Daisy Onubogu is a podcast host, public intellectual, and social scientist whose work sits at the intersection of neurodiversity, culture, and identity. She is the creator of Strange Life , a storytelling and analysis platform unpacking the complexities of human behaviour and experience. A sought-after speaker and facilitator, her insights have been featured across major stages including Slush, Pioneers, and Latitude59, as well as in publications such as Sifted, The Independent and TechRound. Daisy’s career spans leadership roles in venture capital, community-building, and creative operations, giving her a uniquely interdisciplinary perspective on how people work, lead, and relate. Daisy Onubogu, Podcast Host & Public Intellectual Who is Daisy Vera Onubogu? Introduce yourself, your hobbies, your favorites, you at home and in business, and tell us something interesting about yourself. I’m a social scientist, public intellectual, and the creator of Strange Life, a podcast and cultural analysis platform exploring all things human behaviour. At home, I guess I’m an unrepentant overthinker, joyful nerd, and a committed hedonist, happiest when reading four books at once, dancing to afrobeats, annotating podcasts, or reverse-engineering the emotional physics of ordinary life. I love long walks, big questions, and the small rituals that make daily living feel both grounded and whimsical. In business, I’m a first-principles thinker who helps organisations figure out how to do hard things they’ve never done before. My work spans community architecture, culture design, and complex problem-solving. I have developed repeatable playbooks for generating deep, high-value interpersonal bonds, from figuring out how to convince VVIP speakers to waive their fees and speak for free on Web Summit’s stages, to building a tribe among digital nomads at Roam Co-Living, to training deal scouts for Backed VC, and cultivating psychological safety and alignment among employees at RoomPriceGenie. I thrive in spaces where logic, intuition, and human behaviour intersect. As an autistic human, I have to manually code for all my behaviour, and I have spent my life needing to logically understand and “solve for” each life experience before I can simply experience it. It’s a trait that makes me both an unusually perceptive analyst and, occasionally, a very amusing companion, a person who automatically maps the structure of a moment even as I’m living it. And I guess a random interesting thing about me is that I once dropped acid and hung out with Snoop Dogg in his trailer at NOLA Jazz Fest. What inspired you to start the work you do today, and how did your journey shape the expert you’ve become? The work I do today centres on two offerings. First, my platform, Strange Life, where I educate a broad audience on how human beings actually work, psychologically, culturally, biologically, and structurally, using both professional understanding and personal lived experience. And second, Chat with Daisy , a one-to-one space for coaching, counselling, mediation, and dialectic sparring, that helps people navigate psychologically complex challenges, whether they appear in their personal lives, their professional worlds, or in the grey spaces between. In many ways, this is not new work for me, it is simply the formal version of what I have always done. For as long as I can remember, I have been the person who climbs onto a metaphorical soapbox to help people understand each other, and then sits with them one-on-one to help them untangle whatever pattern, crisis, or contradiction they are carrying. It is how I relate to people. It is how I’ve made friends. And it is how I’ve supported almost everyone who has crossed my path. It’s also been the hidden centre of every role I’ve ever held. Whether building community playbooks for Web Summit VVIPs, designing belonging frameworks for Roam’s global nomads, training deal scouts at Backed VC to decode founder psychology, or helping teams at RoomPriceGenie understand themselves so they could work together more effectively, the through-line has always been the same, make sense of people, then use that understanding to unlock transformation. The difference now is depth and intention. My late-diagnosis journey into autism and ADHD led me far beyond the humanities training I had always relied on, sociology, anthropology, identity theory, into the scientific foundations of human behaviour, psychology, neuroscience, biochemistry, and the realities of neurodiversity. It broadened my expertise and sharpened my lens. It also restructured my life. Understanding myself with precision made it super clear to me the kind of life I needed to live and the kind of work I should be doing, in order to thrive. So instead of offering social analysis and deep conversation as a side-effect of my roles, I chose to make them the whole point. The work I’m doing now is the culmination of everything that's happened so far, the moment where the thing I’ve always been becomes the thing I professionally stand for. What core problem do you help your clients solve, and why is this work so important to you? At the simplest level, I help people answer the question at the heart of every difficult moment, “What should I do next?” To get there, we start by understanding why something is unfolding the way it is. I help clients trace the pattern beneath the problem, what it reveals about who they are, what forces are pressing on the situation, what histories or assumptions are quietly shaping it, and how those elements fit together. When you can finally see the full structure of what’s happening, you stop feeling lost inside it. A path forward emerges that actually makes sense. People don’t come to me because they want vague self-discovery. They come because something in their life has become too dense, too emotionally or cognitively tangled to navigate alone. My role is to make the invisible architecture