Liz Gilliam thinks this is a time for many to really sit with themselves to understand what it is about them that makes them happy. We talk about pleasure and self-intimacy in a way that expands beyond the erotic. And while things might not be perfect, her conversation urges us to unlock the things that bring us joy.

Guest on this episode

(Should I do this in the third person? I'm doing it in the third person. I'm The Rock.)

Liz Gilliam, MSW, is a Black woman (that's a title I'm PROUD of, in and of itself) with a passion for helping others live their best lives. She believes "Live your best life" is more than just a catchy saying, but rather an attainable goal that all have access to within themselves. In encouraging all to reach this point, she is adamant about meeting yourself where you are and understanding your place in your world. She has an MSW from Florida State University with a concentration in Social Leadership and Policy and is currently completing a Ph.D. in Education Policy and Evaluation. Her professional research focuses on Black Girls using fandom to find community and cope during COVID-19. Her personal research interests include Black Feminism, sexuality, and healing.

Mentioned in the show/resources

S1 E3 - Surviving the financial impacts of COVID-19 - https://www.wsw.center/yourlifeafter/christina-brown-surviving-the-financial-impacts-of-covid-19

Pleasure Activism by adrienne maree brown - https://www.amazon.com/Pleasure-Activism-Politics-Emergent-Strategy/dp/1849353263

Marvel Cinematic Universe - https://www.marvel.com/movies

Janelle Monet - https://www.jmonae.com/

Ava Duvernay - http://www.avaduvernay.com/

Lizzo - https://twitter.com/lizzo?lang=en

Beyoncé - https://www.beyonce.com/

The work she did in prison abolition led our guest, Onika Reigns to study more closely the essential idea of rest, both in the prison population and in her movement through the Black community. Her work has led her to develop her Black Rest Theory and colors the work she does in her therapeutic practice as well as in the Black Dream Escape.

Guest on this episode

Mentioned in the show/resources

Black Dream Escape - www.blackdreamescape.com

Black Dream Escape Linktr.ee - https://linktr.ee/blackdreamescape

Windafire - http://www.windafire.com/

Acceptance and Commitment therapy - https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/two-takes-depression/201102/introduction-acceptance-and-commitment-therapy

We examine the criminal justice system through the lens of criminal defense attorney Jessica Yeary, who is also running for Public Defender. She maps out the ripple effect that one arrest can have in one relationship, family, and community and how the impact of children watching arrests, or being arrested themselves, can affect their ability to cope. She also explains her three-part campaign platform, which is as trauma-informed as it is solution-focused. 

Guest on this episode

I am a board-certified criminal defense attorney who is committed to protecting the rights of those accused of committing a crime. I spent the first nine years of my career as an Assistant Public Defender and now continue to represent people in court in private practice at the law firm of Caminez & Yeary, PA. I am the President of the Tallahassee chapter of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and a proud member of the Tallahassee Women Lawyers.

During my decade-long career, I have seen, almost every single day, the toll that the criminal justice system takes on people’s lives. The most devastating and disproportional impact is in poor and minority communities where the sentencing disparity is rampant. Trying to maintain a healthy perspective as a mother, wife, and friend has been difficult when the weight and gravity of the work take hold. There is trauma in every single case I handle, and the scars run incredibly deep through years of over-incarceration and destroyed families. I haven't lost hope, though, and remain wholeheartedly committed to changing the criminal justice system one client and one case at a time.

Mentioned in the show/resources

Jessica Year for Public Defender - https://www.yearyforpd.com

Information about direct file in Florida - https://www.hrw.org/

Children around the world are being asked to tap into their education in the midst of a global pandemic and community trauma. Jason Flom joins me to talk about what wellness looks like within the context of a school ecosystem and what we might need to be prepared for when school starts again in the fall of 2020. 

Guest on this episode

Jason Flom is the Director of Cornerstone Learning Community and is one of the founding faculty of the school. He earned a bachelor’s and masters in education at the University of Florida. He founded and edited Ecology of Education, a multi-author blog dedicated to exploring issues and ideas in education, from 2008 until 2017. In 2010 he was named an ASCD Emerging Leader (ASCD is the world's largest international education association) and UF College of Education distinguished alumni. In 2012 he joined Q.E.D. Foundation as their Director of Learning Platforms, working at the intersection of neuroscience, education, technology, and equity, in collaborating with schools and researchers across the nation. He joined ASCD's faculty in 2013 and has since worked with schools and school leaders on building capacity in social-emotional learning, professional learning communities, disrupting inequities, and many other areas. He regularly presents at national education conferences.

Mentioned in the show/resources

Cornerstone Learning Community - www.cornerstonelc.com

Basil Marin - http://www.basilmarin.com

Compassion Over Compliance (interview with Basi Marin) - Kognito.com

SAMHA eight dimensions of wellness - ncdsv.org

It's not a conversation focused on spreadsheets and procedures that accounting, HR,  and risk management professional Christina Brown brings to the table In this episode. It's all about knowing who you are and what you want, so you can develop a stronger relationship with your money - even during a global pandemic. 

Guest on this episode

Slamming on the proverbial breaks during the COVID-19 quarantine has taken our guest Lateef Bryant from a hyper-busy schedule that kept him on the run from 7 AM - 10 PM most days, to a quite/still space where he had to face some of his own inner demons including the sexual abuse he suffered as a child.

Guest on this episode

 Episode Summary

The tables are turned on Your Life After show host, Robin Dunn Bryant. Join our guest host, Lauren Kelly-Manders as she talks to Robin about her own healing paths, surviving a breast cancer diagnosis in the midst of a cross-country move, and the way she approaches personal, intergenerational, and generational trauma in the work she does with clients.

Guest on this episode

Robin Dunn Bryant is the host of Your Life After. She is a trauma and recovery specialist with expertise in executive functioning and the impact of resilience on an individual and community. She holds a BA from Purdue University, an MFA in Creative Writing from Virginia Commonwealth University, and an MSW from Florida State University. She is a registered yoga teacher, a Certified Trauma Release Exercises provider, and is Reiki II attuned. She’s woven her experience into the somatic counseling she provides to help clients heal from interpersonal and intergenerational trauma and break generational curses.