Welcome to The WELLS Healing Center and our monthly newsletter, The Healing Current . This newsletter serves as a record of and resource for our collective movement towards wellness, equity, love, liberation and survival. Providing sustenance with knowledge, inspiration, and healing. We're so happy to have you. This newsletter touches on themes of healing from trauma. Please take care of yourself as you read and feel free to step away if needed. Remember, you are always in control of how you engage with this space. From Della's Desk: Last month, I shared how I began laying new foundations for healing - finding breath, leaving academia, creating space. Now, I want to talk about embracing the dark, not as absence but as presence. Like the rich darkness of fertile soil, like the depths of melanated skin, like the velvet night sky full of possibilities - this is where transformation begins. Just as leaving academia was a necessary first step, what I share today builds on that foundation. Today, I want to talk about courage. About intimacy with the unknown. About how building foundations for healing isn't just about the visible structures - it's about embracing the sacred dark spaces where wisdom grows, learning to trust yourself in the mystery of becoming. When I first committed to healing my sexual trauma in January, I entered a life-changing period of depth and intensity. I'd spent years constructing careful walls around my pain, sealing away stories and memories in hidden corners of myself. I feared that opening these sacred spaces would unleash something uncontainable. That I'd shatter completely. That no one would be strong enough to hold all my pieces - the tenderness and the rage, the hurt and the wild. I invite you to take a moment here. What wisdom guards your own protected spaces? What stories have you held close, waiting for the right time, the right witnesses to share their power? The paradox I've learned is this: true softness requires incredible sturdiness. When I talk about seeding softness, I'm not just talking about gentleness or flexibility. I'm describing something both tender and rigorous, both nurturing and challenging - a softness grounded in Black feminist ethics of love and liberation. It's about being soft enough to feel everything and sturdy enough to hold it ALL. This journey of building courage took time. I began with small acts of bravery, each one a deliberate step toward my truth. I got even more honest with my partner about how our different relationship styles were suffocating me. I started speaking about my poly identity more openly in professional spaces. Each truth-telling was a rehearsal for bigger revelations, each lost connection a lesson in surviving authenticity. These daily acts of bravery taught me something vital: my healing and wholeness were worth any alienation they might cause. We all deserve to be our authentic selves, particularly in our intimate relationships. Yes, this truth-telling cost me love. Yes, it changed relationships. But all parties survived, often emerging with more wellness for having honored truth over comfort. Just months ago, I presented this zine called "the dark" at an art show. Through collage, photography, and poetry, I vulnerably shared my journey from fear to transformation, from resistance to embrace. Sitting there, watching others engage with the work, I realized how far I'd come from January's uncertainty. The depth hadn't destroyed me - it had nourished me into something new. These smaller acts of courage gradually prepared me for deeper healing. Like building muscle through consistent exercise, each brave choice strengthened my capacity to face what waited in those protected spaces. When I finally opened those doors, everything shifted - not because I broke, but because this healing asked for all of me. Insomnia arrived first. My body moved through intense cycles of release. PTSD symptoms collided with external expectations, creating a storm of upheaval. Sleep became a different landscape. I'd bolt awake, my body remembering old wounds. Irritability, sadness, and depression became my teachers. This is the labor of trauma healing - invisible but profound, and oh so demanding. The clearing came, as I'd secretly known it would. Like a forest after necessary fire, space opened. My healing journey made it impossible to continue participating in systems of harm - even those that had offered me belonging and possibility. The American Psychological Association/mental health industrial complex and the foster care system both uphold the carceral logics that wound our communities. I had to release both my professional home and my dreams of adoption; my commitment to decolonial, anti-carceral liberation wouldn't let me stay. Relationships ended. A business partnership dissolved. Pride crumbled. Loss after loss after loss. In future pieces of this series, I'll share how these releases, though painful, taught me something essential about living in alignment with my ethics. But here's what I want you to understand now: deep healing changes us. Real healing transforms us.  These losses weren't failures - they were necessary clearings, making space for new growth, like seeds that need the deep, rich dark of soil to sprout. Take a breath here. How do you relate to transformation? To necessary losses? To the idea that healing might fundamentally change who you are? In these spaces of change, I deepened my existing healing practice and learned new wisdom. How to tend to myself at 3 AM during night terrors. How to move with depleted energy and limited mental capacity. How to say no, ask for help, demand care. Each skill grew from my growing intimacy with the unknown, my willingness to trust the sacred process of transformation. A Moment of Softness: Find a quiet space. Close your eyes. Feel the richness of the dark behind your eyelids. Notice what emerges when you sit with your own process of transformation. Instead of pushing away uncertainty, try holding it gently. Whisper to yourself: “I honor both my journey and my pace. I trust the wisdom that grows in these depths. I respect the labor this healing requires.” As we continue this journey together, I invite you to consider: How do you relate to the depths of transformation? To breaking open? To becoming? How might you create space for yourself or others to transform without judgment? To be fundamentally changed by healing? Remember: building foundations for deep healing requires preparing for transformation. It means gathering supports sturdy enough to hold both your tenderness and your rage. It means developing trust in the sacred process of becoming. Most importantly, it means accepting that real healing will change you - and that's exactly as it should be. Until we meet again in this space, may you honor both your process and your pace. May you trust that you're sturdy enough to hold whatever emerges from your sacred depths. May you know that community awaits to hold you in your transition if you are brave enough to seek it. May you know that in these rich, dark spaces of transformation, new life is already taking root. With love, Della GET CONNECTED WITH WELLS + FRIENDS:    Last call for donations to students in the Yellow Island Program!  Help support this year's mentees in getting to their first scientific conference to present their findings from their work over the summer. To bring all 6 undergrads out to SICB in Atlanta in January, it will be approximately $1400 each (conference registration, travel, lodging and per diem). So far our contributions have helped 2 more students be able to attend! If you are able to donate, a little goes a long way ( donate here  - all contributions to WELLS between now and December 3 will go to these students!). Join the waitlist for groups starting in the new year!  The WELLS Black Grad Student Mentoring and Community Care Group,  the WELLS Healing and Wellness Grad Group for Transgender, Nonbinary, Gender Diverse Black, Indigenous, Students of Color ,   and the Blafemme Healing Sanctuary: A Virtual Black Feminist Healing Group  waitlists are filling up! Click the group title to join the waitlist - to learn more about WELLS groups, check out our offerings page on our site . Please share these group offerings widely with folks you know who need the space! Looking for an amazing gift for the spiritual social butterfly, therapist, or fellow human on their healing journey?  Check out Blafemme's Healing Journey Workdeck  - now on sale for 20% off with the code BLAFRIDAY! Searching your email for an old WELLS newsletter or want to share it with others in an easier way?  The WELLS Newsletter is now The Healing Current and as of today, all our prior newsletters are now available as blog posts on our website ! Head over to The Healing Current page and feel free to comment and share!   WELLNESS TIP - how to talk about racial justice with your loved ones this holiday season. Are you wondering how to have those difficult but important conversations with your loved ones? If so, tune into this Facebook video  from Della, Pearis, and members of the A4BL collective on “Making Holiday Conversations BRIGHT:" Here are the highlights: BRIGHT stands for... Black liberation focused Radical systemic change (focused on sociopolitical change) Inviting (calling in not calling out) Growth promoting (mutually beneficial) Honest (honoring who you are, who you are talking to, and what you are talking about) Timed appropriately (being intentional about when, where, how) Black liberation focused: All Black people are worthy of wellness.  It can be easy to argue that a Black person should be treated well because  they never went to jail, were innocent in a situation, are a smart student, or well-liked. However, we know that even those Black people who are not perfect deserve dignity. We can undermine our own arguments against anti-Black racism when we use these more personalized arguments of Black exceptionalism. This point also encourages you to look for opportunities to center Black people who experience multiple forms of oppression, such as Black disabled, elderly, transgender and/or unemployed folx to name a few. Remember that Black liberation is about getting free from all forms of oppression and being free to experience holistic wellness, dignity, and thriving. It may helpful to consider if your approach to the conversation reflects both these sides of liberation (e.g., freedom from/freedom to; Fromm, 1941). Ask yourself what the goal(s) of your conversation might be as it relates to Black liberation. Consider multiple aspects of Black wellness. These conversations need not only be related to a hashtag or to “police violence,” but instead they can reflect multiple forms of wellness (e.g., emotional, financial, spiritual, occupational) or be focused on how different systems (e.g., healthcare, education, media) create barriers to wellness for Black people. Keep Black folx at the center of the conversation.  Often in conversations regarding anti-Black racism, especially when someone is being asked to recognize their role in causing harm, they can become emotional, intellectualize, attempt to justify, overemphasize their rationale or process related to the topic, etc. Stay focused on your message in the face of these diversions. Show care and compassion without caretaking at the expense of your point. You can even name this desire explicitly. For example, “I see you becoming emotional and I want to attend to your feelings, but I have learned that doing so in the middle of these conversations can make it so your emotional reality becomes more important than the realities of the Black people whose experience we were discussing.” Radical systemic change (focused on sociopolitical change) Maintain a systems focus.  Be careful not to get caught up in conversations that remain at the personal level (even if you start the convo with a story about an individual). Because anti-Black racism is systemic, we encourage you to be diligent about maintaining a system-level frame for the conversation. Black survival and wellness is a product of action. Recognize that your conversation with them is an introduction. You may need to help them think about how they can play a role in facilitating Black wellness after the discussion ends. Whether you ask them to do or not do  something in the future, point them toward an organization or source that is working on a sociopolitical issue impacting Black people, or simply name that you hope they will join you in working toward systemic (as well as personal) change, a part of this conversation should call for radical systemic change to improve conditions for Black people. Inviting (calling in not calling out) Invite your loved ones into the global movement for Black liberation. In doing so, don’t shame them for not already knowing or being engaged in this work. Before you start the conversation, it might help to reflect on what it was like for you to initially come to awareness about your own complicity in anti-Black racism, and about your potential to facilitate Black survival and wellness. Reject urges toward performativity (no woke olympics). Be more concerned about Black survival and wellness than proving what you know or that you know more than someone else. You might look for opportunities to signal that becoming critically conscious about anti-Black racism isn’t a one-time conversation or moment but an ongoing process that you are inviting them to journey alongside you on. Growth promoting (mutually beneficial) Pay attention to the relationship. You love these people (whether or not you like them now, or even most of the time for some of you). Hold your love and care for them center. Having a conversation where you call someone into awareness about (their) anti-Black racism and sharing that your values and actions are in alignment with the movement for Black lives isn’t something you are going to necessarily do with everyone. Honor that you have a relationship with someone you want to help grow in this way. Call ins can feel risky and require your cognitive and emotional labor. If there are strengths related to the person you are speaking with or to your relationship that make you feel willing to have this conversation, do you imagine it would be helpful in any way to name this with them? Stay mindful of how trust, authenticity, and intimacy show up in the conversation and in your relationship afterwards. Black liberation benefits your loved ones too, even if they are not Black. Be sure you are not asking for charity and/or sympathy for Black folx but initiating a conversation rooted in your awareness that Black liberation (both the process of pursuing it and outcome of attaining it) is good for all of us. If you can not argue this, or recognize it as your own truth, you may not yet be ready for the conversation. Consider how you hope to grow from the conversation.  