Hi, I’m Tonia
A DEI consultant, leadership coach, clinician, educator and lover of color.
My mission is simple yet profound - to bring empowerment, health, rest, and wellness to Black women who lead and the broader BIPOC communities. I believe that by nurturing ourselves, we create a ripple effect of positive change in our lives, families, and communities.
I have learned that as a leader, if you live for work and forget that play, rest and ease are important, you burn out fast and can only support people from a half empty place.
My approach combines expertise with empathy. I understand the unique challenges that Black women leaders and BIPOC communities face, and I'm committed to providing tailored solutions that align with your needs. Together, we'll work to unlock your potential, foster resilience, and elevate your journey.
Let’s talk when you’re ready to live from a place of joy, ease and enjoyment.
“I want us to understand that nuance is freeing and freedom. There is no such thing as cookie-cutter healing. Everyone brings with them an origin story, a history, and identities that are interconnected. There is room to rest in the freedom of managing your own deprogramming journey. It is never either/or and always both/and. You don’t have to grind, hustle, accept burnout as normal, and be in a constant state of exhaustion and sleep deprivation. You don’t have to kill yourself spiritually or physically to live a fruitful life.”
-Tricia Hersey, Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto
Reads I Couldn’t Put Down
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![The Big Leap Book Cover]()
The Big Leap - Gay Hendricks
One of my favorite books-allowed me to realize how I can sometimes shrink versus lean or leap into my full potential-the gifts, talents, and abilities God has given me.
If you ever feel like you play small at moments, can’t stay connected to your joy, this book is for you!
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![Rest is Resistance by Tricia Hersey Book Cover]()
Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto - Tricia Hersey
I LOVE this book so much!!! It connects to my journey around healing, wellness and Black Liberatory practices. The title alone had my shoulders release lower.
I don’t know we can heal if we continue to hold on to white supremacist, grind culture. I took a trip with @Bookedtrips to Costa Rica to rest and discuss this book and I learned that I’m still learning to rest. One way I rested was I didn’t take a computer and I placed out of office emails on my work and personal emails. Attended an event where Tricia Hersey spoke and used her quotes in my away resting auto-reply emails. There is a repetition to this book that I needed because I resist rest and so her call for rest to be a form of resistance to grind culture-whew!! I’m still learning this and will read this book yearly.
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An American Marriage - Tayari Jones
As a social worker, clinician, educator there are often stories that challenge me on various levels-the insights, reflective news of the characters, the depth of struggle speaks to relationships-relationships challenge us because they come with each persons history, childhood dreams, our family’s dream for us and then our adult wishes and dreams.
Do we always unpack these various dreams?
When?
And how do challenges- re-open doors to the past?
in the media
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Mental Health Care for Children in Need by Tonia Spence
This is an article about mental health care for children. It discusses the importance of early intervention. Mental health issues can emerge in children as young as five. These issues can be caused by trauma, such as domestic violence. Early intervention can help children overcome these challenges.
[Read Here]