January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, and this powerful solo episode of Dare To Soar with Dr. RC pulls back the curtain on one of the most misunderstood and under reported human rights crises of our time.

In “Hidden in Plain Sight: Daring to Soar Against Human Trafficking,” Dr. RC explores the myths, realities, warning signs, and prevention strategies surrounding human trafficking while centering compassion, dignity, and the role each of us can play in protecting vulnerable children, youth, and adults.This episode is not about fear, it’s about truth, empowerment, and collective responsibility.

This powerful solo kickoff episode launches Dare To Soar 2026 with intention, courage, and clarity. Dr. RC invites listeners to release survival mode, stop shrinking, and step into the next chapter with new wings strengthened by wisdom, boundaries, healing, and unapologetic purpose.

This is not a new year, new me message.

It is a new year, truer me declaration.

Blending motivation, reflection, actionable insight, and lifelong affirmations from Reclaim Your Power: Where the Journey to Mental Wellness Begins, this episode guides listeners to rise whole, grounded, and ready.

In this deeply moving and affirming episode of Dare to Soar with Dr. RC, we sit down with Ms. Darcell Dance, BA, MSW, LCSW (Oregon ABSW) to explore the realities, resilience, and revolutionary joy of Black women living, working, and leading in spaces where we are often the only one or one of few.

Together, we unpack:

🌿 how identity is shaped in underrepresented environments

🌿 the emotional labor and invisible weight Black women carry

🌿 strategies for building authentic sisterhood and culturally grounded wellness

🌿 the role of community, advocacy, and radical self-preservation

🌿 how we root ourselves where soil seems thin and still bloom

This is more than a conversation.

It’s a call to wellness, connection, and community for every Black woman who has ever had to create belonging where none existed.

#DareToSoar #BlackWomenWellness #RootedEvenWhenFew #SisterhoodInAction #ABSW #BlackWomenLead #WellnessJourney #DrRCInspires #CultivatingCommunity #SocialWorkVoices #BlackSisterhood

The holidays don’t just bring lights and music they bring pressure, expectations, emotional weight, and the quiet exhaustion we often hide behind a smile.

But this year

It’s YOUR turn to rise.

In this powerful 60-minute Dare to Soar motivational episode, Dr. RC ignites a message of courage, restoration, and personal empowerment for anyone entering the holiday season feeling drained or stretched thin.

This isn’t a conversation about doing more it’s a call to step into the season strengthened, centered, and intentionally renewed.

Inside this episode, Dr. RC shares:

🔥 Motivational truths that challenge the belief that you must sacrifice yourself to serve others

🔥 Research-backed mindset shifts that boost resilience and emotional strength

🔥 Real-life examples of how powerful people stay grounded during intense seasons

🔥 Easy, energizing self-care practices that reignite joy and protect your mental wellness

🔥 A holiday empowerment plan rooted in clarity, courage, and confidence

🔥 A motivational affirmation experience to uplift your spirit and fuel your purpose

This is not your typical self-care episode.

It’s an anthem.

It’s a lifeline.

It’s your holiday wake-up call to rise refreshed, renewed, and ready to soar.

As Thanksgiving approaches, many will gather around tables filled with abundance but millions of Americans still struggle with empty plates, unstable housing, and silent battles hidden in plain sight. In this electrifying episode of Dare to Soar with Dr. RC, we go beyond seasonal gratitude and step boldly into a movement for justice, community, and collective action.

Dr. RC delivers a powerful call to rise as advocates for families experiencing hunger and homelessness. From the impact of SNAP benefit cuts to the courage of students, veterans, and working families, this episode uncovers the truth and ignites a passion for change.

Through fiery storytelling, real-life connections, and a community-centered vision, Dr. RC inspires listeners to turn their compassion into momentum. This is not just a holiday conversation, it's a mandate to serve, to speak, and to stand for those too often unseen.

This Thanksgiving, we don’t just set the table.

We extend it.

We widen it.

We rise together.”

