Doc Jana on Subtle Acts of Exclusion: Key Insights for Coaches and Leaders
Oct 14, 2025Shownotes For Podcast Episode 23: Doc Jana on Subtle Acts of Exclusion: Key Insights for Coaches and Leaders
In this compelling episode of The Health and Wellness Coach Journal Podcast, Dr. Jessica Singh is joined by Tiffany Jana—widely known as Doc Jana (they/them)—to unpack Subtle Acts of Exclusion (SAEs) and why understanding them is essential for every coach and leader seeking to foster belonging and psychological safety.
Doc Jana brings a holistic and transformative lens to this work as a best-selling social justice author, international keynote speaker, and founder of the world’s first diversity-focused Certified B Corporation. They are a certified Sound Healing Practitioner, yoga, reiki, and meditation teacher, International Coaching Community (ICC) Certified Professional Coach, death doula, artist, and energy worker. Doc Jana has been featured in numerous publications and media including Fast Company, NY Times, and Forbes for their work on diversity, equity, empowerment, and inclusion.
From Awareness to Action: Dr. Jana’s Journey Into the Field of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Doc Jana’s work is rooted in a legacy of activism and social justice. They share how growing up in a family deeply committed to advocacy and social justice shaped their path, recounting their mother’s pioneering work in behavioral psychology and helping to establish the first Offices of Multicultural Affairs at major universities, as well as their grandfather’s legal efforts to protect vulnerable communities. The conversation also touches on the complexities of cultural heritage, intergenerational legacies, and the personal impact of navigating identity in a society that often demands assimilation. This segment offers listeners a powerful reminder of how understanding history, heritage, and inherited values can inform more inclusive and empathetic leadership.
Subtle Acts of Exclusion: Book Insights and Summary by Dr. Jana
In their best-selling book, Subtle Acts of Exclusion, Doc and Dr. Baran redefine the term “microaggressions,” arguing that the prefix micro minimizes the harm caused by these behaviors and that aggression triggers defensiveness. Instead, they introduce a more compassionate, accurate term, subtle acts of exclusion (SAEs), to describe behaviors or words that unintentionally push people to the margins. Doc Jana emphasizes that these acts are part of the human condition. Everyone commits them, but the keys lie in awareness and accountability: recognizing them, owning the harm, making amends, and doing better. The goal is consistent growth toward inclusion.
Leading With Awareness: The Transformative Impact of Subtle Acts of Exclusion
From boardrooms to hospitals, Doc’s consulting work helps organizations create a culture of “SAE accountability” where leaders invite feedback, model vulnerability, and normalize repair when harm occurs. By embedding accountability into organizational systems, psychological safety increases, trust deepens, and genuine belonging becomes possible. For coaches and healthcare professionals, this means cultivating the courage to say, “Please let me know when I get it wrong,” and the humility to respond with care rather than defensiveness.
Understanding Attributional Ambiguity
A key concept from Subtle Acts of Exclusion, attributional ambiguity, describes the confusion marginalized individuals experience when trying to determine whether negative treatment stems from bias or coincidence. Over time, these experiences accumulate and erode well-being. Doc explains that reducing this ambiguity starts with creating safe environments where people know they are valued for who they are and not judged for their identities. For coaches, this means facilitating a space for people to recognize and release self-blame, while cultivating awareness of how systemic and interpersonal factors shape their experience.
The Power of Self-Talk: Rewriting the Messages of Internalized Marginalization
Doc candidly shares how internalized oppression shaped their early career, even leading them to pursue a doctorate to be “taken seriously.” They remind us that negative self-talk often mirrors societal messages of unworthiness and bias. Through mindfulness, self-compassion, and “flipping the code,” Doc encourages listeners to transform internalized oppression into empowerment. When the inner voice says “I’m not enough,” the antidote is to consciously affirm “I am worthy and whole.” This mindset shift is a profound act of self-liberation.
Key Takeaways
This episode invites coaches and leaders to become agents of change. Doc Jana reminds us that inclusion begins within, through awareness, accountability, and self-compassion. Every coach, regardless of background, has the power to foster belonging through small, intentional actions: listening deeply, creating safety, acknowledging harm, and committing to do better.
Doc Jana emphasizes that creating inclusive, psychologically safe spaces is a responsibility—and a superpower—for all coaches, regardless of identity. They share that whether you come from an underrepresented group or a position of privilege, your experiences, knowledge, and conscious allyship can profoundly support others and foster belonging. From investing in professional development to taking intentional steps toward inclusion, Doc Jana reminds listeners that coaches are uniquely positioned to make real change in the lives of those they serve. The conversation closes with a heartfelt call to action: embrace your capacity to lead, learn, and empower others—because one thoughtful, safe conversation can truly change a life.
Resources Mentioned In This Episode
Jana, Tiffany, and Baran, Michael. Subtle Acts of Exclusion: How to Understand, Identify, and Stop Microaggressions. Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2020.
Jana, Tiffany. Overcoming Bias: Building Authentic Relationships Across Differences. Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2016.
Jana, Tiffany. Erasing Institutional Bias: How to Create Systemic Change for Organizational Inclusion. Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2018.
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/DocJanaYoga
Website: https://www.tiffanyjana.com
Timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction
3:26 - From Awareness to Action: Dr. Jana’s Journey Into the Field of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
6:30 - Subtle Acts of Exclusion: Book Insights and Summary by Dr. Jana
11:52 - Leading With Awareness: The Transformative Impact of Subtle Acts of Exclusion
17:14 - Understanding Attributional Ambiguity
20:26 - The Power of Self-Talk: Rewriting the Messages of Internalized Marginalization
25:22 - Exploring Gaps In Coaching Education
34:05 - Takeaways
