Meet Meaghan

Meaghan Duckett BA, BSW, MSW

(she/her)

My name is Meaghan and I am the Founder, Executive Director and a counsellor at This Space Belongs to You Society (“This Space”). I am second-generation Afro-Jamaican, and Scottish. I also identify under the queer umbrella.

I have experience working in substance use, mental health, trauma, race-related stress, gender and sexual identity, intergenerational trauma, gender-based violence, and sex trafficking. My work is dedicated to working with queer and/or IBPOC people who continue to face structural and systemic oppression, communities in which I both exist in.

2S/LGBTQIA+ and/or IBPOC young people experience mental health disparities not based on their individual social locations as racialized or gender diverse folks , but due to systems of harm such as racism, colonialism, homophobia and transphobia, which is created by people and systems. Recognizing that for many queer or IBPOC people, mental health supports are not specifically designed for them to discuss unique challenges by staff who may exist in the world similar to them. In fact systematically exclude them putting them at risk for experiencing more harm. This is why I created This Space, a service for the people whom systems were not built for.

I wanted to acknowledge all the queer and IBPOC leaders, advocates and pioneers who have come before me and granted me the privileges I hold today. When creating this program, I carry with me the strengths of my ancestors of those who have survived and who did not. I carry the lineage of my Scottish and Afro-Jamaican ancestors, and can exist in these spaces as a queer person due to the queer activists who came before me who fought for me to be able to exist as the magical queer person I am. That is something I do not take lightly.

While trying to dismantle the patriarchy and oppressive systems, I find moments of solitude while petting my dog Jaxie and spending time in nature. I also must admit, I do love to sit on my couch with a Netflix series and a snack.

I am hoping to walk alongside you on whatever journey you are taking and create a safe space for you.

I am happy you are here.