Inherited: The Podcast

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Who are you when you separate your identity from the expectations placed on you?

In this episode of Inherited: The Podcast, we sit down with Denise Joseph, Owner of Called Into Confidence, Public Health Analyst, and Whole Brain Thinking practitioner, for a powerful conversation about identity, confidence, culture, faith, purpose, and understanding how we think.

Originally from Trinidad, Denise knows what it feels like to live between worlds—navigating cultural expectations, professional responsibilities, and the quiet pull toward a deeper purpose.

Her work combines lived experience, public health, Whole Brain Thinking and HBDI®, and a faith-centered approach to helping purpose-driven people move from confusion to clarity and step confidently into their calling.

In “Finding Your Identity Without Losing Yourself,” we explore how the expectations we inherit can quietly influence the decisions we make about our careers, relationships, leadership, and even who we believe we're allowed to become.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Cultural identity and navigating life between different worlds • The expectations families and communities can place on us • How inherited definitions of success can shape our choices • Understanding your individual thinking preferences • Whole Brain Thinking and HBDI® • Confidence versus certainty • Why self-awareness can change how we communicate and make decisions • Code-switching and navigating professional environments • The experiences of Black and Latina professionals • Faith, identity, purpose, and discovering your calling • How to recognize when you're carrying someone else's expectations or fears • Breaking generational patterns without rejecting where you came from • Finding clarity when you constantly second-guess yourself • Building confidence without losing the parts of yourself that matter

Denise challenges us to consider that sometimes what we inherit isn't only trauma.

We inherit expectations.

We inherit ideas about success.

We inherit fears.

We inherit cultural messages about what is acceptable.

And sometimes we inherit a version of ourselves that was shaped around what everyone else needed us to be.

Understanding where those messages came from gives us an opportunity to decide which ones still belong in our lives.

Because finding yourself doesn't have to mean rejecting your family, faith, culture, or community.

Sometimes it means understanding everything that shaped you—and finally giving yourself permission to choose what comes next.

About Denise Joseph

Denise Joseph is a Public Health Analyst, Whole Brain Thinking practitioner, and Owner of Called Into Confidence. She helps purpose-driven individuals better understand how they think, recognize their strengths, communicate with confidence, and move toward greater clarity in their personal and professional lives.

🌐 Connect with Denise: calledintoconfidence.com

About Inherited

Inherited: The Podcast explores the stories, beliefs, trauma, resilience, culture, and emotional patterns passed from one generation to the next—and asks what we will intentionally choose to heal, redefine, and carry forward.

🎙️ Real Stories. Deep Roots. Generational Healing.

🌐 inheritedpodcast.online

Listen wherever you get your podcasts, and share this episode with someone who may be trying to discover who they are beneath everything they've been told they should be.

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What if one of the greatest gifts you could give your family was a conversation most of us are afraid to have?

In this episode of Inherited, hosts Jessica Sanchez and Dr. Valencia Henry sit down with Yvonne Caputo, author of Dying with Dad and founder of Steadfast Pen LLC, for an intimate conversation about death, dying, advance care planning, family communication, and the peace that can come from knowing—and honoring—a loved one’s wishes.

After spending 17 years working in a retirement community, Yvonne witnessed what could happen when families were forced to make difficult end-of-life decisions without knowing what their loved one truly wanted. Determined to create a different experience for her own family, she began a conversation with her father that would ultimately become one of the most meaningful experiences of their relationship.

Yvonne shares how discussing advance directives and later completing the Five Wishes helped her understand not only the medical care her father wanted, but also how he wanted to be comforted, treated, and remembered.

When the time came to honor those wishes, Yvonne didn’t have to guess.

She knew.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why families often avoid conversations about death and dying • What can happen when end-of-life wishes haven't been discussed • The importance of advance care planning • Yvonne’s experience with the Five Wishes approach • How to begin difficult conversations with parents and loved ones • The emotional burden families may face when they have to make decisions without guidance • How culture, faith, and family beliefs influence conversations about death • Grief, preparation, and finding peace after losing a parent • Why these conversations should happen before a medical crisis • What Yvonne learned through her journey with her father

Yvonne also shares the powerful experience that inspired her book, Dying with Dad, and why honoring her father’s wishes left her with what she describes as a profound sense of sacred joy.

This conversation reminds us that preparing for death isn't about giving up on life.

It's about loving people enough to make our wishes known.

About Our Guest

Yvonne Caputo is an author, speaker, and founder of Steadfast Pen LLC. Her experiences working with older adults and later navigating her own father’s end-of-life journey inspired her passion for helping families become more comfortable talking about death and dying.