visible, so they can make a decision grounded in clarity rather than confusion. As for why this work matters to me, there are two reasons. The first is simple, I know what it feels like to stand inside a problem that seems bigger than you can ever wrap your head around, and since I was always rescued in my darkest moments by the right words, whether from a conversation or a book, I have this sense of moral obligation to pay it back, or forward, and help others find their way too. The second reason is that human problems are, quite honestly, the most intellectually complex puzzles on earth. They involve biology, psychology, culture, history, identity, chemistry, trauma, meaning, social norms, and private longing, all interacting at once. They’re more intricate than any logic puzzle or engineered challenge you could place in front of me. And because my mind thrives on complexity, this work gives me the kind of cognitive and emotional richness that puts me in flow. It is the rare space where my curiosity, my intellect, and my humanity are all equally engaged. That combination, the desire to help and the drive to solve deeply complex human puzzles, is what makes this work feel both natural and necessary to me. Can you explain your unique approach or methodology and what makes it different from others in your industry? My approach is a blend of: social science (identity theory, neurodiversity, sociology, psychology) cultural analysis (the norms shaping the behaviour) systems thinking (how the situation can be understood as cogs moving and pulling each other into repeating patterns of motion across contexts) narrative reconstruction (rewriting the internal stories people live by) philosophical inquiry (first principles thinking and Socratic dialogue style) What makes my methodology rare is my ability to integrate these layers in real time. In a single conversation, I can move from analysing a client’s emotional pattern to explaining the social forces behind it, to identifying the structural shift needed, to offering a language that suddenly makes everything make sense. Clients often describe the experience as “speaking to someone who can see the architecture of my mind.” Who are the people who benefit the most from working with you, and what specific results can they expect? My work attracts a particular kind of person: high-achievers who feel internally misaligned neurodivergent adults seeking clarity, coherence, and language for their lived experience women navigating reinvention, identity shifts, or threshold moments creatives and founders wrestling with meaning, direction, or the emotional weight of ambition thinkers who have never quite met someone who can keep pace with, or extend, their mind people who have always been “the strong one,” the reliable centre of gravity in their world, but who now find themselves overwhelmed by a situation their usual strength can’t quite resolve. They recognise that they need someone equally strong, but with a different set of tools, to help them carry and decode what they’re facing. The results they can expect include: a clear understanding of the forces shaping their situation language that articulates things they’ve felt for years but never had words for relief from long-standing confusion or internal friction insight into why certain patterns repeat and how to interrupt them renewed confidence grounded in truth as opposed to brittle performance a tangible path forward, the answer or direction they were looking for, built on a full understanding of themselves and the architecture of the problem Most people leave with both clarity and momentum, not just knowing themselves better, but knowing exactly what to do next. What is one misconception people often have about your field, and how do you help them see it differently? A common misconception is that self-understanding is a solo project, something achieved through discipline, journaling, or consuming enough information. I show people that identity is relational and patterned. We are shaped by forces we did not choose, acting according to scripts we did not write. The work is not to “fix yourself” but to learn the structures you’re operating within. Once people understand the architecture of their own behaviour, change becomes intuitive. What tools, techniques, or philosophies guide your work and help your clients transform? My work draws on a wide range of tools and intellectual lineages, neurodiversity frameworks, identity and intersectionality theory, attachment and narrative psychology, behavioural pattern analysis, philosophical inquiry, and precise language reframing. I also curate an extensive library of documentaries, video essays, articles, and short-form content that I can deploy to help clients think more deeply or integrate insights long after the session ends. It gives people a multidimensional way into the problem they’re working through. Another resource I bring to bear is my unusually large and varied network, the result of a career spent “superconnecting” across industries. When someone’s next step requires an introduction to the right person, I can often make that connection happen. My guiding principles are twofold. First, clarity is the beginning of freedom. Until people can understand themselves and their situation with precision, they can’t meaningfully change their orientation toward their own lives. Second, the only way is through. With clarity comes the sobering realisation that every situation must be met head-on, but also the reassurance that with the right language, frameworks, and dialectical support, there really is nothing that cannot be sorted. When people combine these two principles, precision of insight and willingness to move through what is real, transformation becomes grounded, practical, and durable. How do your social platforms and online presence support your mission and help you connect with the people who need you most? I use my online