Belonging Reimagined

In this very special episode, Dr. Mona chats with Dr. Allison Thompkins, a spiritual practitioner and disability rights advocate who was born with cerebral palsy. Dr. Allison develops personalized spiritual practices for clients, with a specialty in working with clients with disabilities. She is the author of the book “Spirituality Is for Every Body: 8 Accessible, Inclusive Ways to Connect with the Divine when Living with Disability.”

Sharing her powerful stories of living with disability and spirituality and the process of writing her book, Dr. Allison reminds us that we are all multifaceted beings and encourages us to tap into our spirituality wherever we are and in whatever body we are.

Listen now and learn:

- How to create customized spiritual practices that can cultivate more belonging

- The importance of multifaceted spiritual practices that are aligned with each individual

- What drum circles taught Dr. Allison about connecting with herself and her spirituality

- The power of sending love before you in navigating challenging situations

- How non-disabled folx can create more inclusivity within their spaces

**While the language used in this episode is mostly identity-first, we acknowledge that some folx prefer person-first language.**

Connect with Dr. Allison: allisonvthompkins.com

Follow Dr. Allison on Instagram @allison_v_thompkins, LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/in/allison-v-thompkins-phd), and YouTube @allisonvthompkins

Order “Spirituality Is for Every Body: 8 Accessible, Inclusive Ways to Connect with the Divine when Living with Disability”: www.allisonvthompkins.com/books

Learn more about the Belonging Reimagined Podcast: www.drmonanour.com/podcast

Connect with Dr. Mona Nour: www.drmonanour.com

In this episode, Dr. Mona speaks with Nancy Levin, a Master Coach, podcast host, and bestselling author. Her latest book “Embrace Your Shadow to Find Your Light” reached #1 on Amazon's new releases in the Journal Writing Self-Help category within a week of its release.

Nancy discusses how we must embrace our shadow characteristics in order to fully embrace our inner light. She shares tactics to cultivate belonging for ourselves in order to be free in our whole selves, including the darker parts. She invites us to turn the antenna inward, take an honest look at the truth of who we are, and express ourselves from that truth.

Tune in now and learn:

- What shadow work is and how it can lead to self-belonging

- How to name, accept, and reclaim our shadow

- The difference between quality and behavior in shadow work

- How examine our life and embrace our shadow in a safe way

- What shadow commitments are and how to change them

Learn more about Nancy Levin: nancylevin.com

Follow Nancy on IG @nancy_levin and FB @NancyLevinAuthor

Order Nancy’s new book “Embrace Your Shadow to Find Your Light”: www.nancylevin.com/journal

Learn more about the Belonging Reimagined Podcast: www.drmonanour.com/podcast

Connect with Dr. Mona Nour: www.drmonanour.com

In this episode, Dr. Mona talks to Van Eure, owner of the famous restaurant, the Angus Barn in Raleigh, NC, about how she and her family use their leadership skills to nurture a strong sense of community in their staff and the customers of the restaurant. The Angus Barn is an award winning steakhouse with one of the largest wine cellars in the country.

Listen now and discover:

- The history behind the Angus Barn and the simple secret to its success

- What Van learned about leadership while working in every position in the restaurant

- How her years teaching in Kenya shaped her views on life and leadership

- Angus Barn’s unique hiring process and exceptionally low turnover rate

- How Van led the restaurant and took care of her staff through COVID-19

Learn more about Angus Barn: www.angusbarn.com

Follow Angus Barn on Instagram @angusbarn

Learn more about Walk for Hope: walkforhope.com/events/walk-for-hope

Learn more about the Belonging Reimagined Podcast: www.drmonanour.com/podcast

Connect with Dr. Mona Nour: www.drmonanour.com

In this episode, Dr. Mona chats with Dr. Mel Johnson-Norwood about his experience as a Black gay leader in higher education administration, and how he nurtures belonging for himself and the learners on his campus. Dr. Johnson-Norwood is the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Associate Provost at Winston-Salem State University.

Tune in and learn:

- How to show up authentically and unapologetically as a leader

- The tokenization of BIPOC and queer folx in leadership

- What true allyship among leaders should look like

- How to make impactful changes with courage and the power of calling out

Learn more about Dr. Johnson-Norwood: www.nourcounseling.com/mel-johnson-norwood

Follow Dr. Johnson-Norwood on IG and X @MelN3D

Learn more about the Belonging Reimagined Podcast: www.drmonanour.com/podcast

Connect with Dr. Mona Nour: www.drmonanour.com

In this episode, Dr. Mona speaks with dentist-turned-baker Joe Parker “JP” about his experience as a gay parent to his beautiful triplet sons. Joe and his husband own JP's Pastry, a gluten-free bakery in Benson, NC. Recounting his striking journey from being closeted about his sexual identity and feeling alone to an enriched life full of love, Joe shares how he creates belonging for himself and his family.

Listen now and learn:

- Joe’s powerful coming-out story

- All the hoops gay couples have to jump through to become parents

- The challenges that are unique to gay parents

- How to find support and create your own community

Resources that Joe mentioned in this episode:

- Gays With Kids on Instagram @gays_with_kids

- Two dads worldwide on Instagram @twodadsworldwide

- Same Sex Parents on Instagram @samesexparents

- Rainbow Families: rainbowfamilies.org

Learn more about JP’s Pastry: www.jpspastry.com. Follow JP’s Pastry on Instagram @jpspastry.