Connect with Yvonne:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/yvonne-caputo-1449137 Facebook: facebook.com/xcskiyvonne

📖 Look for her book: Dying with Dad

About Inherited

Inherited is hosted by Jessica Sanchez, Founder & CEO of Daughters of Both Suns, and Dr. Valencia Henry, Founder of VQS Access Health.

🌐 inheritedpodcast.online

If this episode makes you think about someone you love, don't just share it with them.

Use it to start the conversation.

Because the stories we inherit matter—but so do the wishes, values, and conversations we intentionally leave behind.

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What happens when a man is grieving—but feels like he has nowhere to put the pain?

In Episode 8 of Inherited, hosts Jessica Sanchez and Dr. Valencia Henry sit down with Alfred J. Robinson, author of A Black Man’s Divorce Memoir, for an honest conversation about divorce, fatherhood, grief, faith, masculinity, and the emotional experiences Black men are too often expected to carry in silence.

Alfred shares his lived experience navigating the end of a marriage, changes in daily access to his children, family court, and the process of rebuilding his life and faith after everything he knew changed.

Together, we explore what happens when grief goes unnamed—and why men need spaces where vulnerability is not treated as weakness.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The grief that can accompany divorce and separation • Losing everyday moments with your children as a father • Why some Black men struggle to openly express emotional pain • Cultural messages around masculinity, strength, and vulnerability • Navigating fatherhood after divorce • Faith after loss and major life transitions • The importance of mental health and healing spaces for men • Breaking generational patterns around emotional silence • Redefining strength for the next generation of Black boys and men

One of the most powerful questions raised in this conversation is simple:

Who takes care of the men who have been taught to take care of everyone else?

This episode isn't about blaming mothers, fathers, former partners, or families. It's about creating room for a conversation that is often missing: men experience grief too, and they deserve opportunities to process it, heal from it, and remain connected to their families and communities.

About Our Guest

Alfred J. Robinson is the author of A Black Man’s Divorce Memoir and Chief Creator Officer. Through his writing and advocacy, Alfred speaks about divorce, fatherhood, faith, family court, and the emotional realities men may struggle to put into words.

Learn more about Alfred and his work at BlackManDivorceMemoir.com.

About Inherited

Inherited is hosted by Jessica Sanchez, Founder & CEO of Daughters of Both Suns, and Dr. Valencia Henry, Founder of VQS Access Health.

🎙️ Episode 8: What Happens When Black Men Grieve in Silence?

🌐 inheritedpodcast.online

If this conversation resonates with you, subscribe to Inherited, share this episode, and start a conversation with a man in your life. Sometimes the most important question we can ask is simply: “How are you really doing?”

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Episode 5: Beyond the Diagnosis: Reclaiming Your Mental Health Story

What happens when you stop allowing a diagnosis to define who you are?

In this powerful episode of Inherited, host Jessica Sanchez welcomes Dene Dubois, lived-experience advocate, author, and founder of BPD Raw, for an honest conversation about healing, resilience, and reclaiming your identity beyond mental health labels.

Drawing from his own journey through complex trauma and severe mental health challenges, Dene shares how he moved beyond shame, embraced radical self-accountability, and transformed his deepest struggles into a mission to help others. Rather than viewing a diagnosis as a life sentence, he encourages listeners to see healing as an ongoing process rooted in self-awareness, responsibility, and hope.

Together, Jessica and Dene explore the complexities of mental health, the impact of trauma, and why lived experience matters in conversations about recovery. They also discuss the importance of advocacy, community, and creating space for people to define themselves by their strengths rather than their diagnoses.

This conversation is especially relevant for Black and Latina communities, where systemic inequities, cultural stigma, and misdiagnoses continue to create barriers to quality mental health care. Through honest storytelling, Dene challenges listeners to advocate for themselves, seek support, and believe that healing is possible.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Healing beyond a mental health diagnosis
• The impact of complex trauma on identity
• Radical self-accountability and personal growth
• Breaking free from shame and stigma
• The value of lived experience in mental health advocacy
• Finding purpose through adversity
• Building resilience and emotional well-being
• Empowering others through authentic storytelling

Whether you're navigating your own mental health journey, supporting someone you love, or seeking hope after trauma, this episode offers an inspiring reminder that a diagnosis does not determine your future.

Featured Guest: Dene Dubois Founder, BPD Raw

🌐 Website: https://bpdraw.com 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61588888665317 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denedub/

Subscribe to Inherited for honest conversations that challenge stigma, inspire healing, and explore the stories we inherit—and the ones we choose to rewrite.

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Episode 6: Disability, Neurodivergence & Defying Expectations: Rewriting the Labels We Inherit

What if the labels placed on us were never meant to define us?