Recognize this as an opportunity for you to practice your Black liberation work. Your goal isn’t to be a perfect advocate or ally, but to be true to your own commitments of striving toward antiracism and to practice it with folx you love. Reflect on your own process as you go through it. Be mindful. Be in your body. Notice what is happening. Try not to judge yourself but to get curious about your reactions. Honest (honoring who you are, who you are talking to, and what you are talking about) Get real with yourself first. Reflect on how and why you feel moved to push for Black survival and wellness with your loved ones. Be real with yourself about how this can be uncomfortable and challenging. Get curious about any concerns you may notice arising related to having these conversations. Be compassionate with yourself, taking steps to move more towards your own emotional wellness before, during, and after the conversation as needed. What are your own “triggers” as it relates to the content and to your relationship with this person? Do you know you are going to make mistakes in the conversation and how to course correct when you do? Use what you know about your audience.  While these conversations won’t always be planned, when they are, you should spend time considering how you can incorporate what you know about the person you will be speaking with in a way that can help the conversation and your Black survival and wellness goals. Prepare to “speak the language” of those you are talking to in ways that don’t compromise your own authenticity (e.g., take a personal story approach when speaking with someone to whom it may resonate, bring in statistics for the person who it might land well with). Be intentional and consider what is likely to happen based on all the data you have access to and respond accordingly.    Speak the truth.  Anti-Black racism is real. Your narrative around it should be too. Do not lie or exaggerate or otherwise compromise your integrity in this process. When you need to, know that you can say “I don’t have enough info on this yet, but what I can say right now is…and let’s learn more together.” Keep it as real as possible through the process.  Timed appropriately (being intentional about when, where, how) Are you ready? There are many reasons we can develop to say we are not yet ready to share our concerns about our loved ones’ anti-Black racism or about our commitment to facilitating Black survival and wellness. But moving past nerves and fears, actually how ready are you?  Where you are on your own critical consciousness of anti-Black racism journey can help determine the focus and approach to the conversation you have with loved ones. What can you speak on given where you are?   What kinds of interventions are appropriate for you to make with your loved ones given where you are now? What work might it be important for you to do so you can engage these conversations with loved ones (and others) in more expansive ways in the future?  Be aware of timing. Your goal is to increase the chances they can hear you and that you can engage in a meaningful dialogue with them. So what time of the day, week, month or at what point in the holiday function are you and the person you want to speak with going to be in the best position to talk about this? For example, when are you most grounded, clear-headed, and open? When is the person you are speaking to most and least irritable and distracted? Are you allowing enough time for a meaningful dialogue? What should be your signal that it is time to end a conversation or to take a break? Are you making decisions regarding the timing of this conversation based on convenience or intentionality? Use the current moment. This point has two meanings. First, stay present, out your head, listening to what’s being said once you are in the conversation. Second, consider whether there are opportunities to use the current sociopolitical moment as an entry point to help you reach your goals. Current events can be meaningful on their own or serve as a lead-in to another related topic that you want to address. Are there local issues and experiences that Black folx in your community are facing and for which your loved ones’ awareness or lack of awareness could serve as another entry point to the conversation? Bonus: check out this two-part post (here are links to part 1  and part 2 ) from The IMEU on how to talk to your family and friends about Palestine this holiday season. We know these conversations aren't easy, but they can truly make a difference. Work with your community to have them take action in the name of liberation - and remember, they can start small, learn, and invest in the movement over time. Aim for sustainable connection! STAY CONNECTED - SOCIALS: Follow us on Instagram  and like our Facebook page  to stay up-to-date on all our events and opportunities! Thank you for being a part of our community, The WELLS Healing Center Team

Welcome to The WELLS Healing Center and our monthly newsletter. We're so happy to have you. From Dr. Della's Desk: Can you believe it’s the end of 2023? As I sit here reflecting on what this year has been, I am overflowing with gratitude and awe. While trauma and violence were and are pervasive, so was collective care and liberation work. The Black graduate student group just had our end-of-year session. I wish I could express the magic that has happened semester after semester in this space, but I know my words can’t do it justice. One group member, though, shared that this is a space where I — and the rotation of WELLS collective members who have served as co-circlekeepers with me these last three semesters: Keonna Knight, Gabe Lockett, and Chandler Golden — have “revolutionized her and others, not through the trauma and violence that is revolutionizing many right now, but through love .” And when I tell you that felt like theeee bestttt compliment I’ve ever received, I am being very serious. I know Gabe Lockett and Marquel Norton are feeling similarly as they just wrapped the first semester serving as co-circlekeepers of our newest group for trans and non-binary grad students of color. They co-created a much-needed haven for folks on the margins of the margins in academia. Witnessing the bonds formed and healing shared in these circles has sustained me and deepened my sense of radical hope. We are how we get free. Know that. I found myself traveling more than ever this year. So many counseling centers, scientific and professional organizations, and incredible Black and queer and trans-led organizations reached out for support this year from me and the WELLS Collective. It has been incredibly meaningful to both coach the trainees in WELLS to do this consulting work and to engage in it myself. Thank you to every single person who is working in their own way to create and maintain spaces where more of us can be well. Some of you are working so hard to create a world where we all have more breath, and I celebrate you. Keep advocating and shifting culture. I am so grateful for your action. You are how we get free. Know that. On a more personal and forward-looking note, you all have heard me talk about how I have been desiring more space for the artist in me to create. And as I reflect back, I’m proud because I have gotten to do so much creating lately. As my residency with Radical Healing at North Star Church of the Arts came to a close this past Sunday, we uplifted the theme “endings as beginnings.” And as that residency — with the entanglement of healing arts practices, Black feminist texts, creative writing and speaking, and core counseling skills — ends, my love affair with that combination of healing arts work is just beginning. I’ll be going inward, doing more of my own healing work, making art for myself (and sometimes for you all too) as I journey along. Authentically and deliberately doing my healing work is how I get free. And I know that. As we move toward 2024, I’m also quite giddy to share with you all my newest offering! My love for facilitating groups and desire to share the magic of Blafemme Healing with more folks has led me to develop a new space: the Blafemme Healing Sanctuary . It’s a sacred collective care space designed to celebrate and nurture the healing journeys of BIPOC folks, allowing me to expand my reach beyond those in the grad student groups or working with me organizationally. And I’m also fine-tuning how I work with organizations. Based on my work over the last two years, I have refined my most impactful training for groups and organizations, the Enhancing Cultural Mindfulness Workshop. My hope is that by training more teams in this practice, we can create more holistic wellness for marginalized team members everywhere. Personal and collective care is how we get free. Know that. I hope you all will stay tuned, stay connected, and continue to stay the course on this journey towards more wellness , equity , love , liberation , and survival . Together, we can co-create a world where there is more wellness for more of us. In the meantime, rest and love each other, the bell hooks way. With profound appreciation and warmth, Della GET CONNECTED WITH WELLS + FRIENDS: COMING IN 2024: new WELLS offerings! Keep an eye on the offerings page of the WELLS site - this is updated with new signup links and even more newness is coming, like The WELLS Practice Space. Here's a sneak peek of our new transformative program curated by Dr. Della and the WELLS Collective. New Publication! Healing through Grassroots Activism: Therapists for Protester Wellness by Millicent Cahoon, Therapists for Protester Wellness, Inc, and Amanda M. Mitchell . This paper underscores gaps between mental health services and Black and Brown communities in relation to accessibility and cultural responsivity. This conceptual article highlights connections among tenets of the Radical Healing framework, liberation psychology, and the mission and content of T4PW to demonstrate a culturally responsive way to support Black and Brown communities during social unrest through therapeutic and collectivistic support. New Publication! Thank You Black Feminism: Ten Strategies to Foster Radical Healing (for Healers and Those in Need of Healing) by Pearis L.  Jean, Della V. Mosley, Brittany Bridges, and Koree Badio. The authors pay homage to Black feminists and Black feminism as they reflect on the impact of Black feminism on their lives. The authors challenge readers to examine the ways that anti-Black racism (ABR) persists within the field of psychology and introduce ten strategies from their experiences and research on Black feminism-informed interventions that facilitate resistance and prevention through radical healing. In addition, readers are provided with next steps and recommendations for addressing ABR in psychology and facilitating radical healing through Black feminism. Researchers at the University of Tennessee are seeking East and Southeast Asian American activists who fight against anti-Black racism to participate in a study about their process of becoming an activist. For more details on participation requirements and to fill out the eligibility survey, please visit this flyer (and feel free to forward it to anyone who may be interested in being a part of this study)! If you have questions, please contact the researchers, Winni Yang and Dr. Kirsten Gonzalez ( wyang20@vols.utk.edu and kgonzal6@utk.edu ). Introducing: The Blafemme Healing Sanctuary ✨ Over at our sister brand, Blafemme, we've developed a bi-weekly healing space to lay down your burdens, embrace radical self-care, and journey toward personal and collective liberation. To learn more about this exclusive community space and sign up, check out this flyer . WELLNESS TIP - emotional wellness Take some time before the end of this month to practice and prioritize authenticity . Feel free to share your reflections with us on Instagram: @wellshealing How can you practice being a little more authentic today? Capitalism and toxic work culture have a way of forcing us to push down our fullness under the guise of urgency, efficiency, and professionalism. When we spend too long in these spaces, we are robbed of our true selves . We come home and we may forget that we are wearing a mask at all. Have you taken your mask off yet today? Within a passing interaction, in a classroom, before or after a meeting… How can you take the mask off just for a little bit? How can you practice showing up - even just a little bit more - as your whole self? What goals can you set for practicing more authenticity, especially as we approach the start of a new year?  When we save our most authentic selves for “if we have the time,” we limit our ability to show up fully as ourselves during critical moments. Real authenticity requires practice. Lean into the discomfort and challenge the fear of being known by others.  By prioritizing our authenticity, we feed our emotional wellness , we are affirmed in who we are , and we lessen the doubt we feel about the choices we make. “Nothing I accept about myself can be used against me to diminish me.”  - Audre Lorde STAY CONNECTED - SOCIALS: Follow us on Instagram and like our Facebook page to stay up-to-date on all our events and opportunities! And if you liked the wellness tip above, be sure to check out our sister brand Blafemme for more gems like this. Thank you for being a part of our community, The WELLS Healing Center Team

