Women's Wellness Podcast with Lucy Coutinho

ANICA A. BARBOSA is an exotic beauty who hails proudly from her native homeland of the Cape Verdean Islands. She is the second of 6 children who grew up in a small country that still resembles a serene paradise full of rich and natural culture. Raised with strict Cape Verdean beliefs and traditions would provide her with a solid foundation to shape her into the woman she is today. Full of dreams and worldly curiosity, Anica longed to see what the world was like outside of her small native humble paradise. At the tender age of 13, she was given a life changing opportunity to relocate with her family to the United States, Boston, Massachusetts.

Being the first generation of the women in her family to ever read or write, she focused on education knowing it was a way to venture outside her tight knit culture. By maintaining high grades Anica earned a high rank in ROTC, scholarships to camps such as NAI Flight Training in the prestigious Tuskegee University in Alabama as a teenager. She went on to getting aviation certified and further achieving a BS in Business Management at Bridgewater Sate University in Bridgewater Massachusetts. At an early age she fell in love with martial arts which she used to stay disciplined, strong, focused and to keep moving in a positive direction.

Moving from Boston to Los Angeles in 2004, Anica was in search of her inner artist. With her lifelong passion for entertaining and performing she saw the chance to break free from being a local hometown performer and the only life she knew and pursue her dream on a bigger scale. Los Angeles has since provided her an outlet to explore her talents with both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. Life as an Actor/Model in Los Angeles has opened doors to working with other amazingly talented artist and allowed her lifelong dreams to come true.

Anica has a special connection with children and is passionate about mentoring them and she strives to touch their lives in many positive ways. Her passion for children drove her to seeking custody of a deserving young boy. This sacrifice being the most challenging thing she has ever done, it was also the most rewarding and through this she realized she wanted to dedicate her life to helping children on a much larger scale. She wanted to be the voice for young girls all over the world and be a role model to show them that one can always strive for and accomplish anything regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or background, all it takes is dedication and the belief of one’s self.

Anica stays grounded by being environmentally conscious and volunteering on her spare time. She loves animals and making time to help others is mandatory in her life’s journey. She is passionate about all that she approaches and her energy is exciting and contagious. She magically wins the hearts of the children she mentors and the people she encounters throughout all areas of her life. She also spends time getting involved with her community by volunteering at the local food banks, The Red Cross, Boys & Girls clubs and homeless shelters throughout the city. She loves to enjoy herself by immersing in the outdoors where life is most virile… among her favorite activities are bike riding, hiking, traveling, running, cooking and exploring new and exiting things.

Anica looks forward to more opportunities in the film/television industry and will continue to create a strong platform for her voice to be heard. When asked what fuels her she insists it is her passion to achieve success not only for her but everyone her life touches.

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“Luck is when preparation meets Opportunity”

Nihal Horne is a filmmaker, content creator, mother, and life-student. We discuss a very important topic and sharing our journeys of how our commitment to our healing lead us to finding true love.

Born and raised in Boston, MA in a largely Capeverdean Community, I was fortunate to be surrounded by so many like me. My family really impressed upon me that our culture lives through us. We have to continue culture, language and traditions from the Mother Land of Cabo Verde. I didn't speak English until I started school at the age of 5. As I went through school I noticed the impacts that teachers had on children. One positive word made students smile, just as a negative word diminished their being. At an early age, I started writing, things like diaries, silly poetry and stories and it continued throughout school. In the seventh grade, an English teacher told me that my writing was terrible and that writing is not for me. Although it crushed me, I knew that I had it within me to keep going with my writing and to do just what was intrinsic to me. I became a teacher because I wanted to change the trajectory of children like me, whose parents may work hard to support them, but didn't know how to navigate the system. Within my community I stay involved to support families access resources that strengthen education and positive lifestyles.

Alongside teaching Science for the Boston Public Schools, I am a copy editor for Mili Mila Inc., which published the first of its kind Capeverdean Dictionary by Manuel Goncalves. I am currently editing my children's book, and completing my memoir.

Dr. Terza A. Silva Lima-Neves is a wife, mom, scholar, award-winning professor, African feminist and advocate for women and girls. She was born and raised in Cabo Verde, West Africa and immigrated to the United States with her parents and sisters as a teenager.

Terza is associate professor of political science and chair of the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Johnson C. Smith University. Her courses, research and published scholarship focus on international politics, global gender studies, and the modern African diaspora in the United States, particularly gender and the Cabo Verdean community. Lima-Neves prides herself in offering culturally competent advising and mentoring to her students and is an active advocate for policies that create a life-work balance as well as render visible women, parents, people of color and other historically marginalized groups at institutions of higher education.

Dr. Lima-Neves is the 2019-20 President of the North Carolina Political Science Association, the first Black person to serve in this role, co-founder of the International Conference on Cabo Verdean Women and founding President of the Cape Verdeans of the Carolinas Association. She is passionate about community work that empowers and inspires all people. She lives in Charlotte with husband Luis and their children. For more on Terza’s work visit her website, terzalimaneves.com. You can also connect with her on IG and Twitter at @Kriolamommyscholar

Satta is an accomplished entrepreneur, writer,artist, and holistic health practioner. She is extremely passionate about impacting communities and organizations by building awareness and advocacy around issues like domestic violence, health disparities in communities of color, and reproductive justice. Satta has been able to combine art and activism by performing and co-writing the two time Congressional

Award winning play "Behind Closed Doors" and with her upcoming book "Made From S.O.Y.L." Satta is also the founder and CEO of Holistic Roots LLC, where the mission is to empower women to reclaim and own their health, wealth and beauty from the inside out.

