Burnout, boundaries, and bliss: strategies for sustainable DEI work
Burnout, boundaries, and bliss: strategies for sustainable DEI work

This is a critical cultural moment. DEI backlash represents the latest attempt to dismantle and undermine the inclusive work that helps us function better at work, in our homes, and in our communities. The tactics are transparent but persistent and effective. In that uncertain place, it becomes essential to remain grounded in our values.

In our work with DEI advocates across sectors, we consistently emphasize the importance of strategic messaging and the delicate balance between protecting mission-driven values and securing funding. We know these are tricky waters to navigate. Today, I want to address the messy side of things, the trauma-informed perspective that helps us stay grounded in this work for the long haul.

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The Deep EndLaVoya Woods#burnout, #boundaries, #blissComment
The joy beneath grief
The joy beneath grief

Back in 2016 I was in the midst of making a pivot from photography coach to parents into women’s leadership coaching and eventually DEI. At the time, I was realigning my career with how it felt like I could make the most impact on the things I cared about the most, yet still I passionately believed in photography as a powerful way to find joy in the present moment and all its emotions.

I started using the #resiliencethroughjoy tag on my photos as a way of acknowledging - yes the world is on fire, I’m not ignoring that, in fact it’s precisely the reason why I’m leaning into the joy that photography helps me connect to.

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Inclusive LeadershipAlethea Fitzpatrick#resiliencethroughjoy, #joybeneathgrief, #decolonizationComment
An unexpected invitation to be encouraged about DEI in these times
An unexpected invitation to be encouraged about DEI in these times

Wow, I am reeling…. in a good way.

Last week, I attended Blooming Day 2025, a one-day conference focused on the future of social care.

As I shared last week, I became a bit of a hermit during the pandemic. Stepping back into live, in-person spaces like this has been a little more nerve-wracking than I’d care to admit.. and also healing and invigorating. I’m so grateful that Dorella Walters, one of the panel moderators and someone I’ve known since my pre-pandemic days, posted about this conference. I got far more out of attending that I expected!

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Co-creating inclusionAlethea Fitzpatrick#bloomingday2025, #socialcare, #cheeringforDEIComment
Our first DEI brunch (that I didn’t get to attend but got unexpected healing from anyway…)
Our first DEI brunch (that I didn’t get to attend but got unexpected healing from anyway…)

As I write this, Malaika and LaVoya from the CCI team are convening just a few blocks from my house to host our first ever DEI brunch!

Me? I’m down with covid, fortunately a mild case, but in consultation with my PCP, I’m following the original rather than current guidance and quarantining for five days.

And I feel… disappointed, yes of course, but also, surprisingly, I FEEL AMAZING!!!

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Co-creating inclusionAlethea Fitzpatrick#grief, #healingComment
Let ‘em cook: neurodiversity as a leadership strength
Let ‘em cook: neurodiversity as a leadership strength

April is Autism Acceptance Month - let’s move past mere awareness and dive into real, transformative action. In leadership, this means more than just acknowledging neurodiversity - it’s about creating environments where neurodivergent minds are not only accepted but truly supported to lead in their own authentic ways. When we give neurodiverse leaders the space to thrive, they become powerful catalysts for innovation, sparking creativity and unlocking collective wisdom in ways we can’t even predict.

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The Deep EndLaVoya Woods#autism, #neurodiversity, #leadershipComment
Sexual harassment in middle school
Sexual harassment in middle school

Some girls in my son’s 8th grade class organized a Day of Silence a few weeks ago as part of Women’s History Month. They wanted to bring attention to those who had been silenced or met with silence in regard to harmful behavior, including sexual harassment, both at the school and beyond.

A parent shared about the protest the night before in the parent chat group and a robust discussion followed. It seemed the school was supporting the protest by allowing for posters and discussion in advisory. Someone shared a copy of the poster. Parents wondered what they could do to support.