Welcome to The WELLS Healing Center and our monthly newsletter. We're so happy to have you. This newsletter touches on themes of healing from trauma. Please take care of yourself as you read and feel free to step away if needed. Remember, you are always in control of how you engage with this space. From Della's Desk: When we first introduced “Seeding Softness” last month, our journey began. Now we're exploring foundations - how to lay them, how to trust them, how to breathe new life into them. Before I share about the deep work with my coach Ama that began in 2020, I invite you to pause and reflect: What foundations of healing are you currently resting on? When you think about moments of growth or healing in your past, which ones still provide you strength today? Notice what sensations arise in your body as you reflect on these memories.  This is a story about finding breath again. In my early faculty years, the air grew thin. Finishing my PhD and stepping into faculty life, I found myself trapped in academia's suffocating cycle of self-sacrifice, mistaking breathlessness for dedication. Anti-Blackness filled every space - faculty meetings, classrooms, hallways. My poly identity stayed buried, compressed under fears of hypersexualization. Twelve-hour workdays left no room to breathe, no space for soul-care. What I didn't realize then, but understand clearly now, is that this pattern of self-sacrifice, of silencing pain, of taking on an undue amount of suffering, of putting my needs behind the wellness of others (especially other Black people experiencing marginalization), of not feeling worthy enough of ease, safety, joy, rest, and comfort to demand it - all of this began immediately following an early sexual assault. Like many survivors, that traumatic moment shattered my foundation, setting me on autopilot. Everything scattered. Body, spirit, family - all disconnected. One devastating belief took root: my body was meant for exploitation, care would always be denied. These are the common protective beliefs many survivors develop - our minds making sense of senseless pain. What others saw in me as success in academia and psychology was really just my normalized trauma responses at work.  Enter Ama, in 2020. Amidst the chaos of a global pandemic and the never ending pandemic of anti-Blackness, alongside the powerful but hella exhausting work of co-founding and leading Academics for Black Survival and Wellness for the first time, Ama became the first solid brick in my new foundation, providing the consistent, attuned presence that allows our nervous systems to begin trusting again. She was the witness, challenger, resource, and mirror I needed to see more clearly the impact of white supremacy on my body and spirit.  Our early sessions were simple. We breathed. Just breathed. She saw how constricted my life had become and created space - sacred, simple space - for air to flow again. The patterns we built then still sustain me. Together, we dreamed possibility back to life. Pain I knew intimately; hope needed practice. Through our work and my journaling, new visions emerged. Life beyond academia's narrow corridors. Space to exist fully. I began setting boundaries. Doctor visits. Real meals. Moments of rest. Small breaths leading to deeper ones. By 2021, these seeds broke through hard ground. The message was clear: I could no longer stay in spaces that kept me gasping. As I wrote in my resignation letter to the University of Florida: “Racial trauma is real. Racial trauma is real. Racial trauma is real. I'm at a point where I need to preserve my wellness and where I have options that'll allow me to do work that facilitates more liberation for me and those I work with and for (e.g., Black folx, queer BIPOC).” This decision to leave academia wasn't just about escaping suffocation. It meant reimagining connections - especially with my students. While I could no longer serve as their formal advisor, I sought sustainable ways to remain present. Each breath now required balance. The balance felt precarious. Daily. On one side: my deep desire to support these students, to be the representation needed in a toxic space. On the other: the urgent need to shed the ‘mammy’ trope that had kept me breathless, a role society too often forces on fat Black femmes like me. Navigating this new dynamic meant finding sustainable ways to support students without compromising my own needs. It meant leaping into the unknown, burdened by student loan debt, with only one donor and one consulting contract as the launchpad for my new endeavors. In this transition, I had to constantly remind myself that taking care of my own wellness was not just permissible, but necessary for creating lasting, positive change. If you feel resourced enough now, pause here. Think about a time you chose liberation despite fear. Ground yourself first. Then consider: What gave you breath when you leapt? What wisdom from your past steadied you? What future vision pulled you forward? Remember - you can pause for this reflection whenever you need. My leap wasn't just about personal healing. It was about creating spaces where everyone could breathe freely. Instead of fighting for small gasps of air within constraining institutions, I chose to build something new, solely on the foundation of my hope and faith, buoyed by Black feminist principles. In choosing to leave, I committed to building something entirely new - a vision I had never seen realized. I stayed true to mentoring and sponsoring students beyond university walls, even as I built my businesses from the ground up. I began building spaces for teaching and healing - three distinct ventures that I hoped would embody wellness, equity, love, liberation, and survival. While two of these spaces flourished into what are now WELLS and Blafemme Healing, I made the difficult but necessary choice to step away from the third when I realized it couldn't fully align with the Black feminist ethics central to my work. Through it all, I continued healing from academia's wounds and past traumas, understanding how deeply they intertwined with each new step forward. Throughout this process, Ama held me up. Without other structures of support, I began building. It was terrifying and exhilarating all at once. This process of laying a new foundation involves recognizing when existing structures no longer serve your growth and having the courage to create spaces that do, even when society tells you to be grateful for the crumbs you're given. A Moment of Softness: Find a comfortable position. Feel the air on your skin. Take deep, intentional breaths. Notice how even this simple act of breathing required foundation-building first - space, safety, permission. Just as my deepest healing needed preliminary steps - finding Ama, setting boundaries, leaving toxic spaces - your journey too may need its own pre-work. As you breathe, remind yourself: “I honor the pace of my healing. Each small step - each boundary set, each moment of rest claimed, each toxic space left behind - builds the foundation I need for deeper work.” Remember: laying new foundations is ongoing work, and the deepest healing often requires careful preparation. Before I could even begin addressing my core traumas, I needed to create space to breathe, find the right support, and leave environments that kept me wounded. Some days we stumble, some days we soar, but every step - even the preliminary ones - matters. It takes patience, especially in a world that rarely makes space for Black femmes, survivors, trans and queer individuals to heal at their own pace. But with each brave choice, each small act of self-care, each “yes” to our own healing journey - no matter how basic it might seem - we create more room for deeper work. This ripples outward, touching not just our own lives but our entire community. Until we meet again in this space, I invite you to honor wherever you are in this process. Maybe you're just beginning to notice where you need air. Maybe you're gathering resources and supports. Maybe you’re making your first moves away from what harms you. Or maybe you're ready for deeper work. Wherever you are, know that each and every movement you make counts, and you’re held in community here. With love, Della Please continue reading for some important announcements and a message from Chris Mantegna on the opportunity to support students in the Yellow Island Program. GET CONNECTED WITH WELLS + FRIENDS: WELLS Collective Member Twanna Hodge is conducting a research study on “Understanding How Mental Health Professionals Provide Care to Black Caribbean Communities: A Phenomenological Study.” This study will examine mental health professionals' experiences in providing care to English-speaking Black Caribbean communities. If you're interested, click here to learn more ! Learn more about the Yellow Island Program, a message from Chris : Over the last three years more than 150 students, parents, community members and friends have come to learn the joy of connecting to the marine environment through the Yellow Island Program. As a Black, fat woman and a non-traditional student in marine science, I am simultaneously visible and invisible. The weight of trying to access who I want to be and see in STEM became too much to bear every time I looked around and couldn’t see me in spaces where black squares and anti-racist readings of White Fragility rain down like tic-tacs. So I made a space. Yellow Island started as a way to prove that the old guard is wrong - science is not objective nor single genius shit - it is a team event. Not only can ‘hard science’ be done and the data be rigorous, but it can exist secondarily to community, safety and belonging. I bring this to you in hopes that you will help me keep it going by supporting all six of this year’s mentees in getting to their first scientific conference. Each one has been accepted to present their scientific work from our summer at SICB in Atlanta in January - a chance for all six to give their first conference presentations in a room of familiar faces. Since all of these students are STEM-adjacent in their majors, access to funding is exceptionally limited. To bring all 6 undergrads out to SICB it will be approximately $1400 each (conference registration, travel, lodging and per diem). So far we have enough to cover three students and we are out of places to apply. If you are able to donate, a little goes a long way ( donate here - all contributions to WELLS between now and November 7 will go to these students!). If you aren’t able to donate and are interested in knowing more about the program, the students, or all things marine, please feel free to reach out to me . Thank you for letting me share this little bit of my work with y’all. Join the waitlist for groups starting in the new year! The WELLS Black Grad Student Mentoring and Community Care Group, the WELLS Healing and Wellness Grad Group for Transgender, Nonbinary, Gender Diverse Black, Indigenous, Students of Color , and the Blafemme Healing Sanctuary: A Virtual Black Feminist Healing Group waitlists are filling up! Click the group title to join the waitlist - to learn more about WELLS groups, check out our offerings page on our site . Please share these group offerings widely with folks you know who need the space! Are you part of an organization looking for consulting on liberation and wellness for marginalized folks? WELLS workshops aim to facilitate healing and liberation for all. The sessions cover a variety of topics centered on moving people towards liberation and wellness. We offer these workshops to groups such as faculty departments, teams, and organizations - inquire HERE . Do you have expertise in the interview process for internships and jobs in the field of psychology? Support our group, A Cozy Dismantling: Support Group for Disrupting White Supremacy within Evaluative Career Transitions , intended for BIPOC individuals applying for internship and/or who are on the job market! Reply to this email if you'd be willing and able to join one of our group sessions to help prep people for interviews or give suggestions for the ranking process.  WELLNESS TIP - election stress. Some folks engaged in activism become so burnt out they sometimes must stop their work or become too jaded to continue. How can folks find the balance between activism/civic engagement and not drawing too deeply from their own well? What are some tools, methods, practical tips, and strategies we can use to tend to our bodies, minds, and each other? Finding balance between activism or civic engagement and preserving our wellness is crucial, especially considering the risk of burnout or becoming jaded. We need to have a deep understanding of ourselves and it can help to i dentify a personal lane for our resistance work . This entails recognizing which forms of resistance are not only impactful for the cause but also nourishing for our own healing journey at the time. It's also important to celebrate each effort made in activism and reflect on the impact , personal feelings, and lessons learned. This process allows us to acknowledge our achievements while also considering adjustments for future actions. Additionally, for queer and trans individuals, particularly queer and trans people of color, it's essential to recognize that our existence, joy, and pleasure are still very much acts of resistance . We have to really know this at a soul level, and that may require seeking support to address feelings of worthiness or undergoing some reeducation, as societal norms often undermine these aspects of identity. Ultimately, finding a sense of harmony here involves honoring the importance of self-care and self-preservation alongside one's commitment to collective care and activism, recognizing that both are essential components of sustained engagement in social justice work. There are several tools and strategies that we can utilize to tend to our bodies, minds, and connections with others: Della's practice called, " In this body, in this room ," where you sing these words aloud or silently to yourself whenever you notice feelings of disconnection or disembodiment. As you do this, focus on touching different parts of your body and paying attention to your breath, grounding yourself in the present moment. You can also try shifting your focus to the items in the room, noting their colors or reading any text you see. This simple practice helps to recall yourself from past memories or future worries and brings you back to the present gently. Everyone has different strategies that will help them to ground and so it’s important to explore and play around to find the ones right for you. Another effective strategy is journaling , particularly a technique Della refers to as "Angry writing." In this practice, try to use a pen color that represents your anger and apply pressure that mirrors your emotional intensity as you write or draw the feelings and sentiments you need to release. This allows you to express and process emotions in a tangible way, providing a sense of catharsis and relief. Shredding or burning or sharing the piece after can also support the process. Lastly, it's crucial that you allow yourself to be supported . Whether it's finding solace in the physical support of a comfortable couch or soft grass, or reaching out to a family member or loved one to share how you're feeling and ask for specific support, tapping into a sense of connection and support can be incredibly grounding and comforting. While it sounds simple to some, seeking support can be challenging, particularly for those of us who regularly witness inaction even when our needs are named. Ndeye Oumou Sylla has some great resources for folks looking to be better able to respond to the bids for care that come in from your loved ones. It's important that we are able to both request support and respond with care to the requests we receive. STAY CONNECTED - SOCIALS: Follow us on Instagram and like our Facebook page to stay up-to-date on all our events and opportunities! Enjoy these monthly blog posts? Forward this to a friend and/or encourage them to join our email list here . Thank you for being a part of our community, The WELLS Healing Center Team