Join us in a conversation with Lindsay Joseph!

Kinara is a first generation immigrant from Cambodia. She currently works as an HIV Research Pharmacist at Columbia University Medical Center. Kinara’s awareness of the health disparities in her native land, Cambodia, inspired Kinara to become an active participant in the Cambodian Health Professionals Association of America (CHPAA) on its annual medical mission. Kinara currently resides in New York City, was living in Boston MA and was an active member in the community; volunteering her time and resources as a Charter School Board member, active participant in ASPIRE (Asian Sisters Participating in Reaching Excellence). Currently she is creating space for herself by utilizing the power of sound and movement. Graduated from Scratch Academy in 2018 and an active practitioner of yoga and meditation for self care and expansion. Loves to travel and have been to at least 27 countries.

Dr. Celina is founder and CEO of Venilia Gardens Inc. /Cultural Counseling Services, Incorporated in 1994 as a 501 C 3. VGI/CCS was formed to provide children and their families with a therapeutic milieu to address mental health issues. Dr. Celina is recognized for her distinguished clinical abilities in providing diagnostic assessment and treatment in the area of trauma related issues and other mental health conditions.

It is her clinical belief that, “Our negative life exposures, which can also be seen as our teachers for future successes, have caused an imbalance in our emotional growth, which attacks our physical health and the ability to progress into Oneness. We are born with innate gifts that are consumed by these exposures and then they are placed on hold. It is important that we eliminate these toxins to receive the gifts that God planned for us. Once we are cleansed of these toxins we can then embrace our innate passions, take the strengths from those negative life exposures and journey into “A Symphony in the Key of Oneness.” This is the key that creates our new life melody.” Dr. Celina believes that without pain it is difficult to activate our passions and achieve our purpose.

In August, 2017 Dr. Celina published, “Five Keys to Emotional Oneness; The Emotional Detox System” a book and workbook created for emotional healing; and to provide those who are intoxicated with emotional discomforts with a vehicle for telling their story. This system is cognitively based, using creative modalities and healing processes for the elimination of past emotional imbalances and tragedies, while creating a platform for coping and managing new emotional entries. The workbook is a guided journey into the’ 5 Key System” of healing emotional imbalances. As you begin you journey, Dr. Celina is available for private consultations.

`Dr. Celina, has written several clinical curriculums and is currently working on her next book, “Strands of Silk” which is evaluating the making of oppositional behaviors. She has hosted and been a guest of several television and radio talk shows; she has been a keynote speaker and continues to provide trainings, workshops and speaking engagements to varying audiences.

ENJOY YOUR JOURNEY

Vanessa is a Holistic Psychotherapist, Wellness Coach and Reiki Practitioner who lives in Boston, and works with Women of Color all over the country. She started her company, Holistically You, Inc., in 2017 after many years of struggling with her own issues regarding body weight. At some point in her journey she realized that her weight loss wasn't only about eating well and exercising, but instead, also about falling in love with herself spiritually, mentally, physically and emotionally. HY helps women, who have faced adversities and traumas in life, tackle their own journey by addressing their emotional weight. HY takes this unique approach because inadequate stress management, poor self care and unhealthy diet and lifestyle habits are at the root of the many disparaging health outcomes for women of color. Women of Color are heavier because....well, we are heavy; we carry so much with us!

HY's mission is to help women release the trauma in their life so they may begin to live lives that are healthier, lighter, happier and more holistic! Vanessa also has a personal and professional goal of changing the face of therapy on both sides of the couch; committed to working in the very hoods of Boston she grew up in! Vanessa has a private practice in Roxbury, and provides therapy in her native language.

Vanessa holds an MSW degree from Simmons University and a BA from Penn State University, and an Integrative Health Coaching Certificate from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Vanessa enjoys teaching and talking about radical self-love, self-care, spirituality, mental health awareness, functional medicine, women empowerment and issues that affect Women of Color specifically. HY provides Therapy, 1:1 Coaching, Online Courses, Reiki Services, Retreats, Ebooks, Consulting and Speaking Engagement Services.

Lovern J. Gordon is the Founder and President of Love Life Now Foundation, Inc. (LLN) which promotes year-round awareness against domestic violence (DV) via its initiatives and helps to bridge the gap between shelters and the communities they serve.

The 2010 winner of two back to back beauty pageants, Lovern started out by using the 2 titles as a platform to increase awareness on the issue. The following year LLN was formed.

Since then, she has spanned awareness in multiple cities by hosting events year round...events that have in turn raised thousands of dollars to benefit shelters in various cities across the world, shelters that provide services and emergency housing for victims and survivors daily. LLN also founded Love Life Magazine, an online, quarterly publication centered on shining the spotlight around all aspects and behind the scene work on the issue.

She also shares her personal story with abuse (as a 15-year child witness to it and an adult survivor of abuse after a 2-year abusive relationship), to anyone that will listen. Believing the more we all talk about this issue publicly, the better a victim’s chance is of seeking help, she conducts educational DV Workshops at high schools, college campuses, and job sites. Her reach continues to span after she has appeared on numerous television shows on the issue such as:

Huffington Post Live, Huffington Post Magazine, NBC’s This is New England, CBS This Morning, WHDH’s Urban Update, CBS’ – Centro, ABC‘s Cityline, Reelz’s Security Brief TV, as well as radio for Sirius XM’s Jenny Hutt Live and WBUR’s 90.9 FM.