T-MAPs: Transformative Mutual Aid Practices

T-MAPs is a practice of getting to know yourself on your own terms. It grew out of decades of peer movement wisdom, the understanding that the people who have lived through extreme states, madness and struggle are the experts on what helps. It is grounded in the Internal Family Systems (IFS) idea that all of us have parts and, underneath them, a Self that is curious and compassionate.

Making a T-MAP begins before any questions get answered. It starts with getting clear on what matters most to you: what you care about, what you’re committed to, what kind of life you’re building. When you come back to your body and your values first, the map you make comes from your center, rather than from fear or from other people’s expectations, and it holds up better when things get hard.

A T-MAP is a living document you create about your own life. It starts with a simple question: how do I feel when I’m most alive? From there, it maps what wellness looks like for you, what it looks like when you’re struggling, what you need in hard times, and who you want beside you. It is not a treatment plan written about you by someone else. It is a map you make, in your own language, that you can share with the people you trust.

Ways to engage

Make your own map. The T-MAPs digital toolkit and guides are free at tmapscommunity.net. You can start on your own, today, at whatever pace works for you.

Learn together. T-MAPs was born from mutual aid, and something different becomes possible when people do this work together over time. I ran two online cohorts in Spring 2026. If you’d like to hear about future offerings, join the mailing list.

Bring T-MAPs to your community. I offer workshops for organizations, peer support programs, retreats and gatherings. Get in touch if you’d like to explore hosting one.