somatic movement, holistic wellness, birth/postpartum doula, yoga, meditation & sound healing.
My name is Mary-Dora and I arrive to my work as a white queer, nonbinary and genderfluid person, a survivor, and someone with lived experience of mental illness and neurodiversity. I show up in the community as a multidisciplinary artist, careworker and second generation settler of Italian and Danish ancestry who practices at the intersection of embodied healing and liberation as a somatic movement facilitator and careworker. I am called to these practices as a way to survive late stage capitalism, to reconnect, to slow down and to approach ourselves and others with more compassion, empathy, curiosity and love. I am curious about exploring the body-mind relationship from both a conscious and unconscious level. I am currently developing my practice in esoteric medicine & healing arts. The word 'esoteric' comes from the Greek word esรดterikos which means โfrom withinโ or innermost. The word medicine, comes from the Latin โars medicinaโ and means the โart of healingโ. I engage with the art of healing oneself by reconnecting with oneโs body/mind. I strive to hold space for others to support them in their journey of discovery, transition, re/connection, birth and loss/grief.. Through my own recovery journey I have come to realize that healing isn't a "one-size-fits-all" approach. Over the years I have become more and more interested in body-oriented (bottom-up) and holistic approaches. I value meeting people where they are at, just as they are.
I am passionate and dedicated to supporting others in finding a way back to their bodies with a gentle, trauma-informed and neurodiversity affirming framework. My approach is client-centered and humanisticโ I will meet you where youโre at by taking a collaborative and holistic approach that fosters self-discovery towards developing a strong and healthy sense of self, to explore feelings, emotions and to find meaning in your own life. I take an integrative approach drawing from my training, education and lived experience with disability, mental health and neurodiversity, as a queer and gender non-confirming individual. My practice is informed by neuroscience research, mindfulness, somatic, relational and psychodynamic perspectives, grounded in a social justice lens. I am also heavy influenced by attachment theory, harm reduction, narrative approaches including narrative therapy and cultural humility, as well as expressive arts/healing arts and various movement approaches (Body-Mind Centering, interpretive dance/performance and clowning).
I have experiencing work with individuals in areas of trauma, mood and anxiety disorders, personality disorders, depression, substance use, chronic health and disability, neurodiversity (ADHD, giftedness), grief and loss, sexuality, gender identity, pregnancy/postpartum, self-harm and suicidal ideation. Additionally, I have extensive experience supporting folks who are queer, trans, gender diverse and/or questioning and I hold a sex positive space for those exploring poly/ENM or other non-heteronormative relationship dynamics and those who engage in sex work. The space I hold is a brave space and I strive to stay open to feedback around the best way to support the needs and dignity of each person I engage with. In my practice, I will not tolerate transphobia, homophobia, fat phobia, racism, sexism, classism, ableism, or any other "-isms", discrimination or stigmatization.
If you are interested in learning more, I would love to connect with you. You can email me at marydorabh@gmail.com to set up a consultation or even just to chat!
Paying attention to how white supremacy shows up in my life and in my work has been an on-going process. I think it is important to say that I am no expert. This has been a journey of undoing my own biases, acknowledging my own power and privilege that I move through the world with, so that I am able to show up with more awareness and self-reflexivity.
A part of this learning means acknowledge the lineage of where my practices come from, who my teachers are and what their influences were. Acknowledgment of lineage is an on-going process of uncovering the layers of history that has shaped the practices I am in relationship with, as a means towards reciprocity and repair. Without this acknowledgment, Western somatic healing modalities and birthwork paradigms will remain embedded within the values of white supremacy. A fellow somatic practitioner recently drew my attention this article by Susan Raffo which has been a helpful tool for me in addressing appropriation in somatics and related fields.
The first step towards lineage acknowledgment is naming my practices, from who these practices emerged from and what drew me to them. I don't adhere to any one discipline or modality. I practice in an interdisciplinary way that includes my training as a classical and contemporary dance artist (Nadia Potts, Martha Graham, Isadora Duncan, Merce Cunningham, Lester Horton, Rudolf Laban and more) , asana practitioner (ashtanga vinyasa - K. Pattabhi Jois), somatic movement educator (body-mind centering - Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen and Mariko Tanabe), doula and reproductive justice advocate (Black Granny Midwives of the America South). I have learned from and been shaped by the work of Rodney Diverlus, Ravyn Wngz, Syrus Marcus Ware, Renee Linklater, Sage Hayes, Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, Marika Heinrichs, Katherine Belfontain, angel Kyodo williams, Kai Cheng Thom, Resmaa Menakem, Peter Levine, Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha, Layla Saad, Che Che Luna, Amanda Acorn, and Fiona Griffiths, just to name a few. I am grateful to these teachers, mentors and to the many dance teachers I have had over the last 20+ years who have shared their wisdom and teachings with me.
Acknowledging the History of Birthworkers
It is important to acknowledge the history of the granny midwives of the American South who very much paved the way for midwives and doulas today. Black granny midwives offered person-centered care and holistic support for their clients and we owe an acknowledgment to the important work they did. It is important to understand how the legacy of white supremacy has failed to acknowledge this history, as well as the mothers of gynecology (Anarcha, Lucy and Betsey) who gave up their bodies for the Western medical practices that are still used today.
What I am doing
I draw upon my own lineage of body-mind practices from Italian folklore traditions that come from L'Aquila/Pratola Peligna and throughout the southern regions as well. I am in the on-going process of reconnecting to these practices as a way to heal. Finding connection to my ancestral Italian practices, like that of the Tarantella or Tarantism (the trance dance of the spider) and tarot, has begun a process of reconnection.
Additionally, I continue to participate in conversations, lectures and workshops around how I can collectively work towards dismantling white supremacy within my communities and within myself. It has been important for me to truly understand, especially as a guest here on stolen Indigenous land, the historical and ongoing violence and cultural genocide the First Nations peoples experience under the colonial project known as "Canada". I also maintain a commitment to increasing access to all forms of healing for communities experiencing barriers and through mutual aid. I strive to continue to offer services in accessible ways to reduce barriers and by staying grounded in cultural humility and awareness.
Land Acknowledgement
I acknowledge that I am a second generation Italian-Danish settler living on the stolen and unceded territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the Anishnaabek Peoples, the Huron-Wendat Nation and the Chippewa First Nations. Tkaronto is governed by many treaties including The Two Row Wampum, The Williams Treaty, The Toronto Purchase Treaty/Treaty 13, and The Dish With One Spoon. Tkaronto is home to many different First Nations, Inuit and Mรฉtis peoples. I continue to explore the ways in which my work as a movement educator and student can support movements for decolonization and liberation on this land. I am learning what it means to honour these ancestries, and my own ancestry in right way. As a speaker and writer, I seek opportunities to amplify and advocate for and alongside those voices who have been silenced, while also learning to be a more effective co-conspirator.