presence as an extension of my intellectual work. Through Strange Life  video podcasts, Instagram reels, long-form writing on Substack, and short-form insight posts on Threads and X, I create entry points into deeper thought, helping people articulate experiences they’ve never had words for. My platforms act as a public classroom, a community of inquiry, and an invitation into more intimate work with me. Many of my clients arrive because they recognised their inner world in something I wrote or said. What is one powerful transformation or success story that captures the impact of your work? One client, a high-performing founder who had succeeded by sheer force of will, came to me feeling inexplicably directionless. In under 45 minutes, I identified the underlying identity fracture they had been compensating for since adolescence. The client later said, “Daisy didn’t give me answers. She gave me the language that let the answers finally reach me.” Within weeks, they restructured their work life, repaired a significant relationship, and felt, in their words, “the most myself I have ever been.” What is the best way for someone to start working with you, and what should they expect from their first interaction? The best starting point is a Chat with Daisy session, a 45-minute exploratory conversation, which you can book and schedule via the link on my website, designed to surface the real structure of the puzzle someone is facing. People should expect an experience that is both intellectually rigorous and deeply human. I will ask questions that reach the root of the issue, synthesise insights across disciplines, and offer frameworks that make the client’s inner world suddenly legible. Most people walk away with a sense of recognition, relief, and momentum, as though the fog has lifted and they finally have a map. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , and LinkedIn for more info! Read more from Daisy Onubogu

Written by Joshua Bennett-Johnson, Licensed Counselor & Owner of JBJ Counseling For nearly 14 years, I've helped individuals navigate the complex landscape of addiction in order to achieve recovery. Nicknamed "The Casual Counselor", my approach is unconventional but undeniably effective. I hate those labels. I hate them with a deep and burning rage. Addict. Alcoholic. Stay with me for a minute, imagine, if you will, hypothetically, that those two labels were stricken from the English language. They ceased to exist. Like they never existed at all. No one was familiar with the moniker. How, then, would we refer to our loved ones who struggle with substance and alcohol abuse? Or the abuse of any vice, for that matter? There would be only one way to describe these individuals. We would call them what they are, people who are in pain. Treatment in this culture? We’re doing it wrong. Even my own website and the hashtags I use on my professional social media pages incorporate the term. Addiction Treatment. Alcoholism Treatment. I hate it. Want to know why I hate it? It’s because it steals away the humanness of the person who is in pain. We’re doing it wrong when we try to provide “treatment” for these people in pain because we continually focus on the ‘what’ and not the ‘why’. We focus on the symptom(s), and not the underlying issue(s). We look at the problem, and not the solution. We turn people in pain into data points. We turn them into a personification of a diagnosis. An addict. An alcoholic. And in robbing them of their humanness, we stigmatize them. We’re doing it wrong. We need to stop looking at the drug, the drink, the gambling, the sex, the retail shopping, the overeating, the food avoidance, and the self-harming. We need to instead start looking at the pain. The why. The whys. Plural. The wounds. The trauma. The needs that were not met during that person’s formative childhood years. Children absorb whatever is happening when they’re developing. Children do not have the benefit of things like a basis of comparison, critical thinking, problem-solving skills, insight, foresight, hindsight. They are veritable sponges, and all of them, all of us, are going to be imbued with essential needs that are not met by our caregivers and communities. These unmet needs may very well compel us, when the opportunity arises, to develop a proclivity for having a problematic relationship with a dangerous substance, alcohol, or any other self-destructive vice. Here’s the paradoxical rub, for a very long time, our relationship with whatever the vice is, whatever it is we are self-medicating with, is a healthy and life-saving relationship. It helps us survive whatever is going on in our heads, our hearts, our families, our peer groups, our schooling, and our ability to self-regulate and cope with feelings. We use in order to survive, and it works. Until it doesn’t. As much as I hate the word, I’m going to use it anyway. When our relationship with the drug or the drink turns into an ‘addiction,’ it’s generally understood to be something that used to serve us in such a way that gave us pleasure, relief, soothing, and peace. Then it morphs into a source of diminishing returns of those benefits and begins to create a narrative of increasing pain, associated consequences, increasing tolerance (needing more of the substance just to feel “normal” and functional), and physiological dependence that predicates withdrawal symptoms so severe that if we can’t get our fix, whatever it is, the pain we will experience will be immeasurable. Along with all of that unpleasantness, we are branded by those within our families and communities with the dreaded scarlet letter, a big ol’ capital “A.” Addict. Alcoholic. Those terms, in addition to stealing away our humanness, also carry an association of an individual who is problematic. Often desperate not to get sick, people with problematic substance or alcoholic use will do desperate things to try to stay in some semblance of balance