Hello all.

I’m introducing myself here.

My name is Lisa and I’m Autistic. One of the awesome things I can do is pattern recognition and analysis. That makes me really good at observing behavior of both individuals and humans within systems so that I can identify where things that cause harm or just trouble have become routine. Then I can help figure out how to fix that.

I’m also Indigenous and indigenous people introduce ourselves by introducing where are people come from. My mother’s people come from Ireland as in two generations ago. My father’s people are Muisca from Bogotá. Both sides of my family are people of action. There is no part of me that will be content with going along to get along when there are problems. That will be an asset to you if you choose to work with me. 

That means I can help. I can help individuals, families, and organizations by identifying what’s preventing growth and collaborating with them on opening up space for growth and even may be providing a trellis. 

I’ve done a lot and I mean a LOT of work in a lot of areas of life and I have done a metric ton of professional development, read a boatload of peer reviewed psych research, and navigated a huge number of sticky situations.

I’ll attach my full CV here in case you want to read it but it’s a veritable Russian novel. I am not bragging but I am saying if you really want help on all the levels then I’m your person.

What might be immediately important to know is that I taught as a liberatory, Restorative, and decolonizing educator for almost 25 years in public education. I taught all grades from K to 8. I worked as a coach analyzing educator practices and supporting teachers in change. I worked as a coach making systemic change in school communities and classrooms. All of that in service of making schools and classrooms and departments places that welcomed members of their communities, empowered people at their developmental level, and brought joy to work and learning by facilitating change from a carceral, coercive system to a relational, dynamic, and empowered system where people can bring their whole selves to the community. I’ve always worked in collaboration. 

Collaboration isn’t just rubber stamping. It’s hard to do but it’s worth more than you can imagine if you’ve never really been a part of it.

If you just want someone to sugarcoat things and play games while charging you actual money then I’m not your person.

I see (notice and process) too much and I know too much to play games. It’s not easy to help children or change organizations or transform practices and it requires deep work.

That being said, I can engage with you in a number of ways and some of them don’t require that you courageously confront your own fears and colonized mindset. You choose your level of engagement and commitment to change.

I can do a file review where I read the data you have for me and give you my analysis and recommendations. That’s simple and you don’t have to talk to me too much. 😹

I can also come to observe in person and include that data in my analysis and recommendations.

I am creating webinars and you can come to or watch one of those and challenge yourself to grow without interaction.

I can come to meetings and engage with your stakeholders and bring clarity to the process.

I can also coach you and that will require that you set aside defensiveness and other colonizer choices so that you can see yourself honestly.

It’s up to you. I believe in your sovereignty and agency and empowerment.