In Episode 6 of Inherited, Jessica Sanchez welcomes entrepreneur, speaker, coach, and disability advocate Davida Shensky, CEO of Disability Rights Advocate. Living with cerebral palsy, Davida has spent more than 40 years breaking barriers, building successful businesses, and helping others transform adversity into opportunity.

Together, they explore how disability, neurodivergence, resilience, and entrepreneurship intersect—and why challenging society's expectations can lead to purpose, independence, and lasting impact. Davida shares how discrimination, limited opportunities, and personal hardship became the foundation for a mission centered on empowerment, confidence, and economic freedom.

This conversation is especially meaningful for underserved communities, where disability often intersects with systemic inequities, caregiving responsibilities, and barriers to education, employment, and entrepreneurship. Through practical strategies and lived experience, Davida reminds listeners that success is not determined by circumstances, but by the courage to keep moving forward.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Living with cerebral palsy and overcoming discrimination
• Disability, neurodivergence, and challenging limiting labels
• Building confidence through resilience and mindset
• Entrepreneurship as a pathway to independence
• Creating multiple income streams and sustainable businesses
• Using speaking, podcasting, AI, and marketing to grow your impact
• Disability inclusion and creating more equitable opportunities
• Breaking generational cycles through economic empowerment
• Turning obstacles into opportunities for lasting change

Whether you're navigating a disability, supporting someone who is, building a business, or simply searching for encouragement, this episode offers practical tools and a powerful reminder that your greatest challenges can become your greatest strengths.

Guest: Davida Shensky CEO, Disability Rights Advocate 🌐 https://disabilityrightsadvocate.com

Subscribe to Inherited for more conversations exploring the stories, systems, and experiences we inherit—and how we can rewrite them for ourselves and future generations.

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Episode 5: Breast Health: What Women Need to Know Earlier with Dr. Jawad Mustafa

What if the most important conversation about breast health started years before a diagnosis?

In this episode of Inherited, host Jessica Sanchez sits down with Dr. Jawad Mustafa, an OBGYN Ultrasound Consultant, Breast Health Coach, and Founder of Global Care Consult LLC, for an eye-opening discussion about breast health, early detection, prevention, and empowering women with the knowledge they need to advocate for themselves.

As breast cancer rates continue to rise worldwide—particularly among younger women—Dr. Mustafa shares why awareness, education, and proactive screening are more important than ever. Together, they discuss common misconceptions, lifestyle factors, risk reduction, and how women of every age, race, and ethnicity can take steps toward protecting their health.

This conversation is especially meaningful for Black, Latina, Asian, and other underserved communities, where disparities in access to care and delayed diagnoses continue to impact outcomes.

In This Episode

• Why breast health should begin long before symptoms appear

• Understanding breast cancer risk factors

• The importance of early detection and routine screenings

• Breast self-awareness versus self-examinations

• Lifestyle changes that may help reduce avoidable risk factors

• Why younger women are seeing more aggressive breast cancers

• Addressing disparities in women's healthcare

• Empowering women to become advocates for their own health

Whether you're a young adult, a mother, caregiver, healthcare professional, or simply want to better understand breast health, this episode provides practical guidance and life-saving information that every woman should hear.

About Our Guest

Dr. Jawad Mustafa is an OBGYN Ultrasound Consultant and Breast Health Coach with Global Care Consult LLC. He is dedicated to educating women about breast health, reducing avoidable breast cancer risk factors, and promoting early detection through awareness and education. His work focuses on helping women make informed decisions that support lifelong health and wellness.

Connect with Dr. Jawad Mustafa

🌐 Global Care Consult: https://www.globalcareconsult.com

🎗️ Be Breast Aware: https://www.bebreastaware.org

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1CjP3Vbyzg/

About Inherited

Inherited is hosted by Jessica Sanchez, Founder & CEO of Daughters of Both Suns, a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding access to culturally responsive mental health care, advocacy, and community healing, Dr. Valencia Henry Founder of VQS Access Health, a culturally responsive practice.

Through authentic conversations with clinicians, advocates, researchers, and community leaders, Inherited explores the stories, challenges, resilience, and wisdom we inherit—and how we can create healthier futures for generations to come.

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow, rate, and share Inherited wherever you listen to podcasts.

#InheritedPodcast #BreastHealth #BreastCancerAwareness #EarlyDetection #WomensHealth #PreventiveCare #HealthEquity #JessicaSanchez #DrJawadMustafa #BeBreastAware

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Episode 4: Breaking Cycles, Building Healing with Natasha D'Arcangelo

How do we begin breaking generational cycles of trauma while building healthier lives, families, and communities?