Learn more about the Belonging Reimagined Podcast: www.drmonanour.com/podcast

Connect with Dr. Mona Nour: www.drmonanour.com

In this episode, Dr. Mona speaks with clinical mental health counseling student Maria Hailey about her experience of coming out as bisexual at 50 years old. Having grown up in a racist and homophobic town in the 80s, Maria didn’t feel safe to share with others her bisexual identity, and has only recently found communities that see, embrace, and celebrate her.

Tune in for a vulnerable conversation about:

- The internal isolation of having to hide one’s sexual identity

- The external isolation of biphobia and exclusion from both queer and straight communities

- Being demonized and fetishized when bisexual

- How to create connections and a richer life through identifying places where one feels safe

- How allies can nurture a stronger sense of belonging for bisexual-identifying folx

Learn more about the Belonging Reimagined Podcast: www.drmonanour.com/podcast

Connect with Dr. Mona Nour: www.drmonanour.com

In this episode that kicks off our special series for the June 2024 PRIDE Month, Dr. Mona speaks with Pip Davidson, a Publicist and Influencer Strategist at Hay House Publishing, who identifies as a trans man. Pip shares his personal gender exploration journey and what it means to be gender expansive.

Listen now and explore:

- The introspection aspects of gender expansiveness

- Imposter syndrome in being trans

- Intergenerational belonging and trauma in the Queer community

- The COVID-19 pandemic’s role in many folx’s gender exploration journey

1:06 - Dr. Mona introduces today’s guest, Pip Davidson.

5:36 - Pip’s gender identity.

6:59 - What does gender expansiveness mean to Pip?

11:15 - Imposter syndrome around being trans.

18:21 - The most at-risk group for violence and hate crimes.

27:15 - Finding culture as white Americans.

36:25 - Pip’s gender expansive journey.

44:10 - What does belonging mean to Pip?

Follow Pip Davidson on TikTok @nymandgravyandpip

Learn more about Pip’s newsletter on Substack – Pen Pals: For Writers Who Mean Business: penpalsforwriters.substack.com

Learn more about the Belonging Reimagined Podcast: www.drmonanour.com/podcast

Connect with Dr. Mona Nour: www.drmonanour.com

In this episode, Dr. Mona speaks with licensed therapist and professor Dr. Richard Tyler-Walker about the intricate relationship between self-esteem and belonging. Drawing from his personal journey of identity exploration as a gay man, Richard shares his hard-fought path towards belonging and self-esteem. He invites us to examine the relationship we have with ourselves by reflecting on the way we talk to ourselves throughout each day.

Tune in and discover:

- How belonging is essential for achieving self-esteem

- The ways we internalize external judgments and harm our self-esteem

- How to hold curiosity with authenticity when exploring your sense of self

- Actionable steps you can take to start seeing, embracing, and celebrating yourself

Learn more about Dr. Richard Tyler-Walker: www.nourcounseling.com/richard-tyler-walker

Learn more about the Belonging Reimagined Podcast: www.drmonanour.com/podcast

Connect with Dr. Mona Nour: www.drmonanour.com

In this episode, Dr. Mona speaks with licensed therapist Asha Simpson about Body Dysmorphia – the perception of one’s body being different from their expectations of the ideal. Sharing from their personal stories and clinical expertise, Dr. Mona and Asha delve into our distraught relationship with our bodies, teasing out societal forces that shape our understanding of the ideal body and shedding light on how we can reclaim our bodies, take up space, and express our authentic selves.

Listen now to learn:

- Body Dysmorphia vs. Eating Disorder

- Body Positivity vs. Body Neutrality

- How cultural backgrounds and gender identities impact our perception of our bodies

- How our bodies can be a source of isolation and a barrier to belonging

- How to expand our concept of the body’s purpose

- Practical tools for healing ourselves and showing up for others

Learn more about Asha Simpson: www.nourcounseling.com/asha-simpson

Learn more about the Belonging Reimagined Podcast: www.drmonanour.com/podcast

Connect with Dr. Mona Nour: www.drmonanour.com

In this episode, Dr. Mona speaks with Patrick Casale, an AuDHD therapist, host of All Things Private Practice Podcast, and Co-Host of Divergent Conversations Podcast. Weaving in their personal experiences and advocacy work, Dr. Mona and Patrick challenge our internalized anti-autism ableism and explore the many ways to nurture belonging for neurodivergent folx.

Listen now to discover:

- The complex emotions – grief, relief, and self-discovery – that come with an autism diagnosis

- Practical coping mechanisms for managing sensory overload and navigating social interactions

- Self-advocacy and creating a support system as a neurodivergent person

- How to combat autistic burnout through unpacking our own ableism

0:09 - Dr. Mona introduces today’s guest, Patrick Casale.

3:32 - Patrick shares his own story of AuDHD.

8:16 - Person vs. Identity-first language.

11:38 - The grief and relief process that comes with diagnosis.

28:30 - How experience can help in understanding autism.

35:25 - How the diagnosis has impacted Patrick’s sense of belonging in relationships.

37:55 - Overcoming autistic burnout.

42:30 - How Patrick defines belonging.

Learn more about Patrick Casale: www.allthingspractice.com

Follow Patrick on Instagram @allthingsprivatepractice and @allthingprivatepracticepodcast

Learn more about the Belonging Reimagined Podcast: www.drmonanour.com/podcast

Connect with Dr. Mona Nour: www.drmonanour.com