Inclusion Statement

I acknowledge that I live and work on Treaty Six territory, a traditional meeting ground and home for many Indigenous Peoples, including Cree, Saulteaux, Blackfoot, Métis and Nakota Sioux.

“Everyone has the right to be who they are without fear.” ~ Dan Johnstone

I agree. Unfortunately, due to societally-created categories and systems of oppression, the lived experience for so many people in our world is exactly the opposite. It’s my mission to change this so that no one is silenced as who they are because of shame or fear. The honoring of everyone’s uniqueness that starts with ourselves, our key relationships and shifting/healing the underlying stuff that gets in the way, is key for me. 

My perspective and mission have been shaped by decades of personal, professional and academic experience in the areas of disability, religion, culture, poverty and sexuality. From teaching in multicultural classrooms and leading educational initiatives, to supporting adults with disabilities, to navigating my own lived experiences of marginalization (sexuality, religion, neurodivergence, financial circumstances), I’ve seen firsthand the impact of exclusion and the transformative power of inclusion.

When George Floyd was brutally murdered and I started learning about anti-racism and doing the work, I realized how much I needed to learn. I came to see how white supremacy, oppression and inequity are at the foundation of every system in our society, how they influence everything and everyone and the fact that they need to be changed at the foundational levels.

I believe that change starts with ourselves and our closest relationships and that by shifting and healing what lies underneath, we can create equity, justice and belonging in our homes, our communities and our world. Through my coaching work with individuals and couples, I’m working toward creating my vision for the world of free, equitable, authentic sexual expression, the honoring of everyone’s uniqueness and a ripple effect of emotionally intelligent communication and deeper connection in relationships. 

I’m a teacher by profession and a teacher at heart, even in my current online business as an intimacy and relationship coach where I use my degrees as well as my sex coaching certifications and additional certifications in life, mindset and emotional intelligence coaching to help people, in part, not be silenced due to shame and fear. I believe that one of the most effective ways that we can end injustices, oppression and inequalities and create equity, justice and inclusion is through education in various ways. I want to be a part of changing the systems in this way, through dismantling colonialism, racism, sexism, ableism and other societally created distinctions that separate, marginalize and silence people. As well, through my work, I want to give back to people who are experiencing the effects of marginalization, such as poverty and homelessness. 

In my work, I’m therefore committed to continuous learning and practice, including and not limited to the following:

1. I’ve learned from many free resources and have invested in multiple paid programs in the areas of accessibility, justice, diversity, equity and inclusion from Trudi Lebron, Mabely Q and Annie Gichuru, among others.

2. I learn from and invest in many programs and resources created by underrepresented people in other areas as well (e.g. mindset coaching certification, including trauma- informed aspects, from Reese Evans).

3. Additionally, I chose an organization for my sex and relationship coaching certifications that focuses on diversity, inclusion and progressive, comprehensive content (Sexual Health Alliance).

4. I’ve created community guidelines, edited contracts, written this inclusion statement and chosen pricing options that offer greater accessibility.

5. I’m committed to including multiple modes of access in my programs (e.g. video, audio, transcripts, outlines, captions) and to using Google docs, not PDFs, for materials and workbooks as they’re more accessible.

6. I’m committed to using inclusive language.

7. I believe strongly in creating diverse speaker panels in any summits or other events I create.

8. I include alt text for site images, which also reflect diversity, and image descriptions for social media posts.

9. Choosing organizations to donate a percentage of my business income to. One will be in the area of sexuality and one will be in the area of poverty or homelessness. Both will align with my values of freedom, authenticity, inclusion and respect.

Along the way, I know that I’ll make mistakes because I’m human and this is a journey of learning, unlearning and relearning. I commit to doing better when mistakes happen.

Leanne (she/her)