051 | The Journey to Self-Validation

Priscilla María Gutiérrez's story is a true mental health journey. Having lived through trauma, she set to understand what it means to truly trust herself. Priscilla joined "For Our Edification" to tell her story of personal leadership so that others can understand what it means to reach a point of self-validation. In this episode, we learn, most importantly, what a healthy support system looks like and what keeps Priscilla going as a life coach.
About Priscilla María Gutiérrez
Website:  https://www.priscillamaria.com/
Priscilla María Gutiérrez is a keynote speaker, Certified Trauma-Informed Life Coach and trauma survivor who empowers others to become cycle breakers. She also a certified speaker for National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) who holds a J.D. from the University of California Irvine School of Law. She also graduated cum laude from Johns Hopkins University.
Also a speaker for Greek University, she sees her life's purpose as helping others heal from trauma, overcoming limiting beliefs, and creating their ideal lives. As a sober, bisexual Latina woman with diagnosed mental illness, she makes it a point to show up authentically to exemplify that recovery and healing are very possible.
Priscilla is most active as a mental health advocate. She has served as a thrive coach for the Reframe App, supporting people reducing or quitting drinking. She coaches students in the DC Futures Program, a scholarship program offered through the Washington, DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education. Priscilla also hosts a monthly support group for LGBTQ+ Latinx people for OutCare Health, and she co-hosts Tuesday meetings for the Sober Black Girls Club that serve queer BIPOC femmes in recovery. She has helped facilitate a domestic violence support group as a trained advocate at the Women's Huron Valley Correctional Facility, and Priscilla has supported trauma survivors as a law student through the Veterans and Domestic Violence Clinics.
Additionally, she has written op-eds and essays for popular online platforms, such as Yahoo!, Blavity, and Nalgona Positivity Pride about mental health and the effects of trauma. Priscilla has also provided leadership and secured almost $400,000 in funds for a national mental health organization that serves Black communities.
The views expressed on "For Our Edification" do not reflect the views of any entity with which the hosts or guests are affiliated.

032 | Overcoming Obstacles

If anybody knows anything about overcoming obstacles, P.J. Dixon does. Here's someone who has lived a chunk of his life in a wheelchair, yet that hasn't stopped him from living life to the fullest as a wheelchair athlete, international traveler, 10th degree black belt, and a martial arts and women’s self-defense instructor. So, how has P.J. done it???
In this energized interview, we go in about overcoming obstacles to strengthen personal leadership. From the power of awareness to dealing with baggage to choosing who we are in the moment to putting accountability in perspective, P.J. covers a lot of emotional ground.
Learn more about P.J. and connect with him at https://www.pjswisdom.com.
The views expressed on "For Our Edification" do not reflect the views of any entity with which the hosts or guests are affiliated.

028 | No Shame in the Struggle, Part 2

Halima and I continue our conversation about how people struggle with shame. This part of the conversation goes deeply into leadership. We tackle how chaos aggravates one's feeling of shame while hiding others' feelings of shame. We also go into how organizational culture plays into individuals' feelings of shame and also how accountability can be weaponized.
So, how do we deal with feeling shame in the struggle? Halima believes that tapping into our creativity could be a great answer.
The views expressed on "For Our Edification" do not reflect the views of any entity with which the hosts or guests are affiliated.

022 | Change Management

When there are major changes in any company or institution, the focus is often on what the leaders will do. But how do major moves, such as leadership changes or mergers and acquisitions, affect the employees?
Change management expert, Dr. Robin M.L. Johnson, joins the podcast to provide insight about the very important role of emotional intelligence and how organizational changes affect those not in power. Robin is the founder and chief change leadership advisor for DesignOrg Solutions.
The views expressed on "For Our Edification" do not reflect the views of any entity with which the hosts or guests are affiliated.