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Dismantling oppressionAlethea Fitzpatrick#sexualharassment, #middleschool, #toxicmasculinityComment
Are people still interested in DEI? Turns out yes.
Are people still interested in DEI? Turns out yes.

After an energizing and engaging week, I was all fired up to write this blog post about sexual harassment in middle school… but after an emotional weekend, I’ve found I don’t have it in me to get all fired up right now.

Rather than pushing myself through, I’ve decided to save that for another time, and instead to share some of our most popular blog posts from the past… which lead me to be curious to look at our website stats (which honestly we don’t look at in the way we probably should) to see if traffic has dropped off this year, what with the DEI pushbacks and all.

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Co-creating inclusionAlethea Fitzpatrick#DEIforthelonghaul, #equity, #learnedhelplessnessComment
If you are feeling dysregulated right now
If you are feeling dysregulated right now

We are not even two months into the current administration in the US and there is a lot going on.

If you are feeling angry, frustrated, scared and dysregulated, that makes sense.

I’ve been feeling strangely calm. And yes, this is partly a trauma response where chaos, danger and the unknown feel familiar.

I also don’t feel like I can really afford to let my nervous system get too dysregulated.

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Co-creating inclusionAlethea Fitzpatrick#history, #context, #seeingwhiteComment
This land is not our land
This land is not our land

I’ll never forget hearing an Indigenous elder speaking at a conference about his journey across occupied territory to get there. And how for his people the apocalypse happened five hundred years ago, and they were now living in a post-apocalyptic world.

That has stuck with me.

I’ve been thinking about this again since returning from an incredible solo trip to Joshua Tree, CA.

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Dismantling oppressionAlethea Fitzpatrick#joshuatree, #land, #decolonizationComment
Part 2: Embracing our truth - the power of appropriate victimhood
Part 2: Embracing our truth - the power of appropriate victimhood

As we continue our Black History Month exploration, we turn to a critical theme: victimhood. For Black folks, this concept is deeply fraught. We are constantly expected to prove our resilience, to push forward despite harm, to avoid appearing weak or in need. When we name our pain, we are often met with gaslighting, dismissal, or the accusation that we are playing the victim. The truth is, we are victims—of systemic oppression, of historical and ongoing violence, of interpersonal harm. The problem is not victimhood itself, but the way it has been distorted and weaponized against us.

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The Deep EndLaVoya Woods#appropriatevictimhood, #anger, #boundariesComment
Part 1: Fear as protection - a Black History Month reflection
Part 1: Fear as protection - a Black History Month reflection

It’s Black History Month, so let’s get real about fear and victimhood. Fear has been a constant companion for Black folks—an unavoidable response to navigating a society steeped in anti-Blackness, systemic violence, and relentless marginalization. Fear has protected us, warned us of danger and helped us survive. But it has also been weaponized against us, twisted into stereotypes that justify harm or displaced into self-doubt and mistrust within our own communities.

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The Deep EndLaVoya Woods#fear, #blackhistory, #traumainformedComment
DEI is still legal: separating fact from political fear-mongering
DEI is still legal: separating fact from political fear-mongering

There are so many misrepresentations about DEI right now.

Some are deliberately mischaracterizing DEI in order to justify its dismantling in favor of what amounts to white dominance and re-segregation.

Others are allowing misperceptions to fester because it plays to their fears and insecurities.

Even some who are strongly in favor of DEI are worried that it’s no longer legal.

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Co-creating inclusionAlethea Fitzpatrick#DEI2025, #DEIislegalComment
Now is not the time to retreat - it’s time to double down
Now is not the time to retreat - it’s time to double down

At a time when the dominant narrative is grossly mischaracterizing DEI to justify its dismantling in favor of what amounts to re-segregation, we believe now is the time to lean into your values and beliefs.

While there’s so much you can’t control, you can ensure that equity, inclusion, and belonging remain priorities in your workplace - so your staff and the communities you serve feel just a little more protected and reassured.

You can make a difference to the people around you who are feeling scared and demoralized.

And you don’t have to do it alone.

