In this episode of How I Ally, I sit down with Kumiko Kanayama, founder of the longest-running Shiatsu center in the U.S., to explore the healing wisdom of her family tradition.

We talk about:

Kumiko’s story is a reminder that healing is not just physical—it’s emotional, cultural, and communal. Whether you’re a parent, caregiver, or simply seeking balance, her insights will leave you inspired.

👉 Tune in now, and don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review so more listeners can discover these powerful conversations.

It’s time to say it out loud—vagina—and stop the shame. Lucinda Koza talks with Saundra Pelletier, CEO of Evofem Biosciences, about why accurate language saves lives, the first non-hormonal, on-demand birth control, and how to raise informed, empowered daughters and sons. Plus—the surprising link between weight-loss drugs and birth control.

Listen, learn, and join the movement to reclaim women’s health and equality.

In this powerful conversation, Lucinda Koza talks with her longtime friend Melissa Gillis — caregiver, mom of twins, and therapist — about navigating life after a decade of caring for her mom with Huntington’s Disease. They share honest reflections on anticipatory grief, meeting loved ones where they are, finding your “tribe,” and letting go of toxic positivity.

With equal parts humor, raw truth, and hope, they explore how to:

Whether you’re deep in the caregiving trenches or on the other side, this episode will remind you: it’s possible to feel balanced, fulfilled, and whole again.

🎧 Listen now for real stories, laughter, and life-changing perspective.

Contact Melissa Gillis for caregiver coaching services: [email protected] 

What does it mean to truly show up for someone? In this powerful episode, Lucinda Koza speaks with psychologist and trauma specialist Dr. Kirsten Viola Harrison about her decade-long friendship with Sean/a—an intersex woman who overcame the hardest obstacles of homelessness and schizophrenia to become a beacon of strength and joy.

Together, they explore what happens when we take a chance on one another. From daily Starbucks chats to a worldwide Pride tour, this is the story of two women who changed each other’s lives—and a whole community in the process.

Topics We Cover:

Sean/a’s resilience and life as an intersex woman living unhoused

The emotional and spiritual power of allyship

Post-traumatic growth and surviving the “dark night of the soul”

Living with schizophrenia without medication

Finding hope, dignity, and connection in unexpected places

Guest:

Dr. Kirsten Viola Harrison is a psychologist with 35+ years of experience in trauma work. She is the co-author of I, Sean/a: The Story of a Homeless Intersex Woman Who Inspired a Community.

Resources & Mentions:

📖 I, Sean/a — Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Goodreads

🌐 Learn more about Sean/a’s story on TikTok (1M+ views!)

🗺️ Pride around the world: Sean/a’s first international journey at age 59

Follow & Subscribe:

If this episode moved you, please follow, rate, and share How I Ally. Your support helps amplify voices that deserve to be heard.

Guest: Dr. Isabel Morgan, Senior Advisor of Maternal Health at the Black Women’s Health Imperative

Episode Summary:

In this powerful and necessary conversation, Dr. Isabel Morgan shares hard truths and hopeful pathways forward in the fight for Black maternal health. As an epidemiologist and anthropologist, she brings both data and deep cultural insight to the conversation—breaking down how racism, medical models, and policy choices converge to create a maternal health crisis in the United States.

Together, we discuss:

This episode is a call to action—and a reminder that we can fix this.

📣 Resources & Mentions:

💡 Quote of the Episode:

“Eighty percent of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable. This is something we can fix.” — Dr. Isabel Morgan

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Follow & Support:

🎧 Subscribe, rate, and review How I Ally

📲 Follow Lucinda Koza on Instagram: @lucindarogerskoza

📰 Join our newsletter for updates and advocacy tools i-ally.com 

In this episode of How I Ally, host Lucinda Koza sits down with Beth Giannobile, a peer support specialist with Mom2Mom, a New Jersey-based helpline for caregivers of individuals with disabilities. Beth shares her powerful journey from caller to counselor and explains how peer support can break the cycle of isolation so many parents feel after a diagnosis.

Together, they explore the emotional toll of caregiving, the unique magic of connecting with someone who’s “been there,” and the importance of centering caregiver wellness. With insights from Rutgers Behavioral Health’s Matthew Buragina, this conversation shines a light on a model of care that’s quietly transforming lives.

If you’ve ever felt unseen, unheard, or alone in your parenting journey—this episode is for you.

In This Episode:

How Mom2Mom matches callers with peers who truly understand

What happens when the village shrinks—and how to rebuild it

The power of lived experience in support services

Why self-care is more than solo grocery runs

The ripple effect of a single phone call

Resources Mentioned:

Learn more: www.mom2mom.us.com

Call the helpline: 1-877-914-MOM2 (6662)

Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care: https://ubhc.rutgers.edu

Funded by:

New Jersey Department of Children and Families

Division of Developmental Disabilities

Claudia Charles-Sardine is a powerhouse appellate court attorney, but her most personal case? Advocating for her son, Justin, who is on the autism spectrum. In this deeply moving and inspiring conversation, Claudia shares how her legal training, faith, and Afro-Caribbean roots shape the way she mothers, fights systems, and builds community. From winning appeals to make sure her son gets the support he needs, to creating inclusive spaces in school and church, Claudia’s story is a masterclass in grace and grit.

