12-WEEK LEADERSHIP IMMERSION
RootWork
FOR LIBERATION
Unearth and tend to what’s really holding you back in life + leadership, so you can grow a world-changing legacy for liberation—without unconsciously repeating harmful patterns rooted in inherited trauma.
APRIL 7 - JUNE 23
Enrollment now open until April 1, 2026
CALLING ALL…
Magickal Misfits
Wisdom Weavers
Intuitive Visionaries
Radical Revolutionaries
Heart-Led Humanitarians
Courageous Cycle Breakers
Compassionate Change Makers
Soulful Stewards of Liberation
You’re here to leave a legacy.
You’ve never really fit the mold, and you’re not meant to.
Because you’re here to reimagine the world as we know it.
You carry the frequency of the future—visionary, unconventional, alive with possibility.
You’re here to shake shit up and burn shit down, and you’re here to do it with soul.
As a sensitive, empathic, and caring being who’s deeply attuned to the heartbeat of humanity,
you’re designed to steward a new way of being rooted in justice, truth, and collective liberation.
Some days, the weight of the world and the calling of your soul feel heavy,
like you’re trying to build the way forward with bricks made of old pain.
You’re here to create a long-lasting legacy for liberation,
But the foundation you’re building on still carries energetic echoes of the past.
When old wounds go untended, they weave themselves into the ways we live, love, and lead.
We unconsciously recreate the same cycles of disconnection and separation we long to end.
You’re here because you’re ready to disrupt those patterns and break those cycles.
To root into truth and cultivate steadiness beneath your sensitivity,
so the weight of your calling becomes solid ground you can stand on, not something you carry.
Your liberation is your legacy.
And it begins in the soil of your (un)becoming.
YOU WANT TO
Contribute to creating an equitable world free of injustice,
without unconsciously perpetuating internalized oppression.
Break free from inherited patterns and reclaim the freedom to live on your own terms,
without the weight of others’ expectations, resentment, or longing for approval.
Experience joy, pleasure, and rest,
without collapsing into guilt, shame, or self-extractive self-sacrifice.
Share your message and embody your mission with courage and conviction,
without the fear of being cast out or punished for your truth .
Allow yourself to receive love, support, and community care,
without guilt and self-sacrifice getting in the way of what you actually deserve.
Experience trust, belonging, and depthful connection,
without withdrawing or self-isolating to protect yourself from ridicule or rejection.
Live and lead in alignment with your values,
without burning out, bypassing, or betraying yourself in the process.
INTRODUCING
RootWork
FOR LIBERATION
A 12-week rite of passage for heart-led visionaries and changemakers who want to share their message and embody their mission with courage and conviction—without unconsciously repeating harmful patterns rooted in inherited trauma.
Now enrolling until April 1, 2026
Program begins April 7, 2026
“Prior to this program, I was shirking from leadership and disqualifying myself for fear of replicating harm or acting from triggered states. Now, I have more capacity, clarity, curiosity, and confidence when it comes to heeding the call of leadership. I have more trust in my ability to express my truth because I'm confident in the depth of my self-intimacy, in my willingness to humbly repair, and in my ongoing drive towards inner integrity. I have a greater understanding of the negative consequences of neglecting my responsibilities when it comes to leadership and I am more in tune with my overall sense of worthiness and belonging.” —N.R.
“This is for people who are drawn to healing-centered modalities and justice-oriented work. If you desire a different way of being in relationship to yourself and others, this community of learning is for you. I have spent lots of time in contemplative spaces that bypass the material and political worlds we live in, and lots of time in activist spaces that reproduce harm because we did not attend to our own inner worlds. This program is the best of both, deepening into parts of ourselves that can hold more love and compassion while strengthening our ability to show up in response to suffering.” —V.S.
Personal & Collective Liberation begins here.
Too many of our world-changing efforts are aimed at treating the symptoms of our systems rather than addressing them at their root.
From leadership programs that spark inspired excitement, only for it to fizzle out and fade away a week later…
to international development projects built on one-size-fits-all solutions that communities never asked for.
Whether in our personal lives or in the realms of social impact, we’ve mastered quick-fixes and band-aid treatments that lead to surface-level, unsustainable change.
Our problems keep repeating, because they never actually get resolved.
We can’t build an impactful, world-changing legacy without tending to the trauma imprints beneath our fear, our doubt, our stuckness.
We can't co-create a more just and equitable world if we’re unconsciously perpetuating patterns rooted in inherited harm.
