Bernadette Lim

organization overview

Freedom Community Clinic (FCC) imagines and works toward a whole-person healing future prioritizing care for the bodies, minds, and souls of Black, Brown, and immigrant communities. FCC integrates and values ancestral, Indigenous, and holistic healing with the strengths of Western medicine. In this way, FCC disrupts cycles of trauma/oppression through healing justice. FCC’s core healing initiatives include daily healing services at its Community Healing Sanctuary locations, biweekly community healing street clinics, community-led healing groups, healing apprenticeship programs for Black and Brown youth, and consultations with organizations and institutions that serve Black and Indigenous people and people of color. All services and programs are held in English and Spanish.

Personal Bio

Bernadette Lim founded Freedom Community Clinic at age 24. Growing up in a family with ancestral roots that faced trauma in the Western medical system, she wanted to become the first physician in her family and use ancestral, holistic healing methods. Inspired by her experiences and the rich history of healing justice activism in the Bay Area, Bernadette created Freedom Community Clinic to uplift ancestral science and wisdom and expand on historical legacies of bringing whole-person healing back to the people.

Bernadette graduated from UCSF School of Medicine in 2022 and earned her master’s degree at UC Berkeley School of Public Health in 2019. She is also a hatha yoga teacher and Reiki healing practitioner. She graduated from Harvard University in 2016 and was a Fulbright-Nehru Scholar to India. She has been honored as a World Policy Forum Young Global Changer, National Minority Quality Forum 40 Under 40 Leader in Minority Health, Yamashita Prize Outstanding Emerging Social Activist in California, and a Pacific Standard Top 30 Under 30 Thinker in Policy and Social Justice.