and functionality. Most have jobs they need to go to, families they need to care for, groceries to buy, and the various tasks, errands, and responsibilities of this busy and serious adult life. Unless they are able to satiate the pain, these important duties will be nullified, and the individual responsible for completing them will be vilified. Stigmatized. Outcasted. Shunned. Driven into places where the ragged people go, often losing resources like housing, employment, connection to community, and any and all other touchpoints that allow us to remain “a productive member of society” or, to dumb it down a bit, “a part of our tribe.” They become addicts and alcoholics, relegated to the shadows, locked in institutions, their reputations blemished and ruined, bridges burned, relationships fractured, financial stability destroyed, and they are casually discarded into the for-profit 'addiction" treatment industry that absolutely loves the notion of repeat or even lifetime customers. In this American culture, being “sick” equates to trillions of dollars made by people in high seats of power within the corrupt system of privatized healthcare. I can’t even count the number of people in pain I have worked with who have told me that they left treatment “feeling worse” than when they went in to get help. Why? It’s because they did not get help. They were told by experts and specialists and MDs that they are sick, they’ve always been sick, and they’re always going to be sick. There’s no cure for what they have. The sickness they carry is chronic and fatal and has no cure. The very best they can hope for is a daily reprieve from using the substance that relieves their pain, with an encouragement to reshape their lives in a way that will mitigate the possibility of relapse, but that relapse is likely at any rate. They are not asked about the underlying issues of why they were using to begin with. They are instead taught about the likelihood that there was a genetic predisposition for this sickness, this disease. It’s a story of a wonky amygdala, neuroscience, and brain chemistry. Although those are sometimes factors that influence substance and alcohol abuse, they tell such a tiny part of the story. And, typically, they’re prescribed a cocktail of various powerful psychotropic medications. If you sit with the person in pain for an hour, and you hear their story, and they feel safe enough to open up and tell you about the “why(s)”, the tales of unmet needs, abuse, neglect, abandonment, rejection, shame, being ‘othered,’ being on the receiving end of heartbreak, bullying, or a broken home, you start to better understand the story of the humanness of the person in pain who is trying to recover and just live a good-enough life. When you meet someone in this life who has a problematic relationship with drugs, alcohol, or any other dangerous vice, you’ve just met a person in pain who is dying to be seen, heard, understood, known, valued, respected, and loved in the way that we offer the many people in our communities who are not branded as “addicts” or “alcoholics.” It’s their profound pain that prevents them from “putting themselves out there to be known,” and it’s not something you can just talk or push someone into doing. But it needs to happen if there’s going to be a shot at a real recovery. A real healing. Motivating people in pain with fear doesn’t do them any favors. Think about it. When faced with a crisis or a conflict or a disaster in this life, when a person is scared, do they tend to cope with those situations in healthy ways? The answer is an obvious and unequivocal “no.” With those among us who self-medicate with drugs or alcohol, it typically turns into a story of an inevitable relapse, and all the shame and self-flagellation that comes with it. Motivating people with hope. That’s the direction in which we need to start looking. Hope inspires. It inspires self-confidence, self-belief, and self-efficacy. The confidence that they can cope and self-regulate their feelings without the aid of a pill, a powder, a potion, or a pipe. Hope inspires love, and love can only be truly transmitted in a space that honors the humanness of the individual beyond the story of their label. Their scarlet “A.” Their diagnosis. Their fear. We’re doing it wrong. Words matter. We’ve got a lot of work to do in order to help people heal. We need to see past their behavior and honor and share a gentle space for them to share their pain. We need to feel to heal, but we also need to get it out, and we’re only going to do that in a space that feels safe. One of love, hope, and respect, one in which we see, hear, respect, value, and love the person who is in pain, and strike from the record the inhuman label that only intensifies their immeasurable disconnection from self and from this world. Healing can happen, but only in a space of shared humanness. Healing doesn’t happen in a space between an expert and a patient. We, as treaters, need to deviate from the playbook and share our humanness with our clients if we truly want to give them a shot at getting well, staying well, and building that good-enough life. Should we choose to continue to motivate them by fear? Well, it’s a good business model. You’ll get your revolving door of relapse, and maybe even a customer for life, but I ask you this, at what cost? And will it help you sleep at night with a clear conscience? If the answer is no, it might be time to re-evaluate what compelled you to work in this field to begin with. We’re doing it wrong. We’ve got a long way to go. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Joshua Bennett-Johnson Joshua Bennett-Johnson, Licensed Counselor & Owner of JBJ Counseling After working for 7 years in an amazing clinic, I launched into private practice in 2018. I love my job. I can say that without reservation. Watching people rebuild their lives is something that is worth more than any dollar amount.

