Embodied Care Framework: A Path Toward Collective and Individual Liberation

The Embodied Care Framework is a liberatory, trauma-informed approach to healing that integrates personal and organizational well-being, centering the values of collective freedom, equity, and justice. Grounded in Black Liberation Psychology, the Liberation Model of Social Work, Womanist Psychology, and Liberation Psychology, this framework recognizes that healing the body is inseparable from dismantling systems of oppression and fostering sustainable, interconnected communities. It is a guide for individuals and organizations to reclaim wholeness, align with values of liberation, and build resilience in the face of systemic harm.

Core Principles of the Framework

1. Radical Awareness of Oppression and Opportunity

   • On an individual level, this involves understanding how systemic oppression, internalized beliefs, and trauma have shaped one’s relationship with their body and sense of self.

   • On an organizational level, this means identifying how workplace culture, policies, and systems may perpetuate inequity, burnout, and disconnection. Awareness is the foundation for both personal and structural transformation.

2. Attuned Healing Through Connection

   • Individual attunement focuses on rebuilding trust with the body and honoring its needs through gentle practices that prioritize rest, nourishment, and alignment with personal values.

   • Organizational attunement fosters an environment where wellness is communal. This includes prioritizing team care, integrating supportive policies, and creating spaces for reflection and restoration.

3. Aligned Action for Sustainable Liberation

   • On an individual level, alignment means integrating healing practices into daily life, establishing boundaries, and practicing embodied leadership. It’s about living in alignment with one’s values while resisting harmful societal pressures.

   • On an organizational level, alignment calls for dismantling oppressive workplace norms, redistributing power equitably, and embedding liberation-based practices into the core mission and operations.

Collective Freedom as a Goal

The framework is rooted in the understanding that individual liberation is intertwined with collective freedom:

• Black Liberation Psychology reminds us that healing is inherently tied to resisting systemic oppression and affirming the value of Black lives and culture. This applies not only to personal growth but also to creating organizational cultures that actively dismantle racism and affirm Black joy and rest.

• Liberation Psychology extends this to include structural change, recognizing that oppressive systems create and sustain individual distress. Organizations must move beyond performative equity to enact policies and practices that liberate all members.

• Womanist Psychology emphasizes collective care, especially for those who hold intersecting marginalized identities. Healing in community and centering the voices of those most impacted by injustice is essential for transformation.

Key Values of the Framework

1. Community Care Over Individualism: Healing is not meant to happen in isolation. The framework fosters collective support networks, both within communities and organizational systems.

2. Equity in Practice: Liberation is about more than removing barriers—it’s about creating systems that actively center and celebrate those historically excluded.

3. Healing as Resistance: Reclaiming one’s body and creating organizational cultures of wellness are acts of resistance against oppressive norms that demand overwork, disconnection, and self-sacrifice.

4. Interdependence: Individual and organizational health are deeply connected. Empowered individuals contribute to liberated organizations, and liberated organizations empower individuals to thrive.