BGD Get Free Supports Emotional Healing and Liberation for PoC Activists

get free radical healing posterProgram Description:

Simply put, the work of getting free isn’t easy. It’s especially not easy when you’ve made it your mission to not only Get Free yourself, but also help your community Get Free. The work of fighting oppression out there is hard work and in doing it we often neglect the inner work needed to heal, so that we can not only continue fighting the fight, but do it as happier, healthier people.

Seeing a need right now, perhaps more than ever, for healing and emotional support for our people as we fight these brave and necessary fights we are expanding our Get Free Program to support activists of color, especially queer and trans activists of color, in doing the inner healing work that must happen alongside our protests, marches, and other direct actions against systemic oppression. This program is specifically for people of color, especially queer and trans people of color, taking organized action to challenge systemic oppression and make change.


Want to support this grassroots project with a donation? Go here!


The Get Free Healing for the Revolution project will provide POC social justice activists with 10 one-on-one sessions with a coach who is trained to support their personal and emotional healing, growth and liberation.

Our program provides personalized support so that you can:

  • Let go of things you’re holding onto from the past that don’t serve you.
  • Identify, and do something about, areas where you feel stuck in your personal healing and growth.
  • Be accountable for areas where you’re not taking responsibility for your life.
  • Speak and live truth.
  • Do activist work in a way that nurtures and makes you come alive.
  • Cultivate healthy and supportive relationships.

Get Free Healing for the Revolution participants will receive:

  • Ten online or in-person sessions over the course of three months
  • Weekly email support
  • Weekly assignments and follow-up related to the issues you choose to address

Our Get Free support is:

  • Grounded in anti-oppression principles. Specifically, we provide anti-racist, anti-sexist, anti-homo & transphobic, anti-ablest, anti-classist, anti-xenophobic and anti-fatphobic support.
  • Trauma informed. Our coach is a trained clinician who specializes in trauma (although the support sessions will not include trauma counseling).
  • Focused on accountability and personal responsibility. We focus on what you can do to change things, vs. what other people are doing.
  • Our support addresses the wellness of participant’s mind, body and spirit as is appropriate and relevant to each individual.
  • Present and future focused. We build on your strengths and resources to help you move forward, rather than focus on analyzing the past.
  • Participant centered. We focus on what you want to address and what’s important to you, not our own agenda.
  • Our support is not only grounded in an anti-oppression framework, but is also inclusive of those who do sex-work and/or are in BDSM or polyamorous communities.
  • Each session will follow a structure and have homework assignments in order to maximize the benefit of our work together.
  • All communication will be kept in the strictest confidence. Only the coach and the coach’s supervisor will have your information.
  • Sessions will be offered on a sliding scale of $5 to $40 per session. We will not ask for proof of income, but request that you are honest about what you can afford to pay per session. If you do activist work for an agency, we will do our best to assist you to get your agency to pay for some or all of the support sessions.

Our support sessions are NOT:

  • Counseling or therapy. Although the Get Free support person is trained in understanding and responding to trauma, the online sessions are not therapy and are not meant to replace therapeutic support. You may however explore whether or not you want to access therapy in your support sessions and the Get Free support person can help you find the right therapist for you.
  • Crisis support. We cannot provide emergency or crisis support of any kind.

Get Free Coach Bio

CarmenLeah Ascencio, LCSW, MPH, RYT is a public health social worker, community theatre facilitator, trauma-sensitive yoga instructor and proud Boricua 2nd generation queer femme. Over the past 12 years her work has centered on partner abuse, sexual violence, the commercial sexual exploitation of children, LGBQT asylum seekers, refugee resettlement and positive youth development. She has worked for agencies such as GEMS in New York City, the Center for Global Health and Development at Boston University, Apne Aap Women Worldwide in Delhi, India, the International Rescue Committee, the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center and the Violence Recovery Program at Fenway Health. She is currently the Director of Programs and a monthly columnist for Black Girl Dangerous and is the creator of Freedom Labor Love, a consultancy business that helps organizations and schools be trauma informed, emotionally healthy and inspired social change environments. CarmenLeah integrates artistic, spiritual and body centered practices into her therapeutic and transformative work and is also undergoing life coaching certification.

Are you a PoC activist who wants to participate in this program? Apply here: Get Free: Healing For the Revolution Application.

Want to support this grassroots project with a donation? Go here!