Welcome to The WELLS Healing Center and our monthly newsletter. We're so happy to have you. This newsletter touches on themes of healing from trauma. Please take care of yourself as you read and feel free to step away if needed. Remember, you are always in control of how you engage with this space. From Della's Desk: This past year, I embarked on a deeply intentional healing journey. Think of Shonda Rhimes’ Year of Yes or Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat Pray Love —but with a Black feminist healing finesse. Instead of casually saying yes or wandering the globe, I said yes to experiences and spaces that I knew were key to my healing. These were spaces rooted in Black feminism, curated by and for Black femmes like me, where I could reinhabit my body, reconnect with my pleasure, and learn how to navigate life as a survivor of multiple sexual traumas. These experiences, these yeses, weren’t random; they were exactly what I needed to seed softness in myself and around me. Over the next few months, I want to share some of these stories with you in a new series called Seeding Softness . I’ll let you in on my process of facing pain, building a care team, navigating relationships as I healed, and working through my fears. You’ll read about the messy parts of trying (and sometimes failing) to apply new knowledge—and the moments when I struggled less, allowing myself to be more embodied. This series will run through the end of the year, and if there’s enough interest, I may build it out on Substack or a similar platform. I’d like to preserve this space for my more timely musings and the community notes you’ve all been enjoying. But if Seeding Softness resonates with you, reply to this email with “I’m reading and willing to go deeper,” and share any reactions you have so I’ll know you want to continue this journey together. Art as Healing: A Soft Installation Last Saturday, I had the chance to witness the manifestation of my healing goals in the most tender way. I participated in an art show curated by Lee Edwards alongside other beautiful Black queer and trans artists. I shared a zine I created, filled with digital collage art, and offered some theatric storytelling. The soft installation I built to hold it all was both a stage and a space for my own rest—and for the wisdom and pain I’ve carried to be witnessed. On the day of the show, I wasn’t fretting or chasing perfection. Instead, I was resting, taking naps in the softness I had created with the other Black queer and gender-expansive survivors who were part of the art show. We were resting together, in community. In that moment, I realized this was the culmination of my healing: to create a space not only for my own rest but for collective healing—a space where my journey could be seen and held tenderly by others. Laying out the zines on the table, I felt peace. The work was already done, printed and ready to share. No last-minute changes, no panic—just presence. In that stillness, I saw my growth, the embodiment of everything I’d been working toward. Healing isn’t just about the hard work; it’s about creating spaces for rest and being seen as whole, alongside others who are doing the same. Preparing for Healing: Laying the Foundation Before I could dive into the hardest healing work, I had to make space for it in my life. This meant building stronger boundaries so that healing wasn’t squeezed between work and obligations. It also meant building bravery—doing small things that scared me and celebrating every step. I needed to prove to myself that I could do hard things, not just for others but for me . I had to believe I was worth the effort. Part of that effort included assembling a care team—a team I could trust with the heaviest parts of my soul. That took years, and I didn’t rush the process. But once the foundation was set, the time for my healing revealed itself, and I was finally able to say yes. Healing Journeys Ahead: Seeding Softness In the coming months, I’ll be sharing stories of my healing travels—from Mexico to Jamaica to Ireland. You’ll hear how plant medicine, coaching, group work, art-making, and community quite literally saved my life. And if you knew me as Dr. Della back in the day, there’s more to me now. I’m also Survivor Della —these two parts of me are in conversation, and I want to invite you into that sweet dialogue. Seeding Softness will be about the skills I developed to reinhabit my body, reconnect with my pleasure, and learn how to protect my softness, even in a world that constantly asks me to harden. It’s about showcasing the Black feminist healing ways that are sustaining me. My goal in sharing these stories is to inspire you to find your own soft spaces and pathways to healing. Together, we’ll explore what it means to heal—to move from surviving to thriving, over and over again, in different ways—and to do it all with softness and intention. A Moment of Softness: A Practice for You I want to leave you with a short practice. Take a moment to breathe in and out gently, setting an intention to bring softness to a part of you that has experienced hurt and needs tenderness. As you inhale, you might repeat: I am worthy of care. And as you exhale: I care for myself now. Thank you for being here with me. I look forward to journeying together. With love and softness, Della GET CONNECTED WITH WELLS + FRIENDS: Join Della, Gabe, and Patricia in A Cozy Dismantling: Support Group for Disrupting White Supremacy within Evaluative Career Transitions , intended for BIPOC individuals applying for internship and/or who are on the job market. We see y’all applying, writing yourself out, going through the debate of being your most authentic self, to what extent do you hide and cope… We know the process is a lot - and we’re here to provide you a safe space to help make it easier and guide you on this journey. We can do hard things and we can do them in soft, loving spaces. This group will start the first week of October and run through application and interview season (to be determined once we fill the group). Apply here ! For non-BIPOC folx and those of y'all not applying for internship/jobs at this time, we hope you’ll consider supporting this new group with your donations . Your support helps keep these groups going semester after semester, so thank you in advance.   Ciara Monroe , Mental Health Therapist (RMHCI, M.Ed./Ed.S.) is currently taking new clients (ages 18+) based in Florida! As y'all know, we don't normally recommend therapists, but Ciara is doing such great work that we had to share - check out her flyer attached at the bottom of this email. Here is her bio: I am neurodivergent, a witch, kink positive, I cuss a lot, I am unapologetically Black, and I absolutely center my life and survival around pleasure. By embodying an existential, person-centered, and social justice approach, I strive to support my community in exploring and embracing the parts of ourselves that shame, guilt, and oppression have tried to bury. We cannot reclaim the fruits and flowers of our light, without also honoring the guttural and soil-like darkness that lies within us! Together, let us reclaim, rebirth, and rebel! If you're interested, you can email Ciara and check out her Instagram here. Check out this virtual poster presentation on Anti-Blackness and Carceral Violence by WELLS Collective members Ollie Trac and Lovely Aristilde ! Their presentation uncovers the ways in which the involuntary psychiatric hospitalization process criminalizes Black psychiatric survivors through carceral strategies. Additionally, it sheds light on the survival strategies utilized by Black psychiatric survivors to navigate the MHIC (Mental Health Industrial Complex). As a reminder of the ongoing work to address the anti-Blackness within APA and the MHIC broadly, this investigation follows the continued demands for accountability and justice for Black communities. Disclaimer: this recording is more research-centered as it was created for APA purposes - stay tuned for a more community-centered workshop coming soon! If you're in the Durham area, catch Della tabling at Blacktoberfest at Proximity Brewing Company on October 12! We'll have some Blafemme offerings for sale as well as some new artistry from Dr. Della. You can learn more about the event here . WELLNESS TIP - election stress. A lot of advice around mental health is focused on the individual — often shifting the responsibility of care onto a single person, rather than a shared commitment between community members or a society. Here are some alternate approaches (somatic, holistic, justice-oriented, and/or communal) to wellbeing and mental health.  It is crucial for each of us to take ownership of our role in our individual journeys towards healing and wellness. However, this necessitates an understanding of how our relationships , communities , and political context influence our wellness. By making these connections, we acknowledge the importance of caring for ourselves and each other to truly achieve wellness. It also requires us to face how systems - like the legal, healthcare, school, and other systems - create barriers or pathways to wellness. This awareness motivates us to care for self and others while demanding that the institutions our tax dollars uphold also do right by us. Furthermore, this critical consciousness helps us recognize that many of the symptoms we experience are not just individual struggles but outcomes of systemic harm . Yet, too often, we're left to manage these symptoms at a personal level, leading to feelings of inadequacy or self-blame . We have to challenge those notions and understand that we are often not the root cause of our struggles. By identifying and externalizing the sources of harm, we empower ourselves to engage in more effective self-care and resistance . When we pinpoint the origins of our challenges, we gain clarity on where to direct our efforts and what systems to resist or reform. This shift in perspective enables us to better navigate our wellness journeys and advocate for change on both personal and systemic levels. In the process, it points us to the communities we may benefit from being in closer relationship and organizing for change with.  Isaac Prilleltensky would describe this as psychopolitical wellness or the OG feminists would say " the personal is political ." It’s an approach that connects the personal, interpersonal and collective and is important to really understand. For instance, if I feel well and my needs are met at a personal level, but my neighbors, coworkers, and family members are not well, then my own wellness is inevitably affected due to our interconnectedness. Or let’s say that somehow everyone in my immediate community is well. However, if I still face health disparities when accessing healthcare or still exist under legislation that doesn't protect my body (like people can conceal and carry without a permit or deny healthcare or adoption due to my gender). In that case, I am not actually well. And these collective level disparities harm even the straight white arms bearer, though they have a more direct and dire impact on those of us with marginalized identities. This understanding of the psychopolitical is critical as it underscores the inseparability of personal psychological wellness and collective political wellness. We try to engage in both self and collective care together. Our sister brand, Blafemme Healing , is a healing framework rooted in Black feminist theory that guides individuals to explore various chambers of their wellness, such as emotional, physical, and financial wellness. Importantly, it prompts us to identify gaps in our individual wellness and explores how to address them , while also recognizing areas of abundance where we can then pour into others and support the collective from our overflow. Check out Blafemme's website to learn more about the Blafemme Healing Model . STAY CONNECTED - SOCIALS: Follow us on Instagram and like our Facebook page to stay up-to-date on all our events and opportunities! Enjoy our monthly email newsletters? Forward this newsletter to a friend and/or encourage them to join our email list here . Thank you for being a part of our community, The WELLS Healing Center Team