In Episode 4 of Inherited, host Jessica Sanchez welcomes Natasha D'Arcangelo, Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), public speaker, and founder of D'Arcangelo Counseling & Consulting.

Licensed across eight states, Natasha specializes in complex trauma, compassion fatigue, anxiety, and supporting professional caregivers. Together, Jessica and Natasha explore how trauma-informed care, culturally responsive mental health services, and compassionate support can empower individuals to heal while creating lasting change for future generations.

Throughout this conversation, Natasha discusses the importance of reducing the stigma surrounding mental health, particularly within Black and Latina communities, and shares why seeking professional support is a sign of strength—not weakness.

In This Episode

• Understanding trauma-informed care and why it matters

• Breaking intergenerational cycles of trauma

• Addressing mental health stigma in diverse communities

• Compassion fatigue and supporting caregivers

• Healing through culturally responsive and anti-oppressive care

• Building resilience, healthier relationships, and stronger communities

• Why asking for help is an act of courage

Whether you're navigating your own healing journey, supporting loved ones, working in healthcare, education, social work, or simply looking to better understand trauma and resilience, this episode offers practical insights, encouragement, and hope.

About Our Guest

Natasha D'Arcangelo is the Owner of D'Arcangelo Counseling & Consulting and is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Licensed Professional Counselor practicing across eight states. She specializes in trauma recovery, compassion fatigue, anxiety, and helping individuals heal from complex trauma using an anti-racist and anti-oppressive approach to care. Natasha is passionate about increasing access to culturally responsive mental health services and reducing the stigma surrounding therapy.

Connect with Natasha D'Arcangelo

🌐 Website: https://www.natashalmhc.com/

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natasha-darcangelo/

https://www.counseling-csj.org/directory-of-clinicians-of-color-and-other-minoritized-identities.html

https://www.therapyden.com/

About Inherited

Inherited is hosted by Jessica Sanchez, Founder & CEO of Daughters of Both Suns, a nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to culturally responsive mental health care, advocacy, and community healing & Dr. Valencia Henry VQS Access Health

Through honest conversations with clinicians, survivors, advocates, researchers, and changemakers, Inherited explores the stories, trauma, resilience, and healing we inherit—and how we can create healthier legacies for generations to come.

Follow, subscribe, and share Inherited wherever you listen to podcasts.

#InheritedPodcast #MentalHealth #TraumaRecovery #GenerationalHealing #Therapy #TraumaInformedCare #MentalWellness #JessicaSanchez #NatashaDArcangelo #HealingJourney

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🎙️ Episode 3: From Survival to Healing: Understanding the Adaptations That Shape Our Lives

Why do we respond to stress the way we do?

What if the behaviors we've spent years trying to "fix" were actually the very strategies that once helped us survive?

In this powerful episode of Inherited, host Jessica Sanchez sits down with Barb Varcl Smith, Trauma Recovery Educator, founder of Your Steps Counselling, and creator of The Ascendance Method. Together, they explore how childhood experiences shape our survival adaptations and continue to influence our mental health, relationships, parenting, and overall well-being throughout life.

Rather than asking, "What's wrong with me?", Barb invites us to ask a more compassionate question:

"How did I adapt to survive?"

This simple but profound shift replaces shame with self-understanding and creates space for lasting healing.

In This Episode

✔️ How childhood experiences shape adult behaviors

✔️ Understanding survival adaptations instead of self-blame

✔️ The connection between trauma, relationships, and parenting

✔️ Breaking generational cycles with compassion and awareness

✔️ Restoring balance between mind, body, and spirit

✔️ Supporting neurodiverse individuals and families through a trauma-informed lens

✔️ Building resilience and creating healthier legacies for future generations

Why This Conversation Matters

Barb shares how understanding our natural human adaptations empowers us to move beyond survival mode, reconnect with our authentic selves, and create meaningful change—not only for ourselves but for generations to come.

Whether you're on your own healing journey, raising children, supporting loved ones, or working in mental health, education, healthcare, or caregiving, this conversation offers practical insight, compassion, and hope.

About Our Guest

Barb Varcl Smith is a Trauma Recovery Educator and the founder of Your Steps Counselling. She is the creator of The Ascendance Method, an educational approach to trauma recovery that helps people understand how childhood experiences shape survival adaptations that influence mental health, relationships, parenting, and lifelong well-being.

Her work empowers individuals to replace shame with self-understanding, restore balance between mind, body, and spirit, and break generational cycles of trauma.

