In The House Of Me originated from a place of curiosity. After years of clinical work, a qualitative research study and her own reflections about life and community, Mel began differentiating between the practices of empty and embodied consent.

Many of us aren’t connecting with our inner compass and as a result, offer consent from a place of disembodiment or dissociation. Consider this default ‘empty consent’, which may mirror consent as defined by the law, however is perhaps not what our truest selves would choose if we either had more options or felt more grounded, safe and attuned with ourselves.

Alternatively, many of us can discern our inner ‘yes, no and maybe’ however may not feel safe enough in the world to express ourselves due to fear, shame and a risk of harm from others.

In order to develop and practice a vibrant, embodied consent, we must learn how to safely be with our bodies, emotions, needs and stories. We must also have safer relationships, families, communities and corporations to express our “yes, no and maybe” within—spaces where there is less risk involved with expressing boundaries and needs, where embodied consent can be practiced with less anticipation of repercussions and harm. In The House Of Me explores how to discover this practice through the wisdom of your body.

Book on embodied consent and boundaries 
In solidarity with small businesses and the dedicated, loving humans who create them, we recommend purchasing In The House Of Me at your local bookstore if they’re carrying it (in my case that's Changing Hands) or online at Bookshop.
Local bookstores don’t always have things in stock, however you can request they order it for you and support your community in the process (win/win!)
If your local bookstore isn’t accessible or able to source a copy, In The House of Me is  available on Amazon.
“A vibrant consent practice starts with internal alignment–it’s the ability to be with ourselves without terror of what we’ll discover inside, the readiness to explore our own inner territory. It seeks to listen patiently, honors needs, feelings, and when parts inside of us are in conflict, the practice discerns what our highest self would choose as our safest and wisest option and defers to it. In essence, a fuller consent practice is about self-alignment. ”