Welcome to The WELLS Healing Center and our monthly newsletter. We're so happy to have you. From Brittany Bridges' Desk: Hi everyone! My name is Brittany Bridges, M.S. , and I am a doctoral candidate in Counseling psychology at the University of Florida. I have been a WELLS member since 2019 and have worked on many projects exploring healing and liberation for BIPOC folx with Dr. Della. I recently had the privilege of co-presenting a critical conversation at the 2024 APA convention with Dr. Della and Dr. Pearis Jean. Our session explored the ways in which we as humans, scholars, and activists can apply wisdom learned from Academics for Black Survival and Wellness to urgently respond to the simultaneous genocides happening before our eyes in Palestine, Congo, Sudan, and elsewhere. Our session guided attendees in creating an accountability plan to use our own privileges to be in active solidarity with international movements for dignity and liberation. This session felt deeply moving and meaningful for us as facilitators and for the collective in attendance. It was a privilege to honor the lives being lost as a result of Western colonialism. We honored queer Palestinians whose hopes for love were cut short by indiscriminate bombing in Gaza. We honored Congolese women who are being tortured with sexual violence. And we honored Hind Rajab, a 6-year-old Palestinian child who was murdered in Gaza as she sought safety with her family. Using the Critical Consciousness of Anti-Black Racism (CCABR) model created by Dr. Della and colleagues (2020) as a guide, we discussed with session attendees the many ways in which we can hold ourselves accountable to be actively in solidarity with global movements for liberation. We discussed ways in which we can use our professional roles and organizational power to demand change. One great example of this is the recent APA statement calling for a ceasefire in Gaza that was passed after months of advocacy by a collective of psychologists and APA members. We also discussed ways we can lean on and coalesce within our personal networks to change minds and enlist greater support for liberation work. Finally, we discussed ways in which we are already being in community and solidarity for global liberation, such as through space making, artivism, coalition building, physical resistance, modeling and mentoring, teaching, having urgency, engaging in self-reflection, being persistent, and maintaining future orientation. As I celebrated my birthday this week, I am deeply aware of the thousands of Palestinian children who will never celebrate another birthday. I am deeply aware of the thousands more who will celebrate their birthdays in tents without access to food, medical supplies, or safety. Witnessing the genocide in Gaza for nearly a year, as well as the portrayal of this genocide in the US, has not only made me feel utterly powerless (as many of you may also be feeling) but has also reminded me of the power we hold as psychologists, scholars, activists, and humans, to resist. While the Western response to genocide is to strip us of our own humanity by normalizing violence, we have the opportunity to lean on Black feminist wisdom bestowed upon us by Audre Lorde, June Jordan, bell hooks, and many more who remind us never to compromise the humanity of the collective to preserve our individual privilege. They remind us that none of us are free until we are all free. They remind us that the Black feminist struggle for freedom and liberation does not confine itself to US soil. If you would like to create your own accountability plan to be in solidarity with Palestine, Congo, Sudan, and elsewhere using A4BL wisdom and Black feminist teachings, click here . If you would like to join other psychologists working toward Palestinian liberation, check out the Psychologists for Justice in Palestine website and Instagram . GET CONNECTED WITH WELLS + FRIENDS: Just a couple spots left for the Fall cohort of the Healing and Wellness Grad Group for Transgender, Nonbinary, Gender Diverse Black, Indigenous, Students of Color ! This group will meet Wednesdays at 6:30pm starting on September 11th - if you or someone you know is interested in joining, please fill out this form (and share widely with folks you know who need the space!). Check out this virtual poster presentation on Anti-Blackness and Carceral Violence by WELLS Collective members Ollie Trac and Lovely Aristilde ! Their presentation uncovers the ways in which the involuntary psychiatric hospitalization process criminalizes Black psychiatric survivors through carceral strategies. Additionally, it sheds light on the survival strategies utilized by Black psychiatric survivors to navigate the MHIC (Mental Health Industrial Complex). As a reminder of the ongoing work to address the anti-Blackness within APA and the MHIC broadly, this investigation follows the continued demands for accountability and justice for Black communities. Disclaimer: this recording is more research-centered as it was created for APA purposes - stay tuned for a more community-centered workshop coming soon! Get Dr. Pearis' workbook, Strategically Navigating Anti-Black Racism in Professional Spaces! From her focus groups with Black early career professionals and graduate students, she developed the Strategically Navigating Anti-Black Racism in Professional Spaces (SNAPS) Decision-Making Model. Now, she has turned this research into a workbook that allows readers to move through the model, learn through vignettes how to apply the model to their lives, and engage in reflection questions that help them feel prepared to navigate anti-Black racism in the workplace. Check out her #WorkbookWednesday series on Instagram to work through example scenarios! Join the waitlist for groups starting in the Spring! The WELLS Black Grad Student Mentoring and Community Care Group and the Blafemme Healing Sanctuary: A Virtual Black Feminist Healing Group have both closed for Fall enrollment! Click the group title to join the waitlist - to learn more about WELLS groups, check out our offerings page on our site . This Fall, we have two Black Grad Student Groups running simultaneously! We offer our group at no cost to the members as we believe collective care and wellness is for everyone, no matter their financial situation. Please contribute what you can because your support makes a difference for these folks' wellness. WELLNESS TIP - election stress. How can marginalized people — specifically LGBTQ folks and people of color — protect their mental and holistic health heading into this presidential election cycle? If we can stay present in our bodies, connected to ourselves and our surroundings, we can navigate toward what we need for our wellness more effectively. Slowing down allows each of us to identify what supports us when we feel scared, angry, isolated, or powerless. We simply need to remember these strategies and make a conscious effort to prioritize accessing them. We can also explore new possibilities for our healing that maybe we’ve imagined but never tried. And when we're unsure, reaching out to our community, expressing our emotions, and seeking support from our loved ones can help illuminate new healing possibilities and deepen our connections. Dr. Roberto Abreu and colleagues conducted interviews with immigrant Latinx transgender individuals, exploring how they found strength and resilience in the face of an anti-transgender political climate of the Trump administration. Their coping strategies included cultivating pride and resilience , maintaining hope , drawing upon religion and spirituality , as well as seeking support from family and community , and sometimes employing short-term avoidance as a form of resistance . Our communities have been finding ways to survive and thrive amidst oppression, we just need to listen and honor them. Another strategy that we highly recommend as a pathway to prevention and healing is to use the Blafemme Healing model to assess the eight chambers of wellness and to then develop a personalized care plan, focusing (perhaps) on the next three months. If we can be deliberate and explore our wellness from a holistic perspective, with specificity and compassion , then we can better protect ourselves in these stressful political times. It's not easy; it can be incredibly challenging to motivate ourselves when we're already feeling depleted. Having a support network or being part of healing-centered communities and spaces is vital. Now is the time to reassess and perhaps strengthen our wellness teams, ensuring they provide the support we need during this season. STAY CONNECTED - SOCIALS: Follow us on Instagram and like our Facebook page to stay up-to-date on all our events and opportunities! Thank you for being a part of our community, The WELLS Healing Center Team

Welcome to The WELLS Healing Center and our monthly newsletter. We're so happy to have you. From Dr. Pearis' Desk: Hi everyone, my name is Dr. Pearis Jean (formerly Bellamy). Some of you may remember me from Academics for Black Survival and Wellness which Dr. Della and I started in 2020 to address the impact of COVID-19 on Black communities and continued murders of Black people at the hands of white supremacists. Fast forward four years and COVID-19 is still very much real and there continues to be violence towards the Black community and attempts to erase our history.  As many companies and universities began to resume in-person work, many Black people who had the privilege to work from home expressed concern about returning back to in-person work . One of the reasons many Black people were hesitant to return to in-person work was due to experiences of anti-Black racism and microaggressions in the workplace. Many Black employees reported that remote work decreased the amount of anti-Black interactions they had in the workplace. Through my own experiences, the experiences of friends and family, as well as my clinical work, I know how racism in the workplace can truly deteriorate our sense of self and many of us struggle with how to respond to perpetrators of racism in ways that feel authentic but will also not get us fired. My dissertation research focused on how Black people decide how to respond to anti-Black racism in the workplace. From my focus groups with Black early career professionals and graduate students, I developed the Strategically Navigating Anti-Black Racism in Professional Spaces (SNAPS) Decision-Making Model. I was blessed with the opportunity to turn this research into a workbook that allows readers to move through the model, learn through vignettes how to apply the model to their lives, and engage in reflection questions that help them feel prepared to navigate anti-Black racism in the workplace. The core of the SNAPS Decision-Making Model is knowledge of self which aligns with Black Psychology’s emphasis on self-knowledge. Oftentimes, anti-Black racism and racial trauma can leave us strangers to ourselves and it can be hard to know who we are outside of what society has told us about ourselves. My hope with this book is that readers will know that they are not alone, feel guided by the wisdom of others who have had similar experiences, and begin to make decisions that align with their authentic selves and goals . For our clinicians and allies, this is a great resource to share with your Black clients, mentees, or students. If you want to learn more about the book and how this resource could be useful to you as a Black person navigating anti-Black racism in your workplace/educational setting or as someone supporting Black people that may be navigating these situations, please join Dr. Della and I on Thursday, August 1st from 6-8 pm for a virtual book discussion (register here!) . GET CONNECTED WITH WELLS + FRIENDS: Blafemme Healing is popping up at APA! Join Dr. Della at the Blafemme Healing Den Pop Up on Friday, August 9 at the Hyatt at Olive 8 in Seattle, WA for an afternoon of community healing the opportunity to engage in some nuanced thinking about wellness and psychology. Check out this Instagram post for more details . Research Opportunity: The ART for Hope Study is seeking Black female same-sex couples for individual and couple interviews on Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART — any fertility treatment handling eggs or embryos). This study hopes to explore the lived experiences, challenges, and sources of social support for Black queer women couples living in KY, NC, and GA who are currently or previously used assisted reproductive technology (e.g., IVF). If you or someone you know is interested in being a part of this study, here is the survey link to learn more . If you have any questions or if you need further information, please email the principal investigator: shemeka.thorpe@uky.edu . Support WELLS Collective Members + reach out if you're in need: Our friend Trae has been having difficulty providing for their family this summer without a car and have endured other life circumstances. If you can, please support Trae's GoFundMe here and share it with your networks . If you're in need of some support, you can fill out this Google Form letting us know how we can help . Join the informational sessions on July 15th or July 22nd to join cohort II of the Blafemme Healing Sanctuary: A Virtual Black Feminist Healing Group . We're diving deeper into healing with group sessions fostering community and growth, resources tailored to your journey, and lots of support + intimacy. We start the next cohort in August 2024! The Blafemme Healing Journey Workdeck is ready to ship out!! If you haven't ordered your healing affirmation cards + accompanying journal yet, you can check it out here . AND, if you're going to the APA Conference and/or the Blafemme Pop Up, you can order your Workdeck and then fill out our form for pickup in-person HERE . WELLS Workshops - now booking for Q3 and Q4! Don't wait until the Fall to bring a WELLS workshop to your team or organization. Now is the time to get us on your calendar! Fill out our inquiry form HERE to get started . Last call for the WELLS Healing and Wellness Grad Group for Transgender, Nonbinary, Gender Diverse Black, Indigenous, Students of Color and our Black Grad Student Mentoring and Community Care Group for Fall 2024 ! Get on the waitlist now to be considered for these free weekly community offerings. If you are attending APA Seattle you can meet the facilitators for both groups at the Blafemme Pop-Up mentioned above! Gabe, Marquel, and Dr. Della are happy to connect and answer any questions in person, or email us at connect@wellshealing.org . For others: if you can, please donate here to support these groups . WELLNESS TIP - wellness over the summer. Last year, our attempted summer sabbatical was rather unsuccessful. This year, we're feeling into the sweetness of the summer, the joy of being a part of others' healing spaces and being able to hold that space for others. We hope that you can join us in our sweetness this summer, whether that is joining us at the Blafemme Healing Den Pop Up, or prioritizing your rest and sleep where and when you can. However you're healing, we hope you're engaging in collective care (and action). STAY CONNECTED - SOCIALS: Follow us on Instagram and like our Facebook page to stay up-to-date on all our events and opportunities! Thank you for being a part of our community, The WELLS Healing Center Team Summer supplement: Dr. Pearis' virtual book discussion! Join Dr. Pearis and Dr. Della for this virtual event to engage with Dr. Pearis' new book, Strategically Navigating Anti-Black Racism in Professional Spaces: A Practical Guide for Black People Responding to Racism in the Workplace. Register here for the event on August 1 at 6 PM EST and view the flyer attached to this email for more info. A4BL is @ APA 2024! We will be applying wisdom from A4BL to urgently respond to the simultaneous genocides impacting Palestine, Congo, Sudan and elsewhere. And for students and psychologists who are doing the work and needing to be held right now, we want to hold space for you. We hope you’ll join us for this interactive and critical conversation at this year’s convening for the American Psychological Association in Seattle. Check out this Instagram post for more information . If you'll be at APA, don't miss the Blafemme Healing Den Pop Up on Friday, August 9 at the Hyatt at Olive 8 in Seattle, WA for an afternoon of community healing the opportunity to engage in some nuanced thinking about wellness and psychology. Check out this Instagram post for more details . The Blafemme Healing Journey Workdeck is here! If you're going to the APA Conference and/or the Blafemme Pop Up, you can order your Workdeck with the code APA2024 and then fill out our form for pickup in-person HERE . You can order your healing affirmation cards + accompanying journal here .