Connect with Barb Varcl Smith

🌐 Website: https://your-steps.co.uk

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/barbsvarclova/

About Inherited

Inherited is hosted by Jessica Sanchez, Founder & CEO of Daughters of Both Suns & Dr. Valencia Henry VQS Access Health

Inherited explores the stories, trauma, resilience, healing, and hope passed from one generation to the next. Through honest conversations with experts, survivors, advocates, and changemakers, the podcast helps listeners better understand what we inherit—and how we can build healthier legacies for ourselves, our families, and future generations.

Subscribe & Connect

🎧 Follow Inherited on your favorite podcast platform.

💙 Learn more about Daughters of Both Suns and our mission to expand access to culturally responsive mental health care and community healing.

🌐 https://www.daughtersofbothsuns.org

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Episode 2: The Abuse Nobody Could See: Surviving Coercive Control Behind Closed Doors

What happens when abuse leaves no bruises?

In Episode 2 of Inherited, host Jessica Sanchez sits down with Christine Dillard—Fortune 500 Director, MBA, author, survivor, and advocate—for an honest conversation about coercive control, gaslighting, and psychological abuse.

From the outside, Christine's life appeared successful. She had a thriving career, advanced education, and what looked like a healthy marriage. Behind closed doors, however, she was experiencing years of manipulation, emotional abuse, and coercive control that slowly caused her to question her own reality.

In this episode, Christine courageously shares her journey from surviving invisible abuse to becoming a powerful advocate for education and systemic change.

Together, we discuss: • What coercive control really is • The warning signs of emotional and psychological abuse • How gaslighting impacts self-worth and decision-making • Why survivors often struggle to leave abusive relationships • Healing after emotional abuse • Breaking the silence to help future survivors

Christine is the author of The Truth She Showed Me, a memoir that sheds light on the hidden realities of coercive control inside a high-functioning marriage. Through her writing and advocacy, she is helping survivors recognize abuse, reclaim their voices, and inspire meaningful change.

Content Advisory: This episode discusses emotional abuse, coercive control, gaslighting, trauma, and mental health. Please take care while listening.

About Our Guest

Christine Dillard is a Fortune 500 Director, MBA, author, survivor, and advocate. Her work focuses on raising awareness about coercive control and psychological abuse while empowering survivors through education, storytelling, and advocacy. Since publishing The Truth She Showed Me, she has appeared on numerous podcasts sharing her journey and advocating for greater awareness and judicial reform.

Connect with Christine

📖 The Truth She Showed Me

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thetruthsheshowedme

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetruthsheshowedme

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/14iCRuWPw52/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinedillard

Inherited is hosted by Jessica Sanchez, Founder & CEO of Daughters of Both Suns. Each episode explores the stories, trauma, resilience, and healing we inherit—and how we can break unhealthy cycles to create a legacy of hope for future generations.

Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.

What if the survival patterns shaping your life today began long before you were born?

In the premiere episode of Inherited, hosts Jessica Sanchez and Dr. Valencia Henry sit down with Tasch Rogers, founder of the Unshackled Podcast & Program, CEO of TTT Life Coaching, former paramedic, trauma survivor, and transformational coach.

After surviving a life-changing attempted murder while working as a paramedic, Tasch faced PTSD, depression, and a long road to healing. Along the way, she discovered that the deepest wounds weren't only from one traumatic event—they were rooted in unresolved childhood experiences and generational patterns that had shaped her life for decades.

Together, we explore:

• What childhood trauma really looks like—even when it isn't obvious • How survival patterns become our emotional blueprint • The connection between childhood experiences and adult relationships • PTSD, healing, and rebuilding after trauma • Breaking generational cycles without shame • How awareness creates the opportunity for lasting healing

This conversation reminds us that while we may inherit pain, we also have the power to create a different legacy.

About Our Guest

Tasch Rogers is the founder of the Unshackled Podcast & Program and CEO of TTT Life Coaching. Following a 30-year career as a paramedic, she now helps individuals understand their emotional blueprint, heal generational trauma, and break unhealthy patterns through coaching, education, and her podcast.

Connect with Tasch Rogers

🌐 Website: https://www.taschrogers.com/products/courses/unschackled

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taschrogersofficial

🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@unshackledwithTasch

🔗 Linktree: https://tr.ee/cfWh8m2pVY

Connect with Inherited

🌐 Website: https://inheritedpodcast.online

📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheInheritedPodcast

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theinheritedpodcast

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inheritedpodcast

Hosted by Jessica Sanchez, Founder & CEO of Daughters of Both Suns, and Dr. Valencia Henry, Founder of VQS Access Health.

If this episode inspired you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who may need this conversation. Together, we can break cycles, promote healing, and build a healthier legacy.