Written by Esther Christopher, Trauma Pain Support Esther Christopher is the founder of Trauma Pain Support Ltd.(TPS), a trauma-informed recovery program helping RTA survivors rebuild physically and emotionally. She is a certified Total Breakthrough Coach and author of Triumph Over Tragedy, blending personal insight with professional expertise. Most people think of trauma as something emotional, a psychological wound that lives in memory. But for millions of road traffic accident (RTA) survivors, trauma is not simply remembered, it is carried physically, every day. Behind every sudden pain flare, altered walking pattern, or unexpected rush of fear lies a deeper truth, trauma is stored in the body as much as in the mind. And yet, the science explaining this integration is still emerging. As trauma research, biomechanics, and AI-driven rehabilitation begin to converge, we are finally starting to understand what survivors have known for years, the body remembers what the mind cannot articulate. What is somatic trauma? The science behind “the body keeps the score” Somatic trauma describes how overwhelming experiences become embedded in the body’s physiology, not just in memory. Researchers such as Bessel van der Kolk, Pat Ogden, Ruth Lanius, and Kolb show that trauma is stored through muscle tension, posture, breathing patterns, autonomic activation, and the subtle ways a person moves through the world. This is why certain positions, sensations, or movements can trigger fear long after the event. The body stores fragments of the experience, the reflexive contractions, the shock, the bracing patterns. For many survivors, healing begins not with recounting the story, but with recognizing how their body is still carrying it. This means the body holds the sensory and motor patterns present during the trauma, not the words, but the state the system was in when the event occurred. And for RTA survivors, this somatic imprint becomes even more complex, blending physical injury, neurological shock, and permanently altered biomechanics. But for RTA survivors in particular, this somatic imprint takes on a uniquely complex form, one that blends physical injury, neurological shock, and disrupted biomechanics. Why RTA trauma is different (and why we rarely acknowledge it) Most traumas involve a threat, a fear, or a violation, but RTA trauma involves force. The body is thrown, stopped, twisted, compressed, or accelerated in ways it cannot prepare for. That combination of suddenness, helplessness, and physical injury creates a dual imprint, the emotional shock of the event and the biomechanical shock to the body. Even if someone loses consciousness, the nervous system absorbs the violent motion. Even if bones heal and wounds close, the body continues to behave as if danger might happen again. Movement becomes loaded with meaning, lifting a leg, stepping off a curb, twisting the hips, and climbing stairs. Each of these actions can awaken the implicit memory of instability, force, or collapse. This explains why so many RTA survivors say things like: “It’s not just pain, it’s what the pain brings back.” “My body tenses before I even realize why.” “I avoid certain movements without thinking about it.” Inside trauma psychology, this is called sensorimotor memory. In biomechanics, it is seen as gait adaptation. But for the survivor, it is simply a lived experience, the event returns through the body long after the crash has passed. And crucially, no other trauma type fuses emotional and mechanical imprinting in this exact way. How biomechanics becomes a long-term trauma loop When an RTA survivor walks, climbs, bends, or performs daily tasks, their body may be doing much more than moving, it may be protecting. That protection shows up as subtle changes: Shorter strides Reduced weight-bearing Altered hip rotation Compensatory loading on the stronger limb Reduced ankle or knee mobility Stiffness designed to prevent “collapse” To the untrained eye, these are normal gait quirks. To trauma science, they are survival patterns. To the survivor, they are a loop: movement fear signal muscle guarding changed mechanics more pain more fear This loop can last months or decades. Even after official “recovery,” the body continues to behave as though it is bracing for impact because, in a biological sense, it is. The nervous system learned that certain movements were unsafe, and without structured, long-term rehabilitation, it never receives new information to override that belief. This is why some survivors report that flare-ups trigger emotion, why fatigue triggers anxiety, and why pain triggers memories. The body is not malfunctioning, it is replaying the only safety strategy it had at the time of injury. The hidden science: Why living with hardware changes the nervous system Orthopedic hardware saves lives, but it also changes the way the body works long after surgery. Metal does not behave like bone. It does not glide, contract, or adapt. Instead, it creates new force pathways and new tension lines the nervous system must constantly interpret. Over time, the body doesn’t move through the injured limb anymore, it moves around the hardware. This creates what trauma specialists call sensorimotor dissonance, when the way a limb feels internally does not match the way it moves externally. For many RTA survivors, this leads to: heightened sensitivity increased muscle guarding a sense of internal instability unexplained fatigue avoidance of certain movements emotional overwhelm triggered by physical strain None of this is a psychological weakness. It is the nervous system adapting to a structure inside the body that wasn’t there before, a biomechanical reminder of force, rupture, and reconstruction. In many traumas, the mind remembers the moment. In RTA trauma, the body keeps replaying the