The word ‘diversity’ at first wasn’t used enough, but now is used so often, it can feel like a marketing ploy. I get that. And these things still need to be said.
I’m a cis/het, ex-South African white woman. I know that undoing decades of obliviousness around white supremacy and my own cultural blind spots will be an ongoing learning curve.
I was fortunate that in apartheid South Africa, theater was one of the few places where people of all tribes, genders, skin hues and sexual preferences were included and celebrated.
My high school was the first in the country to allow all races.
Nonetheless, I screw up. I make mistakes and have to navigate the outcomes.
And I have zero doubt that will continue as I find ways to be an ally and a champion of those my own race has diminished for way too long.
But know this …
I relish the uniqueness of you.
I know that your lineage, your experiences, your skills, talents, triumphs and traumas are what make you the one-of-a-kind human that you are.
I want nothing more than to help you be the MOST YOU you can imagine being.
You are safe in my world.
You are honoured and treasured and welcomed here.
You don’t need fixing.
You are already enough.
A few more important things to mention:
CONFIDENTIALITY : Your secrets and stories and feelings are safe with me. I will not share your results or experiences of our work together, without your explicit, written consent.
KINDNESS: Coaching can be tough. I may guide you to explore things you’d rather leave in the dark. But I will always do so with kindness and a deep unshakeable belief that you already are who you dream of being. I’ll be in your corner, only always.
I AM PART OF YOUR SUPPORTING CAST: You are the star of this show and the director. That being said, I firmly believe that there’s no such thing as a one woman show. (Or a one man show, for that matter).
So I will work alongside whomever you choose to help you get where you want to go – whether that be a medical professional, a therapist or a business coach.
MEDICAL STUFF: I am obviously not a medical professional. I may share what I’ve tried, but that will never be more than a recommendation. If I think you need more specific, qualified help, I will not hesitate to say so.
FINANCIAL STUFF: We humans need money to survive. I understand that coaching isn’t a necessity the way food and electricity and shelter are. So if at any time, paying for coaching becomes a hardship, we will revisit our agreement for future sessions. Besides that, though, money paid for coaching already received, is not refundable.
ONE MORE THING: While I believe all humans are amazing, know that there are some humans that simply don’t feel at home in my world full of eccentric, gender-fluid, multi-hued beings.
I’m deeply committed to each of us being outrageously, unapologetically ourselves, in all the nuanced, paradoxical, non-conforming ways that might show up.
And if you feel the same, I would love to meet you.