What We Value
We value collective practices that can impact and transform the effects of oppression on our bodies, hearts and minds. Holistic responses and interventions to generational trauma and violence deeply rooted in abolition and transformative justice. The basis of abolition is the abolition of violence and the systems that perpetuate violence (ex: state violence, prisons, policing). Attempting to prevent violence by creating the conditions for safety by providing people with resources to create accountability. Creating a world in which we can lean into each other, harm-reduction, self-determination, power over resources and how we create our own safety. Innovation in care, as in emotional safety, being aware of the needs of everyone involved in the process (staff, clients, board).
Respect: Inherently acknowledging your value and personhood exactly as you exist, right now, without judgment, romanticization or erasure.
We consider respect to be an overarching value that encompasses our other core values. We consider respect to be the foundation for how we move in both our personal and professional lives. In practice, this means acknowledging your lived experiences without judgement, reducing you to romanticized stereotypes or erasing parts of your identity/experiences to make you more palatable. Additionally, this means making space for nuance and recognizing you are the authority of your own experiences.
Respect is reflected in the ways we navigate conflict with each other – we appreciate conflict as an opportunity to practice advocating for ourselves, both as a chance for personal growth and as a possibility model. We also value conflict as an opportunity to practice accountability and consider conflict to be a restorative practice, creating space for greater intimacy.
We also acknowledge the various oppressive and abusive systems that have impacted your life and honor how you choose to show up and share (or not) and we intend to meet you exactly where you’re at. We center the voices, needs and experiences of the most vulnerable and respect how you choose to engage those who have harmed you (systemically or individually). We also believe it is important to explicitly name our decision to de-center the voices and experiences of those who occupy privileged identities because we are invested in actively disrupting isms and phobias in our personal and professional lives and in the work we do at Zepp Wellness Center.
Respect
VALUE NO. 1
We carefully consider and center your personhood, including the identities you occupy, in the work we do. We acknowledge the various, oppressive systems you navigate and we’re actively invested in disrupting them alongside you.
We recognize that oppression, historically, systemically, and individually, is violent and creates barriers, harm and abuse and we hold space for how it creates the opportunity for self-hood, self-determination, traditions and community. We honor all parts of you and are committed to constantly evolving to ensure that the voices and experiences of those who are most impacted by oppression are uplifted and centered.
We recognize the ways power and privilege exist, in public and private, and how often both are used to exploit those whose identities are most impacted by oppression. We’re mindful of how power and privilege show up in our lives, including within healing spaces so, we are committed to self- and community education, amongst our staff and board. In practice, this looks like internal, quarterly political education where the board and staff learn and discuss things that impact us, you and the community at large. This also looks like an organizational structure with limited power differentials, equal pay and a clear process for addressing conflict, harm and abuse.
We understand how our privilege as members of an organization creates a power dynamic with those engaging our services. Therefore, we are invested in our “community feedback” process, which encourages you to share thoughts, suggestions, grievances and resources so that your voices are centered in our work.
VALUE NO. 2
Anti-Oppression & Identity Informed
VALUE NO. 3
Empathy & Understanding
Being human-centered is at the heart of our values. We’re committed to holding space for you.
We’re invested in centering your needs and constantly evolving to remove complicity with the medical industrial complex, white supremacy and capitalism. We prioritize space for healing and also honor activation, making sure to offer support and care, individually or collectively, during or after a session, class or group. This practice is also modeled within our staff and board meetings -- wellness always comes before labor.
This also means actively listening without jumping to offer solutions – we trust that you know your own needs and we’re willing to offer support and feedback if you’re looking for suggestions. Additionally, we actively consider how privilege may get in the way of holding space for you and we’re invested in confronting our own biases, isms and phobias and naming when we don’t feel competent enough to honor your needs, in which we case, we’ll provide alternatives for care.
Most importantly we appreciate, encourage and make space for vulnerability, both amongst our staff/board and with you, our clients, and consider vulnerability a radical practice. Honoring your needs in the moment, practicing advocating for yourself, receiving criticism, connecting with your body sensations, crying, and honoring rage are all welcome. We also recognize the impact of neurodivergency on the perception and expression of feelings and social cues and make space for finding different ways to communicate understanding and care.
Accountability means consistently being willing to acknowledge any harm, violence, and/or abuse we have inflicted upon others within and outside of Zepp Wellness. We show up as needed, as best we can when conflict is brought to our attention, and we take appropriate action to promote safety and wellness.
Accountability means taking responsibility for the impacts your actions have on the people you are in relationships with and your community, at large. We recognize that accountability is a process that takes time and, within that span of time, anticipate a clear commitment to change by those who have done harm while focusing on supporting the person who has been harmed.
We distinguish between conflict, harm, and abuse, and recognize that, while conflict, harm, and abuse may happen concurrently, each may require a different response, including direct dialogue, mediation, peer support, and/or appropriate consequences.
When our actions or behaviors are not in alignment with our values, we make amends, take actions toward repair and place the experience(s) of those most harmed at the center of our response. This value and process applies to each of us, personally, and the organization as a whole. We acknowledge that conflict will happen and see it as an opportunity for deeper intimacy. We’re invested in learning new ways to approach conflict and hold space for grievances at each of our staff and board meetings, which includes skill-building and exploration around communication, feelings, and boundary-setting.
VALUE NO. 4
Accountability
VALUE NO. 5
Community
Building and sustaining community is pro-actively disrupting the white supremacist cisheteropatriarchy and capitalism.
Community is a verb, it is to actively build with others and be attuned and sensitive to people’s well-being, personhood, shared and varied lived experiences, needs and safety. We understand the importance of interdependence, moving away from individualism and fear-based hyper-independence, and how our needs interact with and impact each other. Community means sharing duties of care in whatever capacities we are able and holding space for accountability.
Being centered in community practices means doing our best to create and sustain a safe(r) environment where joy, grief, conflict, etc. can co-exist. Participation in community is voluntary and never coerced. It also means exercising care in all interactions including responses to harm within community.
We consider our direct community those who identify as Black, Indigenous, people of color, survivors, sex workers and those with people with expansive genders and sexualities. We serve this community by offering free healing services and housing funds.
Eventually, we plan to switch to a trade-based model to “pay” for services where community members offer each other a service/labor in return for access to care. We believe that everyone has something to offer and that social, emotional and financial responsibilities can be shared.