The unconscious fears, protective patterns, and survival strategies that limit our leadership also sustain collective cycles of disconnection, dehumanization, and division in our world.
We can’t dismantle the systems outside of us without confronting the ways they’ve taken root within us.
The (r)evolution must begin within.
“RootWork for Liberation is an incredible experience. You will dive into your own life in the safety of a community that is fostered to gently and thoroughly navigate the depths together. The program is structured around what emerges from the group, and Lena is an incredible guide through this process. Honestly, don't walk past this one. Decolonizing your own life is powerful, and no one tells you just how much liberation will change even your day-to-day experiences.” —P.C.
“I've come to see the concept of leadership differently. Instead of something that one is chosen for, voted into, or deemed worthy of, it just feels like something that happens as a natural result of deep self-reckoning, embracing nuance, developing discernment, being heart-centered, and orienting towards integrity. Being in such a rich, loving, affirmative, shadow-honoring, and inner-child-tending environment has made my self-honoring decisions that much more clear.” —N.R.
I’M LENA PAPADOPOULOS
Award-Winning Intercultural Educator, Leadership Coach & Shadow Alchemist
After 15+ years working at the intersections of personal growth, leadership development, intercultural education, and social change…
I’ve learned that the most important thing about building an impactful and sustainable legacy for liberation isn’t JUST about reforming organizations, institutions, and systems.
And building leadership “skills” that help us relate and create more equitably isn’t enough either.
It’s doing the deeper inner work that makes both skills-building and systems change sticky and sustainable.
If we don’t address challenges at their true source, we’ll keep looping back through them again and again.
We can’t skill-build, hustle, or bubble bath our way through the trauma imprints that underlie our personal and collective patterns.
We can't dismantle the systems outside of us if we don't face the ways in which they live within us.
What we fail to face only grows in the darkness.
What we suppress within ourselves, we perpetuate in our systems.
We can’t dismantle what we haven’t yet dared to meet within ourselves.
That’s why I’ve created RootWork for Liberation.
Because unless we face our pain, we’ll only create more of the same.
“I didn't expect to go so deep! Lena clearly understands this subject matter on a deep level and has a highly personal approach. She brought my hidden challenges to light in a natural and non-judgemental way. I gained a deeper understanding of myself and I feel empowered to make changes within me that will ultimately make the world a better place for others.” —B.D.
“I’ve been doing a lot of self work over the last year and what Lena was able to help me realize within a few hours was extremely impressive. I was actually shocked how quickly she could frame up some deep-rooted themes I had been struggling to identify on my own. I wish I had this experience a lot sooner. —W.C.
RootWork is essential to Our Liberation.
A tree’s health, well-being, and vitality depends on the quality of its roots.
Its ability to flourish, regenerate, and produce fruit begins beneath the ground.
The same is true for us.
Our capacity to stand rooted and unshakeable, to move with clarity and conviction, and to create meaningful change in the world depends on the state of our roots.
RootWork is the process of unearthing and tending to these roots—the unconscious beliefs, fears, desires, protective patterns, survival strategies that shape our lives and our leadership.
It requires us to examine the soil we were planted in: the stories of our family, the imprint of our childhood environment, and the conditioning of oppressive systems that taught us who we had to be in order to belong, survive, or succeed.
Leading a legacy rooted in liberation isn’t possible, let alone sustainable, without doing the deeper RootWork that frees us from these inherited beliefs, patterns, and cycles so we can root our lives and leadership in truth instead of trauma, transforming the world—from the inside-out.
"A truly amazing experience. Lena took me on a journey that was mind blowing. Uncovering my past, memories I have long forgotten but perhaps not fully cleared. Lena helped me see patterns that serve me and gently highlighted the patterns that perhaps hold me back from being fully aligned with my purposeful path. If you get a chance to work with this extraordinary woman DO IT!” —K.B.
“I learned so much about myself in such a short amount of time. I wanted to gain a lot more clarity on why I have some of the fears I do, and by the end I definitely was no longer acting from fear. I understand myself a lot better, as well as my needs and wants. I’ve learned how to stay more in tune with myself so I can be more intentional in my life all around, not settling for relationships, jobs, etc that aren’t fulfilling for me.” —M.L.
Be held in a collective web of support.
It’s not always easy to allow ourselves to receive the same kind of care we give.
Our fears, insecurities, and deepest wounds were formed through our relationships.