aftermath. This is why long-term recovery is so often misunderstood. The biomechanics are not just compensations. They are part of the trauma memory itself. Why movement becomes a threat signal after trauma Movement is meant to feel natural and effortless, yet after trauma, even ordinary motion can become emotionally charged. The nervous system begins to associate certain movements with danger, a step feels like a potential fall, a twist like a collapse, and going downstairs like a test of survival. Pain becomes a warning signal, and fatigue becomes a cue for fear. When the brain cannot predict safety, it defaults to protection. This shows up as: stiffening the limb reduced range of motion shortened stride bracing through the hips or back shifting weight onto the stronger side These are not “bad habits.” They are survival strategies. But they create a loop: movement threat tension altered mechanics pain more threat This is why so many trauma survivors struggle long after they are medically discharged. Their bones heal, their scans look normal, but no one has helped their nervous system relearn safety. Without that retraining, the body does not move freely, and the mind cannot fully recover. How AI can finally bridge the gap in long-term RTA recovery We are entering a moment in healthcare where technology is advanced enough to see what the human eye cannot, subtle changes in mood, movement, behavior, and body language, long before a relapse develops. AI-driven rehabilitation tools can already track: micro-changes in gait deviations in symmetry shifts in posture early signs of emotional strain through language and patterns fluctuations in engagement that predict overwhelm or fatigue What this means for trauma recovery is profound. For the first time, we can monitor the body and the mind together, recognizing that the two are inseparable, especially after an RTA. AI cannot replace human empathy, but it can extend it. It can alert clinicians when a survivor begins withdrawing. It can detect early biomechanical stress before pain becomes a flare-up. It can personalize support to someone’s real lived experience rather than a standardized timeline. This is where the future of trauma care is heading, not faster treatment, but deeper continuity. Instead of waiting for a crisis, AI gives us the chance to intervene before one begins. Instead of assuming recovery ends at discharge, intelligent tools help us understand what the nervous system is still holding, months or years later. For trauma survivors, especially those with metal hardware, compensatory biomechanics, and long-term somatic memory, this shift is not optional. It is necessary. Reconnecting the science: Trauma is physical, emotional, mechanical, and neural We are accustomed to separating trauma into categories: psychological, physical, orthopedic, emotional. But RTA trauma refuses to stay in one category. It lives across systems: in the way a survivor walks in the way their muscles brace in the way they avoid certain movements in the way pain triggers fear in the way fatigue becomes emotional in the way the body protects long after the danger has gone The science is clear, trauma is not just what happened. Trauma is what the body continues to remember. And until we address the body’s memory, its mechanics, its adaptations, and its nervous-system imprint, recovery will remain incomplete. This is why the next era of rehabilitation must combine neuroscience, biomechanics, psychology, and intelligent technology. Trauma recovery is no longer about “getting patients moving.” It is about understanding how they move, why they move that way, and what their body is still trying to protect them from. Conclusion: A new path forward for RTA trauma recovery Road traffic accident trauma is not a moment in time. It becomes an ongoing conversation between the mind, the nervous system, and the body, sometimes lasting years. Healing is rarely linear, and it is never purely psychological or purely physical. It is a negotiation between systems that were thrown into chaos in a single instant. Research now confirms what survivors instinctively know, the body remembers long after the mind moves on. Bones heal, and scars fade, yet the nervous system continues to brace. Hardware reshapes mechanics. Pain becomes a signal. Fatigue becomes a warning. Someone may be medically discharged yet still living in a body holding the imprint of impact. This is why trauma care must expand. We need approaches that integrate how the body carries trauma, how movement reactivates memory, how emotions are influenced by biomechanics, and how intelligent tools can track change over time. AI will not replace practitioners, but it can connect what current systems leave fragmented. It can reveal hidden patterns and offer the continuity survivors rarely receive. For RTA survivors, this shift isn’t innovation. It is overdue. The future of trauma care is biomechanical, neurobiological, emotional, and intelligent, and it begins by acknowledging that trauma lives in the body, and healing must begin there, too. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Esther Christopher Esther Christopher, Trauma Pain Support Esther Christopher is the founder of Trauma Pain Support Ltd. TPS), a trauma-informed recovery program helping RTA survivors rebuild physically, emotionally, and mentally. After overcoming her own life-changing road traffic accident, Esther developed the TPS framework to bridge the gap between medical recovery and long-term healing. A certified Total Breakthrough Coach, author, and nutritionist, she combines professional expertise with lived experience to guide others toward sustainable transformation. Her memoir, Triumph Over Tragedy, chronicles her journey from survival to purpose, inspiring others to reclaim their strength and identity.

