So often much of the challenges that organizations face can be traced back to trauma experienced by individuals either in their personal lives or by way of the work they do with traumatized populations. For many this may look like experiencing vicarious and secondary trauma behaviors that filter into and impact the organizational body. When this happens we can see the culture of an organization begin to decline and the foundation, overtime, becomes disconnected from the people it was meant to hold and support. Assessing for the ways in which trauma is impacting the organizational body can be uncomfortable and yet it is an effective way of understanding the root of unhelpful dynamics at play that may be resulting in high level of employee dissatisfaction, workplace conflict and silence, and high turnover. Doing this work together allows us to uproot the parts of the foundation that have experienced ware and tare over the years to stay on mission and to shape a culture that allows all to thrive.

We all carry wounds as we walk through the world and these wounds or traumas have the ability to impact behavior and ultimately our interpersonal relationships. Providing support with knowledge of trauma and how it shows up is an essential part of effective care. This allows for true healing to take place as you can be seen in all you experience and in your healing.

Many people leave therapy because they experience having to leave a part of themselves out of the therapy space. I invite you to bring all of you as I practice holding space that is intentionally culturally humble and identify affirming. This means practicing curiosity, being dedicated to self-education and self-critique, and knowing that you are the expert of your experience. I am simply a guide you’ve invited in. Specializing in African-American Family Studies, LGBTQIA+ affirming therapy, and Inter/Intragenerational trauma.

Having worked in higher education doing DEIB work with students, staff, and faculty along with having studied and educated many around topics as they pertain to Sociology, African American Family Studies, and LGBTQIA+ identity, education, and advocacy, it is essential to bring in DEI&B when discussing any issue in the workplace. These are often some of the most challenging topics in one’s personal life as well as in the workplace yet while it often goes unaddressed, it is the unspoken reason for so many people of color and LGBTQIA+ people leaving positions they are good at due to maltreatment, microaggressions, and other forms of harm that result in stress, anxiety, depression, overwhelm, and dissatisfaction. Addressing these challenges in a trauma-reducing/healing centered way that really help support the longevity of a team and an organization.

My background in higher education working closely with students, staff, and faculty and as a trauma therapist has taught me the vital importance of empowerment. This does not mean I lend my power to others but instead I help remind them of the power they already have within as life challenges can often cause us to forget. Creating opportunities for engagement, for a multitude of voices to take up space and to be truly heard, inviting folks to take part in shaping what is to come in a collaborative spirit, supports the sustainability and longevity of the work of building or mending the gaps in the organizational foundation. In addition empowering folks can increase re-investment in one’s organization where it once dwindled as well as builds employee trust.

I approach this work knowing and being transparent that it will include bumps in the road. When team members feel brave enough so speak their truth with respect and honesty, when there is a recognition of systemic issues within the organization, or when co-workers who experienced interpersonal harm get to repair that pain with one another, many feelings can emerge and difficult conversations along with them. When things get real, it is a sign that culture is shifting. There may be hard decisions for folks to make individually and organizationally however those growing pains are part of the process and just requires someone who can hold space, go slow, and who knows that all steps forward matter. Steadfast commitment to get to the other side of the challenge can lead organizations to meet their goals successfully and with heart.