That can understandably make connection and closeness feel threatening at times.
But the truth is, we can’t tend to the most tender parts of ourselves without each other.
It’s through intimacy, vulnerability, and the courage to be witnessed that repair, reconnection, and resolution become possible.
That’s why community is a core component of RootWork for Liberation.
Together, we co-create a loving field of care and compassion—because when we soften into support, we can bring light to what’s been buried and release what no longer serves us.
This is not just a program—it’s a sacred sanctuary of soul and soil nourishment.
A space where you are heard, seen, and celebrated within a circle of support that amplifies your clarity, your courage, and your capacity to root your life, leadership, and legacy in liberation.
Because when we heal together, we grow deeper, stronger, and more free than we ever could on our own.
"Lena’s beautiful character paired with her extensive experience working with diverse groups makes her uniquely qualified to design and deliver meaningful programs. Through masterful planning and creative delivery, Lena guides participants through a process of discovery and transformation that has long-lasting effects. Her approach is innovative and incredibly intentional, creating a safe atmosphere of acceptance and genuine respect. She is deeply committed to building connection at a time when the world needs it most." —J.S.A.
"Lena is uniquely capable of creating space for understanding and challenging you to become the best version of yourself. By facilitating a comfortable environment to get uncomfortable, her programs provide the perfect opportunity for vulnerability and deep reflection. In my own experience, Lena's programs opened the door to many positive changes. I would absolutely recommend working with Lena, as you cannot find someone more compassionate, thoughtful, and insightful." —M.C.
PHASE 1: Excavating the Ecosystems That Have Shaped Us (Weeks 1- 4)
Week 1: Tending the Ground We’ll Grow In
Together, we’ll establish group agreements, begin to build connection and community, orient to the foundations of this work and my approach, and set intentions for our time together.
Week 2: Exploring the Soil We Were Planted In
In this module, we begin to lay the foundations that will hold this work. We’ll explore the familial, cultural, and systemic factors that have shaped how we see ourselves, relate to one another, and engage with the larger world around us. You’ll gain clarity on the origins of your conditioning and begin to illuminate the unconscious beliefs and patterns influencing your lived experience, highlighting how your personal story reflects the larger systems we all live within.
Week 3: Unearthing the Lineages That Live in Our Roots
We tune into the ancestral, intergenerational, and somatic memories living in our blood and bones. We’ll explore how cellular memory and nervous system patterns have been shaped by the unresolved traumas of our lineage and how our bodies hold both their wounds and their wisdom. You’ll learn how your body carries the energetic echoes of generations and release what doesn’t belong to you, so you can access the wisdom of your ancestors without perpetuating their pain.
Week 4: Untangling the Roots in Relationship Patterns
We’ll examine how inherited beliefs, protective patterns, and nervous system imprints shape the ways we show up in relationships—and why. You’ll uncover the unconscious role you play with others and the deeper need or desire underlying it. This module will help you break free from recurring relational loops so you can create balanced connections rooted in authenticity, reciprocity, and mutual respect.
The Program Curriculum
PHASE 2: Cultivating the Conditions for Rooted Transformation (Weeks 5-8)
Week 5: Naming the Protective Patterns Rooted Beneath the Surface
This week, we bring conscious awareness to a hidden belief or behavior that’s holding you back in life and leadership. Together, we’ll explore the protective strategies that formed in response to past experiences and uncover the purpose they serve in the present. You’ll gain clarity around your unconscious patterns so you can make more conscious choices moving forward.
Week 6: Tending the Roots to Nurture What’s Been Neglected
In this module, we’ll nurture the exiled, rejected, or neglected parts of ourselves with curiosity and compassion. You’ll understand why your protective patterns formed and how to soften the armoring that’s kept you safe but small. Through a practice of self-forgiveness and self-acceptance, you’ll learn to alchemize pain and shame into self-trust, agency, and a more complete sense of wholeness.
Week 7: Nourishing the Roots to Cultivate Capacity and Resilience
We begin to anchor into practices that expand your nervous system capacity and emotional bandwidth, so transformation feels sustainable, not overwhelming. You’ll learn to move through grief, anger, fear, and tenderness without shutting down or armoring up. You’ll fortify your inner foundation so you can stay grounded, resourced, and rooted in your truth, especially when life or leadership stretches you.
