Medical spaces can be supportive and life saving at best, but daunting to traumatizing at worst. In this class we will practice key skills for keeping ourselves and each other safe in medical spaces including:

• knowing and asserting your rights as a patient

• forming an affinity group, care circle, etc. 

• reflective witnessing 

• interrupting medical dismissal 

• co-regulation techniques for before, during and after a medical encounter 

• scripts & tricks for dealing with medical professionals who won't listen

  Guided by Mackenzie Ní Flainn (she/they), this workshop will give you the tools to make the most out of your nearly inevitable encounters with the medical system and help you advocate for yourself and your loved ones.

Meet Your Facilitator

Mackenzie Ní Flainn (she/they) is a Mama, health justice activist, abolitionist, harm reductionist, full spectrum birth advocate, student midwife, community herbalist, street medic, and self-defense instructor living in Oregon on the occupied territory of the Kalapuya ilahi. Mackenzie started training as a death worker after suffering two pregnancy losses and has continued to deepen the work in Irish death tradition, home funeral facilitation, and Keening. Now, Mackenzie is completing her graduate work in medical anthropology at UO, where she studies medicine as a site of resistance in America.