Welcome to The WELLS Healing Center and our monthly newsletter. We're so happy to have you. This newsletter may include content that is violent, sad, and potentially triggering, reflecting the harsh realities of the state of our world and communities today. We aim to be honest about these truths as we work toward wellness, equity, love, liberation, and survival (WELLS). From Dr. Della's Desk: Is Wellness Possible in STEM? I recently had the opportunity to speak at the National Convening on Mental Health in STEM, and it left me with lingering questions about the pursuit of wellness in these spaces. Reflecting on my own journey and the experiences of those I love and serve, I find myself grappling with the very concept of wellness within STEM. Can true wellness exist in environments often marked by isolation, systemic inequities, and relentless pressures? This recent presentation aimed to support Black and Brown individuals in STEM by addressing the profound isolation and internalized oppression they often face. My hope, like that of the brilliant liberation-focused scholars who organized the convening, Drs. Kerrie Wilkins-Yel and Jennifer Bekki, was to inspire those in positions of power to wield their influence responsibly and compassionately, fostering environments where Black and Brown folks can both survive and thrive. But I must confess, I remain uncertain. As we engage in our work on wellness or on Black and Brown beings—securing CV lines, paychecks, and networking opportunities— what are we actually achieving ? Are we making tangible strides toward genuine wellness, or are we simply perpetuating a system that sustains itself at our expense? In my speech, I shared a heartbreaking example that was fresh for me. Just that week, one of our community members—a young BIPOC professional in a STEM space—was planning to leave not only their STEM field but to leave this earth for good. Their struggle was all too real and (truly, for many of us who know) an all too common reminder of the stakes. There are pervasive barriers that impede wellness (livelihoods in multiple ways) in academic STEM spaces. It’s crucial to acknowledge these realities. Even as we work tirelessly to promote wellness, we must question our actions and intentions. Are we truly creating spaces that foster wellness, or are we reinforcing the very structures that harm us ? Be real. Despite these challenges, I hold onto radical hope —a concept deeply rooted in our collective capacity to transform oppression into liberation. Radical hope involves understanding our history through both systemic and ancestral lenses and imagining a different, more equitable future. It motivates us to pursue social change and care for the collective, even in the face of systemic barriers. I recognize the anger that fuels my work—a righteous anger at the inequities that persist. This anger is not merely destructive; it is a force for change, as articulated by Audre Lorde. She reminds us that anger, when directed toward altering the distortions of history (like a hierarchy based on made up constructs like race and gender) and addressing systemic inequities, can be a powerful tool for transformation. As we navigate these violent and deadly times, I encourage each of us to reflect on our roles and responsibilities . Consider where your anger lies and how it can be harnessed for positive change—to enhance life. Identify spaces and communities that support your wellness and allow you to channel your rage. In our pursuit of wellness in STEM, let us be mindful of our actions and their impact. Let us strive to create environments that honor the worthiness of every individual, especially those at the margins. By acknowledging our complicity and actively working toward WELLS, we can begin to build the world we seek. I invite you to ponder these questions as we continue this journey together: What is your reach? Who are you reaching toward? How can your reach stop a fall and build bridges to wellness? May these reflections guide us as we strive for a more just and equitable STEM community. GET CONNECTED WITH WELLS + FRIENDS: Support WELLS Collective Members + reach out if you're in need: We're so excited to announce our new initiative to help get folks connected to the resources they need - Filling Their WELLS. If you're in need of some support, you can fill out this Google Form letting us know how we can help . And if you're looking to help others, check out this page of our site with current campaigns . We'll keep this page updated with the information from anyone who fills out our form, and we'll keep you all posted in our monthly newsletters. Sign up for WELLS groups starting in the Fall! We have two groups that are opening again in the Fall: our Healing and Wellness Grad Group for Transgender, Nonbinary, Gender Diverse Black, Indigenous, Students of Color and our Black Grad Student Mentoring and Community Care Group . To learn more about either of these groups, check out our offerings page on our site . Fund Our In-Person Retreat for Members in WELLS Healing Groups: WELLS Healing Groups have been a lifeline for graduate students, providing weekly virtual group sessions for Black grad students and for BIPOC trans and non-binary grad students. This Fall, we are thrilled to announce our first-ever in-person meetup, coinciding with the American Psychological Association conference in Seattle this August. Your donation can make this dream a reality by covering travel expenses for these students. By contributing, you’re not just funding a trip; you’re investing in their future success, fostering vital community building, and promoting equity, belonging, and inclusion within academic spaces. Help us create a transformative experience that will inspire and empower these remarkable individuals . Your support can change lives. Join the waitlist - Blafemme Healing Sanctuary: A Virtual Black Feminist Healing Group . We're diving deeper into healing with group sessions fostering community and growth, resources tailored to your journey, and lots of support + intimacy. We start the next cohort in August 2024! PALESTINE connects us all. Palestine has brought to the forefront the idea that everything is interconnected. Every struggle for justice, liberation, freedom - from the DR of Congo and Sudan to Palestine and Tigray. No one is free until we are all free. We invite you to continue fighting for a liberated Palestine in the ways that you can with the gifts, privileges, resources, and access that you have. Instead of/in addition to sharing AI-generated graphics (as I'm sure we've all seen on social media), let us continue to share the testimonies of Palestinians on the ground and in the diaspora, remember the interconnections in our struggles for freedom globally, call out those that are complicit, and take action. We have updated our Palestine resources linktree and organized it so it is easier to navigate. The most notable additions are Operation Olive Branch, links to donate to campus bail funds for arrested student protestors, Humanti Project's site with new email templates to contact your representatives, and an Action Checklist that has daily/general tasks, including instructions on how to set up automatic emails your representatives. Go check it out for actionable steps you can take in the next 5 minutes. (Our linktree is also linked in our Instagram bio for easy access!) What is happening in Palestine is not complicated. It is colonialism. It is genocide. We must name that and continue to speak out against the atrocities being committed globally by colonial powers. Boycott. Contact your representatives. Speak up. Continue to educate yourselves and others, question Western media's framing of current events, and center Palestinian voices . STAY CONNECTED - SOCIALS: Follow us on Instagram and like our Facebook page to stay up-to-date on all our events and opportunities! Thank you for being a part of our community, The WELLS Healing Center Team

Welcome to The WELLS Healing Center and our monthly newsletter. We're so happy to have you. From Dr. Della's Desk: Hey good people, I hope this message finds you well amidst the whirlwind of life’s challenges and triumphs. A while ago, I made a post on my Instagram that read: “I’ve been looking for joy, I’ve been finding joy 🔁” This process of seeking and finding joy is important to me — and I’d love to share a piece of it with you in hopes that you can get closer to joy as well. I co-hosted a Joy Circle recently. It was a beautiful gathering where we intentionally cultivated joy in the midst of life’s complexities. I’d like to give a huge shoutout to Dr. Helen Neville, a visionary leader who decided that her powerful presidential initiative for the Society of Counseling Psychology would be focused on healing through justice and joy. Her bold vision gave us the space to bring this joy circle dream to life. Since that joy circle, I’ve continued to reflect on the fact that it’s absolutely essential to carve out time to focus on joy, especially in a world where pain, suffering, and grief often dominate the narrative. Our Joy Circle, co-facilitated by the ultra-talented healer and facilitator Jasiah McCalla, was a testament to this necessity. Together, we explored how joy has the power to uplift and sustain us, even in the face of oppression and suffering. As we bear witness to the violence unfolding locally and globally, it becomes increasingly crucial to prioritize our wellness. The terror being enacted in Gaza, Sudan, the Congo, and beyond remind us of the importance of resistance, hope, and community support. In light of this, it brings me some joy to share that we are offering a facilitation guide for hosting your own Joy Circle, available for free here . Whether you choose to follow our blueprint or use it to craft your own, the goal remains the same: to intentionally cultivate joy within/among your community. Reflecting on the beautiful turnout and deep connections forged during our recent event, I’m reminded of the power we hold to create joy wherever we go. Whether it’s through organized gatherings or spontaneous moments of connection, let’s continue to center joy where and when we can in our lives and communities. Thank you for being a part of our journey towards healing and liberation. We get free together. In solidarity and joy, Dr. Della GET CONNECTED WITH WELLS + FRIENDS: Support WELLS Collective Members + reach out if you're in need: We're so excited to announce our new initiative to help get folks connected to the resources they need - Filling Their WELLS. If you're in need of some support, you can fill out this Google Form letting us know how we can help . And if you're looking to help others, check out this page of our site with current campaigns . We'll keep this page updated with the information from anyone who fills out our form, and we'll keep you all posted in our monthly newsletters. You're invited! We're so excited to introduce you to a new newsletter from Dr. Della's heart/business: Blafemme Healing! This isn't your ordinary newsletter. It's a safe haven crafted for folks who want to explore Black feminist healing gems and learn more about how we're healing and breaking free in every season. Subscribers get exclusive access to free healing tools and intimate offerings led by Dr. Della - subscribe here to receive personal invitations to new offerings coming soon. Join the waitlist - Blafemme Healing Sanctuary: A Virtual Black Feminist Healing Group . We're diving deeper into healing with group sessions fostering community and growth, resources tailored to your journey, and lots of support + intimacy. We start the next cohort in August 2024! Sign up for WELLS groups starting in the Fall! We have two groups that are opening again in the Fall: our Healing and Wellness Grad Group for Transgender, Nonbinary, Gender Diverse Black, Indigenous, Students of Color and our Black Grad Student Mentoring and Community Care Group . To learn more about either of these groups, check out our offerings page on our site . Joy circle facilitation guide - Dr. Della recently facilitated a Joy Circle and wanted to share this free resource for creating your own joy circles with your own communities of beloveds. If you use the resource, feel free to share how it went with Dr. Della on Instagram ! Dr. Della's upcoming virtual presentation! Dr. Della will present the closing keynote speech at the National Convening on the State of Mental Health in STEM on Friday, May 17th at 3pm EST. Please join us as we elevate the discourse about mental health within STEM and seed the implementation of transformative changes that advance the health and wellness of STEM students, post-docs, faculty, and staff. You can learn more and sign up for the event HERE . WELLNESS TIP - spiritual wellness We invite you to reimagine solitude as a pathway to your spiritual wellness. Within the next month, we encourage you to spend some time in solitude . Feel free to share your reflections with us on Instagram: @wellshealing “And yet it is in the stillness that we also learn how to be with ourselves in a spirit of acceptance and peace. Then when we re-enter community, we are able to extend this acceptance to others. Without knowing how to be alone, we cannot know how to be with others and sustain the necessary autonomy.” - bell hooks, Sisters of the Yam While solitude is often underrated, it is necessary for our wellness . In solitude, we may uncover our deepest desires and greatest dreams. What might you dream of, if you had a moment of self-intimacy to dream it? We also recognize that solitude is a privilege, as many of us may be in positions where we are the providers of our family’s financial income, or are the caretakers of grandparents, parents, siblings, niblings, aunties, uncles, and cousins.  In holding down our chosen families, we may find that we trade solitude to care for community. How might we consider reframing and shuffling these tasks and obligations, so that we may rest in solitude? Is there a support network that might be willing to step in? Protecting time and space for solitude could look like: practicing body mindfulness and recognizing when it is time for solitude;  putting a name and voice to feelings of burnout and exhaustion, and asking for support;  being open to creative solutions that may offer pathways to solitude if we are unable to step away from responsibilities; intentionally scheduling protected time for solitude As a gentle reminder, we do not need to wait till the brink of exhaustion to have our needs met . Our needs are sacred, and should be honored at our pacing. We invite you to have open conversations with your support system, and collaboratively look at ways you all can be well together and separately. (Re)connecting with our bodies is one way to recognize when we’re ready for solitude, and engaging in somatic (body-focused) mindfulness exercises may offer insight into how we’re feeling.  We invite you to sit within your body and take slow, deep breaths. Notice what feelings may arise, and where they may be located. What do these feelings and their locations tell you? As you continue your journey towards wellness and attune to your body (at your pace), we invite you to check-in with yourself as a ritual in recognizing the need for solitude. “Our feelings are our most genuine paths to knowledge.” - Audre Lorde STAY CONNECTED - SOCIALS: Follow us on Instagram and like our Facebook page to stay up-to-date on all our events and opportunities! And if you liked the wellness tip above, be sure to check out our sister brand Blafemme for more gems like this. Thank you for being a part of our community, The WELLS Healing Center Team

