Hey I'm Listening With Dr. Joan

For every year that a person is incarcerated, they lose an average of two years off their life span. Incarceration has a negative impact on everyone, those incarcerated, their families, and the correctional staff. There is a need for holistic support and safety in the system that considers the physical, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being of those involved in the system. In this episode of...

We don’t often think about the re-entry of incarcerated people and those in the justice system into the family and society. The victims, perpetrators of crime, and law enforcers often share the same physical environment and this creates a partner of recurring traumas when they go into society. How can we design a trauma-informed justice system that allows families who are justice-involved to heal...

Every decision that is made based on fear is a wrong decision, and the decisions made in love are the right decisions. We have to consciously choose love which equates to choosing life. In this episode of Hey, I’m Listening, Dr. Joan speaks with Kimone Gustave about Finding Yourself in God Kimone Gustave is a Social Worker, trained in developmental disability. She is driven by the vision of the li...

Your subconscious mind is a powerful force to be reckoned with. According to research, it makes up around 95% of your brain power and handles everything your body needs to function properly, from eating and breathing to digesting and making memories. Our past experiences and traumas corrupt the subconscious mind and part of our journey is undoing the corruption to come to that place of absolute he...

Your beliefs, which you acquire over time, serve as filters through which you interpret life. They determine your focus, what you pay attention to, what you ignore, the clarity with which you observe and analyze experiences, your viewpoints on events, and the color of your interpretations. Your belief system can form your reality by affecting not only your own behavior but also the behavior of oth...

Revisiting traumatic experiences through flashbacks and recollections can be extremely difficult and painful. It takes the mind through a dark experience that feels like re-experiencing the trauma. In order to change perspectives, forgive yourselves and others, find closure, put meaning back into past life events, and journey with God into the future, you may need to revisit that experience. Have...

Sometimes we lose ourselves in the midst of life's trials and tribulations, and the desire to accomplish what once made us joyful disappears. At this moment, it is difficult to pull oneself out of that broken, abandoned place and begin to feel, hope, tune into the inner direction, and live in your God-given purpose. In this episode of Hey, I’m Listening, Dr. Joan speaks with Kimone Gustave abo...

We all have something different about us, but we live in a world where there is a common desire not to disrupt the balance of a group of individuals. To identify our distinct pathways and stay on course, we must deliberately step away from groupthink and forge our own paths. The journey to success might be lonely at times, but with the appropriate support, strength, focus, and being true to yourse...

There are times when we believe we are capable of handling anything life throws at us. Then there are days when even the tiniest setback feels overwhelming, particularly while pursuing your aspirations and vision. Building mental strength and fortitude assists you in resisting negative ideas and dealing with life's ups and downs. One of the ways to build is knowing and having the understanding...

There's an old adage that goes, "Do what you love, and you'll never work a day in your life." While this is intended for achieving a sense of fulfillment in your life while working, most individuals are torn between doing what they love and surviving. Due to the history of the Black community, most of the elders ignored what they loved, to focus on what helped them make a living....

When was the last time you went a whole day being yourself? Being yourself comes down to prioritizing yourself and your dreams. It's tempting now more than ever to get lost in the identity, opinions, and dreams of others now more than ever, and this could come from the fear of challenges when chasing your dreams, and the fear of failure. While these are valid, the benefits of following your dr...

Discovering your passion is one of the greatest gifts that you can have. It takes you through a journey of self-discovery and self-approval rather than being dependent on external approval. Some people find their passion quite easily, others have to go through a long process to discover what they are passionate about. And this could take doing things you are not passionate about to find your passi...

Change is the progressive movement to the next thing and this could be in any aspect of your life but you must be able to free yourself from the enslavement of the mind, grow within yourself, be truthful with who you are, where you are, and figure out what works for you and be okay with it. In this episode of Hey, I’m Listening, Dr. Joan speaks with Tia Rucker about Course Correction: Growing with...

Life moves quickly. Learning how to begin self-discovery could be the last thing on your mind and sometimes you need to be removed from certain environments to tap into your true self: your values, your needs, and wants, with no societal influence and get clarity on your purpose. In this episode of Hey, I’m Listening, Dr. Joan speaks with Tia Rucker about The Discovery of Self Tia Rucker is a Cert...

The core of perfectionism is frequently the belief that your self-worth depends solely on your achievements rather than who you are as a person. How can you overcome perfectionism? In this episode of Hey, I’m Listening, Dr. Joan speaks with Tia Rucker about Overcoming Perfectionism Tia Rucker is a Certified Life Coach and Reiki Master who specializes in various healing modalities. She is a living...

Perfectionism might seem like a minor hurdle to overcome but most of us are not aware that perfectionism is connected with that core belief that you are not enough or that what you have is insufficient. And this has led people to go beyond striving for excellence to experiencing mental breakdown when they fail to meet an unrealistic need to be literally “perfect” in various areas of life. In this...

In moments where we have to choose between seeing things through or moving in a new direction, we don't always get it right 100% of the time. We choose our careers and it feels wrong. We start a business and that feels wrong. We found the guy or the girl, and make the commitment and that feels wrong too. Course correction helps you to be introspective acknowledge the mistakes head-on, grow fro...

We all hope to build a legacy that will leave the world better than we met it. Building a legacy takes years of hard work, empowering others, and mentoring those coming after you. What do you need to build the legacy you hope to leave? In this episode of Hey, I’m Listening, Dr. Joan speaks with Dr. Jacqueline King about Building a Legacy Dr. Jacqueline King spent twenty-six years in various manage...

In designing and building programs and ministries that work, you have to be aware of the constant changes that occur; it could be a change in market dynamics, customer demand, and technologies. Being aware of these changes and evolving alongside them helps you stay relevant in your field, which results in you building and making a positive impact. In this episode of Hey, I’m Listening, Dr. Joan sp...

The purpose of a community is to bring security and prosperity to its people. Mentorship and collaboration are two strategies for the Black community to heal, grow, and thrive. Collaboration among people of African Ancestry not only improves the lives of individual Black people but also increases the potential for healing and development of the Black community. How can we build reliable systems fo...

In today's world, it's easy to get distracted by numbers and focus on increasing your social media following while overlooking the importance of making a positive difference in people's lives. Making an impact in your community often comes from meeting people's needs one at a time. You have a responsibility to make the world a better place; how do you meet the needs of others? How...

In every aspect of life, the season of training and preparation is often a challenging one. During this season, we all need someone to lean on, someone who sees greatness in us and offers mentorship. There is a mentorship gap in the Black community, and to achieve our goals and build effective systems, we must be able to mentor and be mentored. The Black community needs to empower, and support eac...

Developing an idea and scaling it into a business comes with resistance. Overcoming these resistances is a major part of your success story. In this episode of Hey, I’m Listening, Dr. Joan speaks with Christine Marie Quigless about Menstrual Alignment and the Resistance she faces. Christine Marie Quigless is a transformative keynote speaker, dedicated Menstruation Expert, Holistic Life Coach (ICF)...

The Fierce GentlenessTM framework is built on awareness, boundaries, and faith. There has been an acceptance and normalization of menstruating women's pain, which has resulted in health issues. A good number of women are not aware of the realities of their being and body, and this has led to continual suffering. Some of the ways women can leverage their power is by understanding their being, t...

80% of our health problems are coming from stress. For women, the bleeding phase of the menstrual cycle is the time when your energy and hormones are at an all-time low. This period comes with different moods and a few days of rest are needed. When a woman communicates with her body, she understands her mood swings, wants, and needs, and she feels more in control of her life. In this episode of He...