#DareToSoar #DrRC #BeyondTheTable #GratitudeInAction #EndHunger #EndHomelessness #AdvocacyInMotion #SocialWorkLeadership #SNAP #FoodJustice #HousingJustice #RiseTogether

In this episode of Dare to Soar with Dr. RC, we explore the complex and far-reaching Doctrine of Qualified Immunity a legal principle designed to shield public officials, including law enforcement, from civil lawsuits unless they violate “clearly established” constitutional rights. While meant to protect government workers from frivolous claims, this doctrine has sparked intense debate for its role in limiting accountability and perpetuating systemic inequities.

Joining Dr. RC for this crucial discussion are:

-Ms. Lillie R. Jackson, of the National Association of Black Social Workers (NABSW), Greater Akron-Canton Chapter, and

-Ms. Cynthia Brown, CEO of Heartbeat Movement Inc., a multiracial, nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit social justice organization led and directed by Ohioans.

Together, they address:

-The history and intent behind qualified immunity

-The real-life consequences for families and communities seeking justice

-How race, power, and policy intersect in the application of the doctrine

-The vital role of social workers in advocacy, reform, and community healing

Listeners will gain a deeper understanding of how advocacy and education can ignite reform proving that when knowledge meets courage, true justice can take flight.

In this moving and empowering episode of Dare to Soar with Dr. RC, we welcome Dr. Leticia Villarreal Sosa, LCSW, PEL SSW, a compassionate leader and expert in grief, trauma, and social work education. Together, we open the conversation around what it truly means to certify your calling to turn lived experience, professional insight, and empathy into structured pathways for healing and hope.

Listeners will gain insight into:

-How professional grief certification strengthens the integrity and impact of those serving others.

-The cultural, ethical, and emotional dimensions of grief often left unspoken.

-How practitioners can integrate certification into advocacy, education, and community care.

This is not just a conversation, it’s an awakening to the idea that grief, when honored and understood, can be a bridge toward deeper purpose and renewed life.

#DareToSoar #DrRCInspires #HealingBeyondTheSilence #GriefAndHope #DrLeticiaVillarrealSosa #SoarWithKATIE

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming every corner of our society from classrooms to clinics, from social services to everyday life. But where does social work fit into this rapidly evolving landscape?

On this episode of Dare to Soar with Dr. RC, we’ll dive deep into the intersection of technology and humanity with special guest Dr. Marina Badillo-Diaz, LCSW, a visionary leader and advocate in the social work field. Together, we’ll explore how AI can serve as both a powerful tool and a complex challenge for practitioners committed to ethics, empathy, and equity.

Dr. Badillo-Diaz will share her insights into what it means to protect human connection in an increasingly digital world and how social workers can rise to meet the moment with knowledge, innovation, and compassion.

🎧 Tune in to discover:

How AI can empower social work practice.

Key ethical concerns around privacy, bias, and equity.

Strategies for using technology without losing compassion.

A vision for the future of social work in an AI-driven world.

#DareToSoar #SocialWorkInAI #FutureOfSocialWork #TechAndHumanity #DrRC

In a time when policies shape classrooms, communities, and client outcomes, voting is not just a civic right it’s a professional responsibility. Join Dr. RC and her esteemed guest, Dr. Renata Hedrington Jones, President of the National Association of Black Social Workers (NABSW), for a powerful and thought-provoking conversation on the intersection of policy, advocacy, and the profession of social work.

Together, they explore how legislative decisions directly influence social work practice, funding, ethics, and equity, and why every vote cast is a step toward protecting the profession’s core values of justice, empowerment, and service.

This episode challenges social workers everywhere to rise beyond the sidelines and recognize that advocacy doesn’t end in the office, it begins at the ballot box. Discover how the power of the vote safeguards our profession, amplifies marginalized voices, and keeps social justice alive as a living, breathing commitment.

Tune in and be inspired to use your voice, cast your vote, and safeguard the future of social work.

In times of conflict, natural disaster, or large-scale crisis, the mental wounds are often invisible, yet no less urgent. In this solo Dare To Soar episode, Dr. RC delves into the heart of the 2025 World Mental Health Day theme: “Access to Services, Mental Health in Catastrophes and Emergencies.”

Through data, frontline stories, and lessons from around the world, this episode exposes how mental health support is often the first casualty of crises, and how social workers, humanitarian actors, and communities can restore it. Expect actionable strategies, global perspectives, and a call to turn compassion into systemic change, so that healing is never delayed, even when catastrophe strikes.