When we talk about healing in the context of school-based mental health, we often focus on what we can do to help students and families. But what if true healing starts with what people can do for themselves — and how we, as providers, make space for that power to emerge? That’s where the concept of agency becomes essential. Within a healing-centered engagement (HCE) framework, agency means recognizing and restoring a person’s power to shape their own healing journey. It’s the belief that everyone, regardless of circumstance, holds the capacity to lead their own growth and transformation.
What We Mean by “Agency”
Agency is the ability to make choices, influence outcomes, and shape one’s own story. Within a healing-centered engagement (HCE) framework, agency reminds us that everyone — students, caregivers, and staff alike — holds the wisdom and capacity to lead their own healing journey. Our role is not to “fix” people but to walk beside them as they reconnect with their own strengths.
From Trauma-Informed to Healing-Centered
Dr. Shawn Ginwright, who developed HCE, invites us to move beyond the question “What happened to you?” and toward “What’s right with you?” This shift reframes healing from an individual recovery process to a collective one that honors identity, culture, and community. When we center agency, we acknowledge that the people we serve are not defined by trauma but by possibility.
What Agency Looks Like in Practice
In our partnerships with schools, centering agency might mean involving students in setting their own wellness goals, collaborating with caregivers on culturally grounded strategies, or empowering teachers to use restorative approaches in their classrooms. It’s about co-creation — not compliance — and about creating spaces where every voice has value.
Many of the young people and families we serve have experienced systems that disempowered them or made them feel unseen. By centering agency, we acknowledge their lived experiences as sources of wisdom rather than deficits. When clients feel a sense of choice and ownership, engagement deepens and trust grows.
For Staff, Too
Agency isn’t just for the students and families we serve. It’s for us as professionals, too. Healing-centered work invites us to reflect on how we show up — to notice when we are leading with curiosity, humility, and openness, and when we might unintentionally take control of someone else’s process. Building a culture of agency within our organization means fostering spaces where staff voice is valued, creativity is encouraged, and wellness is prioritized.
In a field that can easily lean into burnout or over-responsibility, reclaiming our own agency also means noticing when we’re holding too much, or when we need to pause and listen. It also means having the freedom and trust to bring our creativity and cultural wisdom into the work.
Pause and Reflect
Ultimately, centering agency reminds us that healing is not something we deliver; it’s something we cultivate with others. When we trust in the strengths of our clients, our partners, and ourselves, we create environments where true healing — and lasting change — can take root.
Some Questions for Thought:
How are you currently fostering agency — in yourself, your clients, or your colleagues?
And just as importantly: Where might you step back, so that someone else can step forward?
What We Mean by “Agency”
Agency is the ability to make choices, influence outcomes, and shape one’s own story. Within a healing-centered engagement (HCE) framework, agency reminds us that everyone — students, caregivers, and staff alike — holds the wisdom and capacity to lead their own healing journey. Our role is not to “fix” people but to walk beside them as they reconnect with their own strengths.
From Trauma-Informed to Healing-Centered
Dr. Shawn Ginwright, who developed HCE, invites us to move beyond the question “What happened to you?” and toward “What’s right with you?” This shift reframes healing from an individual recovery process to a collective one that honors identity, culture, and community. When we center agency, we acknowledge that the people we serve are not defined by trauma but by possibility.
What Agency Looks Like in Practice
In our partnerships with schools, centering agency might mean involving students in setting their own wellness goals, collaborating with caregivers on culturally grounded strategies, or empowering teachers to use restorative approaches in their classrooms. It’s about co-creation — not compliance — and about creating spaces where every voice has value.
Many of the young people and families we serve have experienced systems that disempowered them or made them feel unseen. By centering agency, we acknowledge their lived experiences as sources of wisdom rather than deficits. When clients feel a sense of choice and ownership, engagement deepens and trust grows.
For Staff, Too
Agency isn’t just for the students and families we serve. It’s for us as professionals, too. Healing-centered work invites us to reflect on how we show up — to notice when we are leading with curiosity, humility, and openness, and when we might unintentionally take control of someone else’s process. Building a culture of agency within our organization means fostering spaces where staff voice is valued, creativity is encouraged, and wellness is prioritized.
In a field that can easily lean into burnout or over-responsibility, reclaiming our own agency also means noticing when we’re holding too much, or when we need to pause and listen. It also means having the freedom and trust to bring our creativity and cultural wisdom into the work.
Pause and Reflect
Ultimately, centering agency reminds us that healing is not something we deliver; it’s something we cultivate with others. When we trust in the strengths of our clients, our partners, and ourselves, we create environments where true healing — and lasting change — can take root.
Some Questions for Thought:
How are you currently fostering agency — in yourself, your clients, or your colleagues?
And just as importantly: Where might you step back, so that someone else can step forward?
Blog By: Joline Castaneda, Manager of Operations
RSS Feed