Therapist couple hosts ‘community-healing’ session to ease pain left by George Floyd’s death
(FOX 9)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Since the death of George Floyd, and everything that has followed the loss, there have been a lot of heightened emotions.
Wednesday night, a local couple was working to do what they can to help the community heal.
"I've been feeling depression, anxiety, trauma, rage, tension," explained Kenneth Holt. "A little bit of fear, frustration."
For Kenneth Holt, the death of George Floyd brings back painful memories of his own interactions with Minneapolis police. So, he hopes venting his emotions in a safe space will help calm his nerves.
"To heal, to be heard," he said. "To be able to release some of the pain, the emotions, the trauma the frustrations I am feeling."
A few blocks from where Floyd was killed, about 30 people sat on the grass at Adams Triangle Park in the Longfellow neighborhood for a free community healing session.
Married therapists Jamil and Sara Stamschror-Lott, who lost their practice during the arsons and looting, started these weekly sessions a few weeks ago to help ease the pain, stress, and grief many in the community have experienced.
"With COVID combined with George Floyd's death, which is symbolic of so many tragedies in the black community and other marginalized communities, we realized we needed to take it to the streets if you will," said Jamil Stamschror-Lott of Creative Kuponya.
The sessions start with a moment of meditation. participants then break into small groups to hear from one another about how they feel about race and diversity, along with what they are doing to take care of their own mental health during these troubling times.
"We've had folks who have come through and said, 'We've done some marching, some protesting, donated but being a part of this and actually connected with folks and hearing them out and having them normalize it has done something different for me and we'll be back," explained Jamil Stamschror-Lott.
After seeing his community come together to support him, holt says the emotion he feels the most now is hope.
"People are listening, people care, people want to help," he said. "People are listening and finding out how they can help. As a black man growing up in Minnesota, that makes me feel good."
The couple says it will continue these community-healing sessions as long as there is a need for them. They are also raising money to provide free therapy sessions for people of color in need.