Week 8: Planting Seeds for Repatterning and Renewal
Together, we’ll explore how you can begin to express previously repressed or disowned parts of yourself in aligned and empowering ways. You’ll clarify how you want your life to feel and look moving forward, and you’ll identify tangible, doable practices that support you to form and embody new beliefs, new behaviors, and a more liberated way of being.
PHASE 3: Rooted Regeneration for Collective Liberation (Weeks 9-12)
Week 9: Weaving Mycelial Connections Beyond the Self
We’ll trace how unconscious beliefs and hidden patterns play out in groups, communities, and institutions, and we’ll examine the role of compassion and accountability in reconciliation and repair. You’ll root your growth within the larger interconnected web of life and deepen your capacity to engage systems and relationships with curiosity, compassion, and a commitment to shared humanity.
Week 10: Restoring Right Relationship in the Wider Web of Life
This week, Together, we’ll examine the role of responsibility, accountability, and power in processes of repair and reconciliation. We’ll explore what it means to navigate the complex terrain between victimhood, vengeance, forgiveness, and self-sovereignty. You’ll begin to unshame and reclaim your personal power and expand your understanding of what it means to wield it wisely.
Week 11: Embodying a Rooted Legacy of Liberation
In this module, we explore how our personal healing becomes a catalyst for systemic transformation and collective liberation. You’ll workshop how to translate your personal evolution into meaningful contribution, so you can leverage your world-changing work as a regenerative force for collective healing.
Week 12: Harvesting the Fruits of Our Collective Journey
In our final gathering, we’ll reflect on overall learnings and key takeaways, celebrate one another, and set intentions for how you’ll carry this work forward in your life and leadership.
“This experience is perfect for someone who is running into triggers regularly and unable to get to the root of the problem. Especially someone who has been working to get to the root of their struggles via other methods and isn’t finding success.” —M.L.
“Lena’s caring and empathetic approach, combined with her in-depth knowledge, create a fantastic environment to connect not only with your purpose but also with the shadow and limiting beliefs so cemented that it could be impossible to break free from them without her.” —C.P.
Program Scheduling & Logistics
APRIL 7 - JUNE 23
Weekly Sessions (12 in total)
Every Tuesday from 12pm to 2pm EST.
Live sessions will include a mix of teaching, personal reflection, experiential learning activities, and group discussion.
Weekly Reflection Prompts
Each week you’ll receive a set of reflection prompts designed to deepen and personalize your understanding and application of the concepts we’ll move through together. These are not supplementary; they are absolutely critical to the process. The live sessions are designed with the assumption that you have engaged with the prompts for that week.
Group Coaching Sessions (5 in total)
A variety of days and times will be offered to accommodate different schedules (see details below)
These optional sessions offer an opportunity to receive 1:1 support around challenges or inquiries that arise for you throughout this process. The power of doing this work in a group setting is that we learn from one another’s questions and experiences. As we witness and are witnessed, we reroot into the wisdom that transformational healing unfolds through connection.
Thursday, April 23 from 3pm to 5pm EST
Wednesday, May 6 from 2pm to 4pm EST
Friday, May 22 from 12pm to 2pm EST
Wednesday, June 3 from 2pm to 4pm EST
Thursday, June 18 from 3pm to 5pm EST
“I truly got so much out of this experience and I didn't even realize how much until it was over. I was so deep in it that I couldn't see how big and powerful the teachings and lessons actually were. I love how Lena challenged me to see the parts of me that I’m too close to see myself. She really has a gift and I am very happy to have taken the leap to work with her.” —M.F.
“I feel so much more equipped to handle challenges and set-backs that come up in life, in relationships, and in business. I've started to take things far less personally and have started to identify the many ways that I show up in the world. I feel so much more like my authentic self and have been able to really form genuine connections with people since working with Lena.” —K.S.
Program Investment
$ 1250 USD
Or 5 monthly payments of $250
Enrollment Closes Wednesday, April 1, 2026
Financial assistance may be available for folks experiencing financial difficulty or those situated in the Global South for whom rates in USD are inaccessible. Please apply here.
“This is for you if you’re ready for a different perspective when looking in the mirror. To confront the parts of yourself you may not be aware of and the parts you may not understand. If you want to make a difference in the world and for the people that surround you.” —M.F.
“This experience is perfect for someone who is self-aware but feels stagnant in their growth. As if you know you want to change and you know there is something "missing" in your journey but you can't seem to take the step forward or make a lasting change.” —K.S.
By the end of these 12 weeks, you will have…
Unearthed the unconscious patterns, beliefs, and contextual conditioning shaping your sense of self, life, and leadership, so you can consciously break cycles of hidden harm.
