Intersection of Healing and Liberatory Praxis
LBHC stands out as one of the only conferences focused almost solely on the integration of healing and liberatory praxis. It’s a place where relational healing – strengthening bonds between individuals, families, and communities – is directly linked to dismantling colonial structures that uphold racism, sexism, ableism, and other forms of oppression. The conference underscores that healing is not just personal; it’s political and communal. For example, past sessions have explored decolonizing education, restorative justice in community violence, art and theatre as liberatory expression, and even dance as a form of freedom for Deaf and marginalized groups. Such diverse topics illustrate how liberation praxis – the practice of applying liberatory theory in real-world action – intersects with therapeutic and community healing. By the end of each conference, attendees walk away energized and equipped to integrate decolonial and liberatory healing practices into clinical settings, classrooms, social service organizations, grassroots campaigns, and everyday life (post here).
Purpose, Origins, and Impact
The Liberation-Based Healing Conference began as a bold response to gaps in the healing professions. Dr. Almeida and her colleagues created LBHC to center marginalized voices and forge new alliances for grassroots change, bridging academia and activism. From its origins in New Jersey at the Institute for Family Services, the conference has grown into a nationally renowned event, co-hosted in partnership with universities, community organizations, and liberation-focused groups across the U.S. and Canada. Over the years, LBHC has featured highly regarded speakers and performers – from pioneering civil rights activists to indigenous healers and artists – all contributing to a liberatory affirming and empowering space. The conference’s influence is profound: it sparks critical consciousness, empowerment, and accountability among attendees, equipping them with tools to enact change in mental health practices, education policies, and community engagement. Feedback from participants often describes the event as a “transformative experience” that honors everyone’s humanity and ignites HOPE & ACTION towards societal healing.
Join a Movement of Healing and Liberation
The Liberation-Based Healing Conference (LBHC) is a dynamic annual gathering of scholars, practitioners, activists, educators, and community members dedicated to transformative healing and liberatory praxis. Founded nearly two decades ago by Dr. Rhea V. Almeida and her colleagues – a pioneer in decolonial, intersectional family therapy – the conference emerged from a shared disillusionment with mainstream mental health forums. Instead of the usual focus on isolated diagnoses, problematized families and communities, LBHC creates a space that decenters mainstream psychology and prioritizes Indigenous, decolonial, and liberatory healing practices. Similarly Educational Pedagogy has and continues to face eviscerations of critical learning and historical legacies. Our colleagues from higher educational institutions have partnered with us to bring liberatory scholarship to the foreground.
Year after year, participants engage in critical dialogue, share bold and innovative strategies, demand accountability and cultivate empowering relationships towards a brighter stronger future.
Decolonial Practice Meets Liberation Praxis
At the heart of LBHC is a commitment to decolonizing our minds and practices. Each two-day conference program dives deep into how coloniality and systemic oppression shape our lived experiences – from education and therapy to criminal justice and community wellness.
Panels and workshops adopt an intersectional lens to explore how race, gender, class, ability, age, sexuality, and other identities overlap and influence power dynamics. By “speaking truth to power” through open dialogue, attendees learn to interrupt oppressive structures with liberatory-based practices. This means reimagining mental health and social services in ways that honor collective healing and relational well-being, rather than treating individuals in isolation. The result is a conference experience that not only informs and educates but also heals and galvanizes, inspiring participants to apply decolonial and liberatory principles in their communities.
Inspiring, Inclusive, and Action-Oriented
The tone of LBHC is inspiring and inclusive. There’s a palpable sense of celebration of our work, our creativity, and our culture, as well as a shared determination to “change the world for the better in both incremental and profound ways.” Workshops and performances aren’t just about learning – they’re about experiencing healing in community. Music, theater, and art are woven into the program to stir hearts and minds, reminding us that liberation is a holistic journey involving body, mind, and spirit. Whether you’re a seasoned scholar or a first-time attendee, you’ll find the content accessible, the discussions welcoming of diverse perspectives, and the atmosphere charged with mutual respect. The conference also offers practical takeaways: continuing education credits for professionals, networking opportunities for activists and students, and partnerships that often endure long after the event ends.
Become a part of this exciting event!
The Liberation-Based Healing Conference isn’t just an event – it’s a call to action and a community in action. If you are passionate about liberation, healing, and dismantling colonial systems, this conference invites you to lend your voice, open your heart, and join a collective journey toward a more equitable and healed society. Come to connect with like-minded individuals who believe in shared liberation, to learn from trailblazing thinkers and doers, and to contribute your own wisdom in an environment that values every participant. Together, we can transform dialogues into tangible change – redefining what healing means in our families, institutions, and society at large. Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of an uplifting and empowering experience.
Join us at the Liberation-Based Healing Conference – where healing meets liberation, and every story fuels the journey toward justice.