Welcome to The WELLS Healing Center and our monthly newsletter. We're so happy to have you. From Dr. Della's Desk: Dear Friends, In the next month, I urge us all to pause and embrace uncertainty. In our pursuit of wellness, equity, love, liberation, and survival (WELLS), we often overlook the fertile ground of ambiguity. This is a space where liberation and transformation flourish . Lola Olufemi reminds us that "The otherwise requires a commitment to not knowing." We’re invited to shed the burden of exhaustive understanding and knowing — instead, let’s embrace the freedom found in acknowledging our uncertainties. Saying "I don't know" is not a weakness but rather a courageous openness. Where there are gaps in our knowledge, we find seeds of creativity, curiosity, and revelation. At a recent talk, Foluke Taylor discussed this concept, drawing our attention to Harriet Jacobs. When we consider Jacobs' hidden sanctuary — a space of invisibility and resilience — we recognize that despite her circumstances, she defied oppression by crafting her narrative in the shadows. The gap between what is seen and what is hidden became a fortress of resilience. Now you might be wondering, but how is embracing uncertainty related to our collective liberation and wholeness? Well, the uncertainty and ambiguity is actually crucial to liberating ourselves. Healing is a revolutionary act — a courageous dismantling of oppressive structures. It is within this realm of uncertainty that we challenge the status quo, dismantle oppressive narratives, and pave the way for liberatory possibilities. So, I invite you to explore your own gaps — the spaces where you’re uncertain. Are you willing to honor the unknown? Can you find solace, peace, creativity in ambiguity? Let us luxuriate in the "I don't know" and allow it to work its magic of liberation. In my personal healing journey, I've found profound wisdom in the stillness of the "stuck place.” I have even included the idea in one of the affirmation cards from my forthcoming Healing Journey Workdeck . Affirm with me: "I sit in the stuck place. There is wisdom in the stillness."  This principle has been transformative, guiding me to surrender to the healing process and embrace uncertainties. Through introspection, I've discovered a wellspring of creativity, self-love, and trust within the stillness. It's from this place of vulnerability and growth that I've crafted all of the affirmations within the Workdeck, each imbued with insights from my journey. If you're feeling called to explore these transformative principles further, I invite you to pre-order the Healing Journey Workdeck here . May these affirmations serve as guiding lights on your path to healing and wellness. Warmly, Dr. Della GET CONNECTED WITH WELLS + FRIENDS: Support WELLS Collective Members + reach out if you're in need: We're so excited to announce our new initiative to help get folks connected to the resources they need - Filling Their WELLS. If you're in need of some support, you can fill out this Google Form letting us know how we can help . And if you're looking to help others, check out this page of our site with current campaigns . We'll keep this page updated with the information from anyone who fills out our form, and we'll keep you all posted in our monthly newsletters. Can you make a connection for a post-doctoral job opportunity? One of the first people we've included on our Filling Their WELLS page is Meagan Stewart (they/them), a PhD candidate in human development and family sciences who is set to defend their dissertation this summer and is looking for work! You can read more on their background/expertise here and connect with them via email . Our sister brand, Blafemme, has just launched their first physical offering! The Blafemme Healing Journey Workdeck includes 36 Affirmation Cards with reflection prompts + a Journal for your healing journey. And The Workdeck is currently on presale for 10% off! All preorders will receive their decks in June. You can check out the beautiful deck and learn more about its creation here . WELLNESS TIP - emotional wellness Take some time within the next month to reflect on vulnerability and what it means to you . Feel free to share your reflections with us on Instagram: @wellshealing What did you learn about vulnerability growing up? Are you still living out those lessons?   Are they serving you or getting in the way of the you that you most want to be? Remember how it felt for you when you were able to be vulnerable. (For example: did you receive care afterwards?) Where can you practice being more vulnerable? What are the signs that you know it's safe to let your guard down? Examples : the person has taken accountability for past transgressions against you, they’re disclosing intimate things with you that they don't share with others, or the length of the relationship. Remember that your vulnerability can start small and grow over time! "...and that visibility which makes us most vulnerable is that which also is the source of our greatest strength." - Audre Lorde STAY CONNECTED - SOCIALS: Follow us on Instagram and like our Facebook page to stay up-to-date on all our events and opportunities! And if you liked the wellness tip above, be sure to check out our sister brand Blafemme for more gems like this. Thank you for being a part of our community, The WELLS Healing Center Team

Welcome to The WELLS Healing Center and our monthly newsletter. We're so happy to have you. From Dr. Della's Desk: What’s safety to a Black femme? Elusive. Necessary. A Compass. For the Black femmes seeking safety (security, purpose, protection, belonging, community, and wellness physically, financially, and beyond) in or through academia, 2023 may have been an alarm sounding. Maybe witnessing the loss of life - by suicide, due to physical body breakdown, and really at core of either of those: racial and gender-based stress and violence (misogynoir) at work - maybe witnessing those losses of Dr. Antoinnette “Bonnie” Candia Bailey Dr. Orinthia T Montague Dr. Joanne Epps Doctoral candidate Samantha “Sammy” Theresa Mensah and those with less notoriety, whose name the world may not know, but YOU do… Maybe it shook you, too, made you feel even more uncertain about your own safety and survival. Maybe it made you feel less alone or like “it’s just me” as you saw how deeply, and how many of us are struggling. Maybe it broke your heart, cracked you open, dragged you to the floor in tears. Maybe it activated you, made you make that doctors appointment you’ve been putting off, call that therapist or coach back, actually commit to going to that sister circle or affinity group meeting you’ve been avoiding, maybe it made you say "no" louder and more clearly or at least take more time before you determine the boundaries needed for your "yes". Maybe you’re like me: someone who had been fearing for their life as an academic, and well aware of the stress, trauma, weathering, and unsustainability, and actually removed yourself from that space for that reason and yet you still felt each of the above emotions/experiences. And maybe not - maybe you felt something different altogether. I just hope you’ve been able to feel. To allow. For me, after allowing my pain, grief, and anxiety, after taking my personal next steps, I started to do again what Black femmes in and out of academia always do… Ask myself, given who and where I am now, what can I do for and with my people who are being oppressed? Dr. Brooke Coley - my academic sib down at ASU - and I are working on an “intervention” for Black academics that I pray will be healing and prevent these kinds of losses. And I also wrote a few love notes/affirmations and hope they land like a balm, a hug, a heeeeeey you are not alone, because you’re not – we are not. BLACK FEMMES IN ACADEMIA: Know, you have options, always. Repeat with me: I have choices to make. Know, you are inherently valuable* Repeat with me: I am valuable everywhere I go. * then go read the Combahee River collective statement again. Please love, remember to breathe. Repeat with me: I honor myself and breathe deeply, now. Trust that real support is available to you. Repeat with me: I seek and find love. I seek can find care. I seek and find community. I deserve to be held and cherished. I know when to stay and went to go. I love myself. I care for myself. I show up for my true community as I am able. I am worthy of wellness at work. I am worthy of wellness period. GET CONNECTED WITH WELLS + FRIENDS: Support WELLS Collective Member, Cherese: If you are willing and able, please consider donating to help support Cherese, a single mother who is starting over after leaving an abusive relationship. She is safe in new housing with her 3 year old daughter, but is trying to get back on her feet financially. Any support is greatly appreciated - head to her GoFundMe here if you wish to donate. Research study exploring Black women’s romantic relationships: If you're a Black woman aged 18 years or older and have been in heterosexual and monogamous romantic relationships in adulthood, please consider participating in KaLynn Terrell's study (KaLynn is a Counseling Psychology doctoral candidate at Texas Woman’s University working under the mentorship of Dr. Marlene Williams in the School of Social Work, Psychology, and Philosophy). If you are interested in participating in this study, please fill out this survey for informed consent and sign up for an interview date and time . If you have any questions or concerns, please contact KaLynn Terrell . Save the date - Justice & Joy Summit! Mark your calendars for APA Division 17's Justice & Joy Summit on August 7th in Seattle, Washington ! This summit was cultivated to allow us to be in community with one another to stretch our imaginations and faith in the power and psychology of joy. More information to come soon! Celebrating WELLS Collective Members on their Doctoral Internship placements: Brittany Bridges will be completing her APA accredited doctoral internship in health service psychology at the University of Florida, Jeannette Mejia was placed at the Center for Multicultural Training in Psychology (CMTP) at the Boston University School of Medicine/Boston Medical Center, and Gabe Lockett will complete his doctoral capstone experience at Cambridge Health Alliance/Harvard Medical School. Huge congratulations to all of you - we're all cheering you on and celebrating you deeply! FREE, FREE PALESTINE: Let this be your reminder to continue to amplify Palestinian voices and stories on social media and in real life as continue to we bear witness to the ongoing genocide against them. Watching a genocide on our phones should not be normalized. Outrage, sadness, and other human emotions/reactions to the genocide are normal. Let us not lose our humanity - allow yourself to continue to feel - and to turn that feeling into action. We've updated our Palestine Resources linktree with some new petitions and other resources for your continued resistance. And if you did not get matched into an accountability group last October when we first put these together and you are looking for some community, please reply to this email and we will connect you with others! We'll set folks up in groups of four (on a rolling basis as requests come in) who are looking for community members to be in relationship with as as they do the internal work of processing and the external work of resisting. WELLNESS TIP - emotional wellness Take some time before the end of this month to consider the following elements when it comes to finding a healer that's right for you . Feel free to share your reflections with us on Instagram: @wellshealing Whether it’s access to financial resources, the availability in your area, or uncertainty around what you’re looking for in a coach, healer, or counselor… there are multitudes of reasons why finding your pathway to wellness can feel overwhelming . We’ve been there. Finding a healer in and of itself can be challenging - and finding one that's right for your needs even more so. Here are some elements to consider to help facilitate your healing journey, and once you've been able to reflect on these questions, head to this Instagram post for some helpful resources . Finding a healer that fits your healing needs is as easy as squeezing water from a stone.   Which is to say: really, really difficult.  As you are starting or continuing your journey towards wellness, these are some questions to ground your search. Intention: Why do I need a healer?  What are my expectations? What am I currently missing that I am searching to get closer to through a healer? Alignment: What morals and values do I seek in a healer? What shared characteristics or experiences are important to me? Is it important to me that my healer looks like me, talks like me, loves like me? Receiving Care: When I experience healing with family, friends, community, what speaks to me the most? Do I receive care through insightful discussions? Through creative expression? Spiritual practices? Do I need a healer, or a coach? A counselor, or a group of peers? Hard Truths: Am I ready to uncover hard truths about myself, the world I live in, my relationships, my future? Am I willing to have my truths reflected back to me? Do I have capacity to face these truth reflections right now? Is it that the healer doesn’t fit what I’m seeking, or am I not willing to lean into the discomfort? Intuition: Am I able to tune into my intuition if I know the fit isn’t right? How can I become closer with my intuition so that I can know what’s right for me?  Do I want this person to be my friend, when they really need to be my healer? How do I distinguish these relationships?  Will I notice if things aren’t matching up between the idea I have of a healer, and who they are? How will I attune to this?  Compromise: Am I willing to compromise if the healer isn’t right for me? If I compromise, what do I gain? What do I give up? What am I compromising on? Is it a healer energy mismatch? Values? My needs being met?  Do I want to and can I compromise? On time, money, distance, fit? Priority: In my current capacity, am I ready to take on this commitment for my wellness? Am I able to balance the financial expectation that comes with this among my other essentials? Am I able to navigate the possible shifts in my relationships that will come with this journey?  A gentle reminder: Choosing to embark on your healing journey is an intimate decision that only you can make for yourself. Real healing takes work . If some of the answers to these questions are no, maybe, or don’t know… how can you get yourself there? This is your sign to heal. This is an invitation for you to take some time to tune-in to yourself. Consider your needs at this moment in time, reflect on what you need to get to where you want to be. We wish you the space and resources to embark on your journey whenever you are ready.  STAY CONNECTED - SOCIALS: Follow us on Instagram and like our Facebook page to stay up-to-date on all our events and opportunities! And if you liked the wellness tip above, be sure to check out our sister brand Blafemme for more gems like this. Thank you for being a part of our community, The WELLS Healing Center Team