Whether you’re a parent, professional, or both—this one will stay with you.

🔑 Topics We Cover:

What it means to be an Afro-Caribbean woman in the legal field

Navigating the special education system as a parent and attorney

How advocacy begins at home—and extends to every child

Letting go of shame and asking for help

Creating access to faith, friendship, and belonging for neurodivergent kids

The importance of sharing knowledge: “Each one, teach one”

🕰️ Timestamps:

00:00 – Meet Claudia Charles-Sardine: attorney, mother, advocate

02:00 – Growing up in Brooklyn in an Afro-Caribbean family

06:30 – Inside the appellate court system—and how it works

10:15 – Justin’s autism diagnosis: fear, faith, and fierce advocacy

14:45 – Winning an appeal for occupational therapy services

17:30 – The unseen burdens parents carry—and why we need safe spaces to vent

22:00 – A powerful moment of divine reassurance

26:00 – Why she celebrates the smallest milestones

30:00 – Empathy for all parents—and how her perspective has changed

34:00 – The social power of inclusion: from after-school to sacraments

42:30 – Building trust and support with your child’s school

46:00 – Her favorite mantra: “If I want my child to talk, I have to give him something to talk about”

👂 Listen If You’re…

Parenting a child with disabilities

Feeling overwhelmed in the IEP or therapy maze

A professional learning to hold space for families

Looking for real talk, spiritual grounding, and radical hope

📝 Connect with Claudia:

Want to reach out to Claudia? She welcomes connections from fellow parents and advocates.

📧 Email: [email protected]

In this powerful and deeply personal episode, Lucinda Koza is joined by Dr. Lisa De La Rue—licensed psychologist, trauma specialist, and Chief Education and Research Officer at Urban Alchemy—for a candid conversation about parenting through trauma, the stigma surrounding formerly incarcerated mothers, and how healing becomes possible when we give ourselves permission to stumble.

Together, they explore the realities of reparenting yourself while raising children, the hidden mental health crisis in the fourth trimester, and the need to normalize delayed postpartum anxiety and depression. Dr. De La Rue also shares how Urban Alchemy is redefining community care—employing people with lived experience to lead the work of transformation in their own neighborhoods.

Whether you’re a parent, a survivor, or simply someone trying to understand the invisible barriers others face, this episode will move you, ground you, and remind you of the radical power of compassion.

🔑 Topics Covered:

Lucinda Koza welcomes Will Acuff—entrepreneur, author, and co-founder of Corner to Corner—for a rich conversation about parenting, purpose, and what it means to truly ally with your community. From playing the Apollo to launching 1,600+ small businesses, Will’s journey defies the expected—and reveals the radical power of showing up with curiosity, compassion, and a theology of neighbor.

Will also opens up about parenting a son with disabilities, his wife’s journey with trauma, and how personal healing has reshaped everything from their marriage to their mission. This episode is a masterclass in turning hardship into joy, over-functioning into empowerment, and burnout into deep, grounded presence.

🔑 Key Topics Covered:

📚 Mentioned in This Episode:

📌 Memorable Quotes:

“When people have the tools to thrive—they thrive.”

“You don’t know what kind of seed you’re holding until you nurture it.”

“Joy and suffering are not opposites—they’re companions.”

🔗 Connect with Will Acuff:

Instagram: @willacuff

Website: cornertocorner.org

Book: No Elevator to Everest

🎧 Listen + Subscribe:

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and share with someone who needs to hear it. New episodes every week.

In this candid and eye-opening episode of How I Ally, Lucinda Koza is joined by relationship coach and therapist Rich Heller, founder of Rich in Relationship. With decades of experience—and deep personal insight—Rich helps parents navigate high-conflict relationships, rekindle emotional connection, and restore safety within their homes.

Together, they explore:

This conversation is raw, validating, and essential listening for any couple trying to stay connected in the midst of sleep deprivation, identity shifts, and unhealed emotional baggage.

Favorite quote:

“We pick our partners because we feel safe enough to unpack our stuff around each other. But the problem is—we didn’t give each other that heads up.” – Rich Heller

Connect with Rich:

Website: www.richinrelationship.com

Instagram: @richinrelationship

Podcast: Rich in Relationship – Available on all major platforms

Resources mentioned:

✨ If this episode resonated with you, please leave a review or share it with someone in the early stages of parenting or partnership. You’re not alone—and you deserve safety and support.