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Co-creating inclusionAlethea Fitzpatrick#DEIpushback, #DEI2025, #selfcoachingComment
Reimagining capacity: a trauma-informed approach to sustainable workflows
Reimagining capacity: a trauma-informed approach to sustainable workflows

As we step further into the new year and are all somewhere in the depths of grief, trauma recovery, and adjustment, I’ve been thinking a lot about capacity—the limits of what we can give, create, and sustain—both personally and professionally.

Our work with clients often comes back to this—as folks move through the process of workplace cultural change they are able to more clearly see how systems of oppression function in their day-to-day work, in this case in the urgency of our workflows.

While the cultural pressure to push ahead can feel overwhelming, especially in the current political context, a trauma-informed lens reminds us to consider capacity differently: not as a fixed boundary to ignore or overcome, but as a dynamic, evolving reflection of our human experience.

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The Deep EndLaVoya Woods#capacity, #burnout, #sustainableworkflowsComment
What do we mean by “trauma” and being “trauma-informed” in the workplace?
What do we mean by “trauma” and being “trauma-informed” in the workplace?

I’ve been thinking a lot about trauma lately, both in the context of my own life experiences, that of loved ones, as well as the trauma we see day-to-day in the workplace as well as in the world.

It feels like it’s everywhere, and the truth is, it is something that has been core to our work for a long time. I mean, look at how many times trauma is mentioned in our blog posts.

Not that I am an expert on trauma (we have LaVoya for that - that being one of the reasons ve was a very intentional hire). I am feeling and learning my way through. And what I’m realizing is that we very much don’t generally have a shared understanding or language around trauma, collectively.

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Dismantling oppressionAlethea Fitzpatrick#trauma, #traumainformed, #inclusiveleadershipComment
LA is burning and we are complicit
LA is burning and we are complicit

There’s a rage and a sadness and a weird kind of knowing that I am feeling right now: LA is burning and we are complicit.

For a country founded on genocide and enslavement, that is, theft, rape and violence towards land and people, we have to confront the fact that, as heartbreaking and devastating as it is to witness, this is a logical outcome, one of many, of the collective dominant culture.

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Dismantling oppressionAlethea Fitzpatrick#lafires2025, #capitalism, #rupamaryaComment
Trauma, growth and accountability: is your therapist DEIB ready?
Trauma, growth and accountability: is your therapist DEIB ready?

Though we often hear that our work is deeply supportive and feels therapeutic to our clients, it is not therapy. For many of the leaders we partner with, having a supportive, aligned therapist can make a world of difference—especially when that therapist aligns with your DEIB journey.

Therapy can be a powerful container for processing the challenges and complexities of DEIB work, from trauma recovery to the development of accountability and resilience—and on that path, surfacing needs along the way. But finding the right therapist, one who truly understands and aligns with your DEIB journey, can be challenging.

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The Deep EndLaVoya Woods#therapy, #therapist, #traumainformedComment
Inclusive leadership skills: checking for intent and understanding
Inclusive leadership skills: checking for intent and understanding

We almost all have people in our lives, loved ones even, who know how to push our buttons, whether they intend to or not.

I’ve found that communication can become fraught very quickly, if not go downright off the rails.

For the people we care about, and for the people we have to work with, this can be a problem when it compromises trust and psychological safety over time, not necessarily equally in both directions, but in both directions.

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Inclusive LeadershipAlethea Fitzpatrick#inclusiveleadershipskills, #checkingforintent, #checkingforunderstandingComment
Finding “obstinate” healing and joy
Finding “obstinate” healing and joy

We’ve been having a great discussion with one of our client groups about organizational, national and global turmoil, and what to do when we are sick and tired… and sick and tired of being sick and tired.

The idea of being obstinate in the face of overwhelming challenges and a bleak outlook came up.

And so we brainstormed ideas for “obstinate” healing and joy.

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Co-creating inclusionAlethea Fitzpatrick#joy, #healing, #selfcareComment