For the ones tracing the thread all the way back.
A one-on-one ancestral spiritual development practice What was renamed is still there, waiting to be called by its true name.
You have been looking forward. Building a life, a career, a reputation. Or you have been standing still, sensing there is a fuller version of who you are that you cannot quite reach.
Neither road is taking you where you need to go.
Because what you are actually looking for is not ahead of you. It is not the next achievement or the next version of yourself you are trying to become. It is in your lineage, underneath the label you were handed in place of it.
Thread Back is ancestral spiritual development work for the ones who sense that something specific was lost somewhere behind the word "white," and who are ready to go find out what it was.
You might be the person who says:
I know my family came from somewhere, but nobody ever talked about it, and I don't know how to ask.
Or you might be the person who says:
I don't feel like I have a culture. I have nothing to bring to the table that feels like mine.
Both of these come from the same place. Both of them are the ache of a flattened lineage. And both of them have the same answer.
You have not gone back far enough yet.
What Is Thread Back?
Thread Back is a one-on-one ancestral spiritual development practice for people of European ethnic heritage who are ready to trace their lineage back past the point where it was flattened into a single racial category, and reclaim what was specific before that.
This is not genealogy. This is not therapy. This is the sacred work of returning to your line so your line can return to you.
Over your sessions together, you will move through the history of how your ancestors' specific identity was traded for inclusion, the grief underneath that trade, and the patterns that were passed down in its place. You will reclaim what belongs to you, set down what was only ever a cover story, and begin building a legacy your descendants will recognize as theirs.
The thread is picked back up. Something borrowed is finally set down. Something inherited rises up in its place.
Client Reviews
“I came into this work thinking I knew my family story. Twelve sessions later I realized I had only been holding the surface of it. JeKaren has a gift for creating a space where the deepest and most tender parts of your lineage feel safe enough to show up. I left carrying something I did not even know I had lost.”
Alexia T., Spiritual Director, Atlanta GA"I have done years of personal work and nothing has gone as deep as this. Bough Breakers is not like anything else out there. It is not a course. It is not coaching. It is a sacred container held by someone who takes your lineage as seriously as you do. I am different because of this work and so is the way I show up for my community."
Maria W., Hospital Chaplain, Chicago IL"I did not know how much I was carrying until JeKaren helped me set it down. The grief I thought was mine turned out to be much older than me. And the gifts I did not know I had access to were waiting right there in the same line. This work changed my life and I believe it will change the lives of everyone who comes after me."
Rhoda M., Community Healer and Educator, Oakland CAThe Investment
Thread Back: 12 Sessions. One-on-One. $4,500.
This includes:
Twelve 60-minute one-on-one sessions with Rev. JeKaren Bell. A sacred container held with intention, care, and full presence. Ancestral reflection questions to deepen the work between sessions. Scheduling flexibility within the container to honor the rhythm of your life and your lineage.
Thread Back Lite: 6 Sessions. One-on-One. $2,500.
This includes:
Six 60-minute one-on-one sessions with Rev. JeKaren Bell. A sacred container held with intention, care, and full presence. Ancestral reflection questions to deepen the work between sessions. Scheduling flexibility within the container to honor the rhythm of your life and your lineage.
For the ones tracing the thread all the way back.
For the ones tracing the thread all the way back.
For the ones tracing the thread all the way back. For the ones tracing the thread all the way back.
About Rev. JeKaren Bell
Rev. JeKaren Bell is an ordained minister, certified Death and Grief Doula, artist, and poet with over 15 years as a religious professional. She holds a Master of Divinity from Starr King School for the Ministry, a Master of Science in Nonprofit Leadership and Management from Arizona State University, and a Bachelors of Liberal Studies in Art and Sociology .
JeKaren has spent her career walking alongside people in the most liminal and sacred passages of their lives. Bough Breakers is the culmination of that work, the place where ancestral healing, spiritual development, and the wisdom of those who came before us meet.
She does not just teach this work. She lives it.
Cancellation and Rescheduling Policy
This work is sacred and so is our time together. If something comes up and a session needs to be rescheduled, please give at least 24 hours notice so that the time can be offered to someone else.
If less than 24 hours notice is given, one complimentary reschedule is available for the duration of the 12 or 6-session container. After that, the session is considered complete and cannot be carried over.
Life happens and grace is always part of this practice. And holding this container well for everyone means honoring the time we have set aside together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need to have done ancestral work before?
No. Thread Back meets you exactly where you are. Whether you are just beginning to feel the pull toward your lineage or have been in this work for years, there is a place for you here.
Is this therapy?
No. Thread Back is a spiritual development practice, not a mental health service. If you are currently working with a therapist, this work can complement that beautifully.
What if I barely know anything about where my family came from?
That is exactly where the work begins. Interrupted and unnamed lineage is part of the story for most people whose families assimilated into whiteness, and it is held with care in this container.
What if my family is mixed, part European and part something else?
Thread Back holds the European thread specifically. If your family carries other lineages as well, this work can sit alongside other ancestral practices rather than replace them.
Is this about white guilt?
No. Thread Back is not built around guilt or apology. It is built around recovery, specifically what was set down when your ancestors' distinct cultural identity was traded for inclusion in a category called white. The work is finding what was lost, not atoning for what was gained.
Is Thread Back the same as Bough Breakers?
No. Thread Back is the sister practice to Bough Breakers, built for people of European ethnic heritage rather than the African diaspora. The two share a foundation and a commitment to ancestral return, and they hold different lineages with different histories.
Is Thread Back open to everyone of European descent, or specific ethnic groups?
Thread Back is open to anyone with European ethnic heritage, whatever specific lineage that includes. The practice follows your family's particular history rather than a fixed cultural focus.
How are sessions scheduled?
Once enrolled, you will receive a link to schedule all 12 or 6 sessions at a pace that works for you and for the work.
What is the refund policy?
Due to the nature of this container, all sales are final. If something unexpected arises, please reach out directly to discuss options.
What is the cancellation and rescheduling policy?
Please give at least 24 hours notice if a session needs to be rescheduled, so the time can be offered to someone else. If less than 24 hours notice is given, one complimentary reschedule is available for the duration of your container. After that, the session is considered complete and cannot be carried over.