Reclaimed the exiled, neglected, and protective parts of yourself so you can live and lead from wholeness instead of survival, self-abandonment, or performance.
Expanded your emotional and nervous system capacity, supporting you to stay grounded, centered, and present even when life, leadership stretches you.
Broken long-standing relational and behavioral loops, and begun replacing them with new patterns rooted in authenticity, reciprocity, and self-trust.
Built a sustainable foundation rooted in liberation, helping you hold more joy, intimacy, power, grief, and complexity without collapsing or armoring up.
Woven your inner transformation into collective liberation, recognizing how your personal healing naturally ripples outward as a force for systems change and repair in the world.
“Lena is one of the most thoughtful, compassionate, and insightful people I know. She is attuned to what connects us all; her deep sense of empathy transcends nationality, gender, and identity. This gives her the ability to facilitate interpersonal dialogue and bring self-awareness to our own roadblocks that keep us from seeing, understanding, and connecting to our universal humanity.” —A.P.
Lena handled my emotional journey with so much compassion. She offers gentle and loving guidance through tough questions and issues. Lena creates a safe space where you feel comfortable to share freely without judgement. She asks thought-provoking questions and offers tools to help you continue to process on your own. I’ve gained a whole new perspective on my childhood and unprocessed trauma. I’m forever grateful!” —J.C.
Frequently Asked Questions
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This will depend. Weekly calls will last two hours, as will group coaching sessions (though these are optional and do not happen every week). I recommend setting aside at least 1-2 hours to work through the weekly reflection prompts (this part is very important!). Many people say they read the prompts when shared and reflect on them throughout the week.
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This program is designed to be a group/community experience, and the energy is more potent and powerful when we gather together in real-time—attending live is strongly encouraged.
That said, life happens and things may come up. All calls will be recorded and uploaded to a shared drive where you will access for the duration of the program + one month following the program should you need to miss a session due to personal circumstances.
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It’s an honor to support folks just beginning, and you’ll learn so much! You’ll have many eye-opening, light bulb moments. You’ll never look at your life or the world the same again. It is recommended that you come into this with a foundational understanding of systemic oppression.
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We learn and grow in spirals, revisiting lessons and insights from new perspectives. You will have the opportunity to deepen understandings you may have had already—and you’ll likely uncover layers you couldn’t access before.
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The group coaching sessions are an opportunity to receive 1:1 support from me in a group setting. People say this part is especially powerful.
And, if you sign up during the early enrollment period, you’ll receive a bonus 60-min. 1:1 session to be used at any time during the program.
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Cohorts will be capped at 8-10 participants to maintain intimacy and depth. Additional session times will be scheduled if needed to accommodate multiple cohorts (depending on total enrollment #)
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I can’t guarantee complete safety, but I am deeply committed to creating a trauma-informed, culturally aware, consent-centered container that honors the realities of marginalized identities and the ways oppressive systems shape our lives and experiences.
If harm occurs, we’ll name it, address it, and work toward repair. You’re encouraged to share your needs, boundaries, or feedback at any point so we can co-create a container that truly holds you.
If something feels activating or overwhelming, I’m here to help you ground and process what’s coming up. If anything arises that’s beyond the scope of this space or my capacity as a practitioner, I’ll support you to find additional or alternative care.
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Due to the nature of this program and the planning required, I am unable to offer refunds for withdrawals or cancellations.
I understand that life, capacity, and nervous systems shift. If something comes up that impacts your ability to participate, please reach out. While I can’t offer refunds, I’m committed to supporting you in finding the most accessible and sustainable way to engage with the program.
“The sessions felt like an intimate sanctuary where powerful change-making humans could vulnerably grapple with the kind of uncomfortable, tender inquiry that collective change really requires. Lovingly tending to the roots and deepening into the theme of liberation week by week, linked arm-in-arm with like-minded people, is absolutely one of the most valuable investments you can make towards creating a future worth living for. It's like a weekly liberation ministry and a deeeep values massage all in one. It's approachable and gentle and also challenging, but in a doable way because it's facilitated so brilliantly and everyone's all in it together.” —N.R.
“This was a beautiful and life changing offering. I am so glad to have found Lena. She is a light that illuminates the path through the darkness.” —M.C.
“This was one of the best programs I’ve ever participated in. I know anyone who works with Lena will have a life-changing experience.” —K.B.