Welcome to The WELLS Healing Center and our monthly newsletter. We're so happy to have you. From Dr. Della's Desk: Welcome to 2024. Instead of resolutions or goals, I want to start this year with mindful intentions: This year, I intend to rest as often and as deeply as I can. I intend to move in a way that is true to who I am today and each day. I intend to love the people that I connect with in ways that are hopefully nourishing to us both, to us all. I intend to surrender this ego as often as I can, softening, and allowing more connections in and around me. I intend to show up for people - those I know, and those I know of - in the best ways that I can given who I am, and what I have access to (my privilege). In 2024 (and beyond), I intend to cancel outdated contracts. That is, I am no longer being loyal to the ways of being, to the people, to the practices that are not current - for who I am, and where the world is right now. I am breaking up with the overdeveloped sense of responsibility that I have had my entire life. I intend to move slowly so that each new contract or agreement or relationship that I make is right on time. This year I am making more space so that I can move with more folks who are in/are seeking to be in this place of wholeness and sovereignty and collective care and love. That’s what I’m on in this good year of 2024. If you want to join me, there’s one spot left in my Blafemme Healing Sanctuary which starts on February 5 and continues every other Monday. And we still need your support to help our grad student wellness groups run, so please drop some coins in our collection plate . GET CONNECTED WITH WELLS + FRIENDS: COMING IN 2024: new WELLS offerings! Keep an eye on the offerings page of the WELLS site - this is updated with new signup links! And we're working on even more newness behind-the-scenes, like The WELLS Practice Space. Here's a sneak peek of our upcoming transformative program curated by Dr. Della and the WELLS Collective. The Blafemme Healing Sanctuary starts soon! ✨ Thank you to everyone that applied and joined us for our informationals. We have one spot left - join us here ! And if you didn't get to join us for the first iteration of this healing space, you can dive into the Blafemme Healing Model for some Black feminist goodness until the next enrollment! Unlock the Power of Cultural Mindfulness: An Immersive Training Experience - Join Dr. Della on a journey that delves deep into the fabric of cultural mindfulness within the workplace. When you fill out this form , you'll receive a link to watch their captivating keynote presentation on amplifying cultural mindfulness, showcasing its profound impact on holistic wellness, as well as some details on a special offer to take this even further. Decolonial Psychology: Toward Anticolonial Theories, Research, Training, and Practice is now available for purchase ! This book offers an expert synthesis of the scholarly literature on approaches to decolonial psychology, its historical foundations, education and training, and psychological practice. Huge shoutout to the contributors: Lillian Comas-Díaz, Hector Y. Adames, and Nayeli Y. Chavez-Dueñas. WELLNESS TIP - spiritual wellness Take some time before the end of this month to reflect on your relationship with radical hope . Feel free to share your reflections with us on Instagram: @wellshealing Some of us are bearing witness while many are personally experiencing ongoing colonial violence and various genocides across the globe, all rooted in white supremacy and anti-Blackness. In a previous newsletter, we described radical hope as a potential avenue to uplift our communities and move toward sustainable wellness . Intentionally tending to our relationship with radical hope and our spirit at this moment in time has the potential to help us root ourselves in taking an unwavering stance against colonialism and re-committing to Black liberation, which can only be realized if and when the Palestinian, Haitian, Sudanese, Congolese, and ALL beings are free.  When we are engulfed and swimming in oceans of grief, it can be especially difficult to move intentionally , to take the necessary steps to ground ourselves against colonialism and to stand in active solidarity . Radical hope requires that we call on and be in active relationships with our spirit , which can help us remain grounded, creating the space that can allow us to move in aligned action. If you’re seeking to deepen your relationship with radical hope and do not have a sense of what calls to your spirit, please take some time and space with the following journal prompts created through the Blafemme healing framework to support your journey. Journal Prompt #1: Our values, beliefs, and purpose all speak to our spirit. What are the values and beliefs that anchor you, that are central to your core? (e.g., those of us who are oppressed are worthy, period) What do these values and beliefs communicate to you about the energy at your core? Can you name or describe this energy?   Journal Prompt #2: Reach inward and backward, being in relationship with our ancestors can deepen our spiritual connection. Who are your ancestors, both blood and communal? (e.g., our communal Black feminist ancestor, bell hooks) How can you call on your ancestors for wisdom, guidance, and nurturing, while also giving them grace to rest?   Journal Prompt #3: Connect with your surroundings, and identify what nourishes you even if the sensation is not nameable. What are the places, people, and practices that make you feel whole, that bring you a sense of harmony?    Permit yourself to immerse into these journal prompts, and do so while noticing what arises for you in your body. We hope that these journal prompt offerings provide you with more clarity about what calls to your spirit, and ultimately strengthen your relationship with radical hope. Once you have completed these prompts, we encourage you to move with intention. Use the energy gained through radical hope-building to commit to taking a stance against colonialism and stand in solidarity with Palestine, DR Congo, Sudan, and Haiti.  If you’re feeling lost on how to do that, we encourage you to: (a) reach out to your elected officials in Congress (you can write or call them), (b) seek out and join grassroots movements, (c) stay well-informed, commit to deeply bearing witness, (d) process what you’re witnessing and find your lane.  You can find resources for all of the above action items here. From Haiti to Sudan, to DR Congo, to Palestine, until they’re all free. We remain deeply rooted in radical hope that we will all be free. We must move in a manner that contributes to this realization.    STAY CONNECTED - SOCIALS: Follow us on Instagram and like our Facebook page to stay up-to-date on all our events and opportunities! And if you liked the wellness tip above, be sure to check out our sister brand Blafemme for more gems like this. Thank you for being a part of our community, The WELLS Healing Center Team

Welcome to The WELLS Healing Center and our monthly newsletter. We're so happy to have you. From Dr. Della's Desk: Last month, I spoke on the trials of the healing journey and the persistent effort it demands to truly get towards our healing. In the final sermon of my residency at Northstar Church of the Arts, I delved into Toni Morrison's wisdom , likening healing to rewriting and editing - learning from what doesn't work to create a more beautiful life. “As a writer, a failure is just information. It’s something that I’ve done wrong in writing, or is inaccurate or unclear. I recognize failure—which is important; some people don’t—and fix it, because it is data, it is information, knowledge of what does not work. That’s rewriting and editing.” Morrison's insights pushed me to analyze my healing process like her writing process. How do our actions contribute to our wellness, or hinder it? Can we view our current healing efforts and practices as rough drafts, in need of continuous editing toward the life we desire? Morrison continued and said: “With physical failures like liver, kidneys, heart, something else has to be done, something fixable that’s not in one’s own hands. But if it’s in your hands, then you have to pay very close attention to it, rather than get depressed or unnerved or feel ashamed. None of that is useful. It’s as though you’re in a laboratory and you’re working on an experiment with chemicals or with rats, and it doesn’t work. It doesn’t mix. You don’t throw up your hands and run out of the lab. What you do is you identify the procedure and what went wrong and then correct it. If you think of [writing] simply as information, you can get closer to success.” When healing is within our control, paying close attention becomes paramount. We have data to explore, sources like journals, conversations, prayer, or meditation that can help us determine what we need to be more well and whole. It's in deciphering this data that real change begins. Reflecting on my own journey, I discovered moments where I avoided becoming, while also finding parts of myself that have already blossomed. I invite you to delve into your data, acknowledging the patterns obstructing your becoming. My own struggle revealed a narrative of sacrificing joy and creativity for financial stability and societal expectations. These patterns silenced my inner artist, leaving me unfulfilled despite professional success. It took a pandemic, journaling, deep work with a dope healer, and accountability to reconnect with my artistic self and make decisions outside the confines of capitalism. I believe each of us has the potential to be more whole and to take more ownership on the road to healing. Join me in this journey. Examine your patterns, honor your aspirations, and recommit to the beautiful, messy work of healing. When you are in this work not only are you more well but you show up with that wellness in your community. And you use it to also fight for our collective wellness. Please don’t take this call to healing lightly. This message is about our survival. GET CONNECTED WITH WELLS + FRIENDS: WELLS Collective Member, Cherese Waight, is now providing workshops and guidance for addressing anti-Black racism in academia! To sign up for the How to Be An Accomplice Instead of An Ally or Addressing Anti-Black Racism workshop series, fill out our form HERE . dr shena young's book, body rites, is now available ! This healing and embodiment workbook for Black survivors of sexual trauma guides and grounds in such a special, powerful, inviting, gentle, and inclusive way. A lot of love was put into this book and it's a healing resource that many of us need. Please share it with anyone who could benefit! A new offering is coming soon to WELLS! We have been working behind the scenes putting an expansive learning community together - if you want to be the first to know about our launch, fill out this form and we'll email you all the details once we're live! Here's a sneak peek ( more details in the Google Form! ): The WELLS Practice Space is a transformative program curated by Dr. Della and the WELLS Collective. This space is dedicated to combating anti-Black racism through education, empowerment, and action. Research study opportunity: Christin Mujica is recruiting U.S Adults of Color (ages 18-40) for a paid study focused on understanding how people of color become aware of racism and oppressive systems, how they act to combat these systems, and their thoughts on other issues regarding race and racism . After a pre-screener to assess your eligibility, you will be able to schedule a 45–60-minute Zoom interview with a researcher. Participants will be compensated with a $20 Amazon gift card. Please email Christin if you're interested! Thank you to everyone that joined our Palestinian Liberation Accountability Groups! Let this be a reminder to everyone to continue to fight for a free Palestine , from contacting your representatives and disrupting business as usual to amplifying Palestinian voices and truths. Check out this checklist for action items you can do everyday and this post from Queens For Palestine with a list of accounts to follow in and from Gaza. Also, on November 28th, Black Feminist Future is hosting a panel all about the interconnected narratives of Palestine, Haiti, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Cop City in Atlanta, GA. You can sign up for Inextricably Linked: The Interwoven Liberation Struggles in Palestine, Congo, Haiti, and Atlanta HERE . WELLNESS TIP - physical wellness Take some time before the end of this month to reflect on your self-image and nurture it . Feel free to share your reflections with us on Instagram: @wellshealing Self-Image: the idea we have about who we are. It’s made up of our likes and dislikes, skills, personality, and our appearance. Our self-image is often shaped by our society and its values (e.g., our society tends to place more value on white and light-skinned bodies).  Why we nurture our self-image: Our self-image is sacred. When our self-image is nurtured and cared for, it can help us remain grounded in who we are as opposed to what society tells us about who we are. Do you know what nurtures your self-image? Nurturing our self-image can feel like immense joy, gender euphoria, ease, and confidence. For some, nurturing our self-image can be a new experience which can elicit new feelings like grief, confusion, and a sense of being overwhelmed. It is all valid . What are some ways you nurture your self-image? It can look like wearing your favorite outfit, creating a more gentle relationship with your body, maintaining rituals that keep you grounded, and sharing stories about your life and the lives of your ancestors. When we struggle with our self-image, it can look like: poor boundaries, insecurity in relationships, self-doubt, and low energy. Why do we protect our self-image? Our self-image tends to our agency. It helps us stand in our power, and to hold tight to our truths.  Black feminist Audre Lorde helps capture the sacredness of our self-image when she tells us, “If I didn’t define myself for myself, I would be crunched into other people’s fantasies for me and eaten alive.” Do you know what works against your self-image? Social media and the entertainment industry communicate certain standards when it comes to physical appearance. Do you feel seen in the content you consume? Have you noticed who is given a platform, and who isn’t? What groups of people are lifted? What is their background, class, ability, body size, education level? What about their sexuality, gender, the color of their skin? How dark or light is their skin? Sonya Renee Taylor reminds us, “profit-greedy industries work with media outlets to offer us a distorted perception of ourselves and then use that distorted self-image to sell us remedies for the distortion.” Does your Instagram nurture or work against your self-image?  Notice what is being said, and how certain images, sounds, and words sit in your body. “You are your best thing.” - Toni Morrison STAY CONNECTED - SOCIALS: Follow us on Instagram and like our Facebook page to stay up-to-date on all our events and opportunities! And if you liked the wellness tip above, be sure to check out our sister brand Blafemme for more gems like this. Thank you for being a part of our community, The WELLS Healing Center Team