Written by Dr. Udim Isang, The (Em)Body Doctor & Nigerian Healer Dr. Udim Isang, DPT, EdD, Mbia Idiong, is an award-winning educator, physical therapist, and activist specializing in indigenous healing practices, implicit bias in healthcare, and integrative wellness through movement and mindfulness. There is a particular kind of clarity that arrives after healing, a steadiness in the bones, a softness in the breath, a grounded sense of self that no longer negotiates with chaos. I am resting in that place now, not recovering, not unraveling. Resting. Fully aware, fully present, fully myself. As a death doula in this life, from the Ekpo lineage, my mother’s maternal line, grief is not an interruption to life, it’s a natural rhythm. It moves through me the way rain moves through soil. It comes, it teaches, it passes. Nothing in me is broken when grief appears. It is simply the work my spirit agreed to do. From that clarity, boundaries take on a different meaning. They’re no longer desperate reactions or last-minute attempts to rescue myself. They are maintenance. They are how I protect the peace I’ve earned. They are how I keep my healed self… healed. For so many of us, Black, queer, neurodivergent, immigrant leaders, “yes” became our first language. We said yes to carrying, yes to leading, yes to holding everyone’s emotions because we were taught that saying no meant we were ungrateful or unkind. But healing reveals the truth, “no more” is not rejection. It is alignment. It is the nervous system choosing regulation over productivity. It is the heart choosing reciprocity over depletion. It is the spirit choosing balance after generations of overextension. In this season, “no more” doesn’t come from exhaustion. It comes from wisdom. It comes from the Ekpo memory in my blood, the reminder that endings, transitions, and thresholds are sacred work. It comes from knowing that my energy is a resource and my peace is a responsibility. Boundaries keep me connected only to what honors that peace. They invite relationships that breathe instead of constrict. They invite communication that clarifies rather than confuses. They invite a community that meets me as I am, not as I am expected to perform. Most of us were raised to believe that being needed is the same as being loved. But love that demands self-abandonment is not love, it is labor. Boundaries return choice back to the relationship. They allow love to be intentional rather than obligatory. Here is the truth I stand in, boundaries are what healed people use to stay healed. They say, “I am whole, and I intend to remain whole.” They say, “I choose pace, clarity, and reciprocity.” They say, “My well-being is not negotiable.” Healing changed the way I speak, move, and relate. It made me deliberate. Patient. Less interested in chaos and more interested in peace that lasts. And so I offer this to you, listen inward. Not from crisis, but from calm. Notice where your spirit feels crowded. Notice where your energy leaks. Notice where your “yes” no longer aligns with who you’ve become. When your body, your lineage, your intuition says, “no more,” trust that it is guiding you toward the life you prayed for. That is liberation through practice. Quiet. Steady. And deeply earned. Call to action: Leaders who thrive are leaders who rest, regulate, and refuse to abandon themselves. This week, choose a boundary that protects your energy and model that choice for your community. Liberation spreads through example. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website  for more info! Read more from Dr. Udim Isang Dr. Udim Isang, The (Em)Body Doctor & Nigerian Healer Dr. Udim Isang, DPT, EdD, Mbia Idiong, is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and Executive Leadership Educator passionate about indigenous healing, mindfulness, and movement therapy. As a queer, trans, immigrant, and neuro-distinct individual, they/they/it/we advocate for bridging healthcare equity and inclusive wellness practices. Learn more about their transformative work integrating mind, body, and spirit at the intersections of identity and healing.

Written by Arlana Tanner-Sibelle, Interspecies Connection & Wellness Coach | Author Certified holistic animal wellness and behavior consultant, speaker, facilitator, intuitive, and author of Moving Beyond Words. She blends five-element insight with holistic wellness tools to help guardians create calmer, healthier relationships with their companions. In this heart-centered exploration, holistic wellness practitioner and interspecies relationship guide Arlana Tanner-Sibelle reveals the deeper purpose behind the human-animal bond. Through personal stories and intuitive insight, she introduces the concept of a Soul-Aligned Partnership™, a relationship where guardians and their animal companions grow, heal, and evolve together. This article offers a compassionate look at why certain animals come into our lives, what their presence awakens within us, and how understanding this shared journey can transform both behavior and connection. We don’t meet our animal companions by accident, even when it seems that way at first. Sometimes we choose them from a photo, sometimes they choose us with a single look, and sometimes they simply arrive in our lives, and something inside us says, “Yes… This is my companion.” We rarely grasp the meaning of that moment. We don’t yet know the lessons we’ll learn, the challenges we’ll navigate, or the ways we will grow, soften, and evolve alongside them. But almost every guardian can look back and say, “They were meant for me, and I was meant for them.” This is the essence of what I call a Soul-Aligned Partnership™, a relationship where two beings walk a shared path of understanding, emotional resonance, mutual influence, and profound companionship. Not because they arrive to “fix” us, and not because we are here to “fix” them, but because our lives are meant to unfold together. The subtle truth we all feel but rarely name For years, guardians have told me versions of the same story, “I didn’t choose her, she chose me.” “He came when I needed him most.” “I didn’t know why I felt drawn to him, but I