chapter focuses on collective empowerment, inviting readers to identify their own circle of support to continue their decolonizing healing journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Melissa and Sandra appreciate contributions of following co-authors to this chapter:<\/p>\n\n\n\n