About the Author

I am an uninvited guest working and living on the stolen territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh-ulh Temíx̱w (Squamish), and səl̓ilwətaɁɬ təməxʷ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples. My ancestors were Celtic, British, and Germanic. As I a white, heterosexual, cisgender, able-bodied, healthy, middle class woman, I am committed to increasing my awareness of my advantages in life and using my privilege to benefit others. I have more than 30 years experience as a feminist scholar, instructor, researcher, and counsellor with a specialization in women’s development, gender, EDI and decolonization. I am the program developer and director of Life Outside the Box — a JIBC initiative — that focuses on using visual narratives (stick figure comics) to teach about oppression, anti-oppression best practices, and other social justice learning issues. I am a deeply spiritual, Nature-loving, Unitarian Universalist. My spiritual and religious beliefs inform my values around protecting the Earth; honouring the inherent worth and dignity of each person; committing myself to ending oppressive systems and actions; and supporting the rights of 2SLGBTQIA+ people. I have a fundamental commitment to conducting myself with supreme kindness and radical inclusivity in all my relationships. I adore spending time around children and babies which was one of the reasons I chose to earn a Ph.D. in developmental psychology. I have been honoured to teach many hundreds of students in my career — all of whom have taught me about my mistakes, trusted me to improve, and celebrated when I got it right. Every day, I am grateful for my husband, child, family — and cats — who fill my life with adventure, beauty, and love.