knew he was mine.” And underneath those words is a deeper knowing. There is a purpose woven into the bond, long before either one of you understands it. That purpose reveals itself slowly: through the way they comfort you through the emotions they sense before you speak through the challenges that push you to grow through the way they reflect what you cannot yet see through the companionship that becomes a steadying force in your life Each partnership is aligned with events and interactions that gently (or sometimes forcefully) challenge your beliefs, your patterns, your reactions, and your ways of relating, to yourself, to others, and to life. These lessons may arise through small moments or long-term themes such as patience, confidence, trust, boundary-setting, presence, compassion, letting go, or resilience. We may not recognize them as lessons at first. We discover the opportunities as we walk the journey together. A story that taught me what this bond really is Years ago, my brother’s dog, Lacey, came to live with me during a difficult time. I wanted and expected to help her through her challenges, but I didn’t expect the profound connection that unfolded. Her trembling, her fear, and her deep grief opened something in me, a level of presence and intuitive listening I didn’t know I had. It was more of an interconnected journey than I had ever imagined. It took time for me to find a way to reach her, but as I settled into my own confidence and knowing, she settled. And as she allowed me to sit with her in her pain, I was also able to sit with my own. We found something in each other that gave us strength, a sense of comfort, and healing neither of us could have accessed alone. Healing wasn’t something I did to her. It was something we experienced together. That’s when I fully understood. Our animals don’t just accompany us on our journey. They are a part of it… and we are a part of theirs. That is a Soul-Aligned Partnership. The way they show us their needs is through behavior No, it is not random, it’s communication Most guardians assume “behavior problems” come from bad habits. In reality, many behaviors are expressions of: stress overwhelm emotional overload shifting environments unspoken needs the animal’s response to our inner world or the energetic climate of the home Animals communicate through body, energy, and instinct, often revealing what words cannot. Your calm becomes their calm. Your overwhelm becomes their overwhelm. Your growth becomes their growth. This is why training alone often fails to create lasting change. Because the real transformation isn’t obedience-deep, it’s relationship-deep. Your partnership has a purpose: Even if you don’t yet know what it is Every soul-aligned relationship shares a unique dynamic within itself: A timid dog helping a guardian discover their confidence. A strong-willed animal encouraging clearer boundaries. A sensitive companion softening someone who has been hardened by life. A rescue animal inviting immense patience, compassion, and trust. A playful spirit teaching presence and joy. These aren’t random traits. They’re emotional and energetic invitations calling both beings to grow. You’re not here to dominate, fix, or perfect your animal. You’re here to understand each other, to grow through each other, and to walk the lessons together. So how do we understand the “why” behind the relationship? This is where my framework, the Elemental Blueprint™, comes in. It blends behavior, instinct, nervous-system patterns, emotional resonance, intuitive connection, and energy awareness into a simple map that helps guardians: understand their companion’s core nature recognize emotional patterns between them decode what challenges are revealing see how their energies harmonize (or collide) understand the purpose unfolding in their bond navigate life with more clarity, presence, and compassion It doesn’t replace training. It illuminates what training could never reveal, the soul-level meaning inside the relationship. The mutual benefit nobody talks about Yes, we support our animals. We help regulate them. We protect them. We advocate for them. But they support us just as powerfully. They ground us. They reflect what we’ve avoided. They soften our defenses. They bring us into presence. They teach us how to love generously. They help us become who we’re capable of being. The partnership is mutual, emotionally, energetically, spiritually. We grow each other. We choose each other. We elevate each other. This is why they feel like soul companions, because they are. A new model for the human-animal bond A Soul-Aligned Partnership asks us to move from: fixing controlling labeling misunderstanding to: listening attuning understanding co-regulating evolving partnering It asks us to become not just caregivers, but conscious companions. When we do? The relationship deepens. The behavior shifts. The home softens. And both beings heal through love, presence, and truth. If this resonates, your journey is already beginning If something inside you whispered “yes” while reading this, then you are already in a Soul-Aligned Partnership with your animal companion. Maybe you’ve sensed it for years. Maybe this is the first time you’ve had language for it. Maybe you’ve been searching for a deeper understanding of the “why” behind your relationship. Wherever you are on that path, you are not alone. This is the work I do. This is the heart of my book. This is the foundation of the Elemental Blueprint. And this is the message I carry into my talks, workshops, sessions, and writing. Because the truth is simple, powerful, and life-changing, you weren’t just meant to love each other. You were meant to grow together. Reflection invitation: Deepen your Soul-Aligned Partnership™ As you read, you may have felt moments of recognition, memories, emotions, or a quiet knowing about your own companion. To help you explore this connection more deeply, I’ve created a gentle reflection worksheet designed to illuminate the lessons, resonance, and shared purpose within your relationship. Download your Reflection Workbook here . Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Arlana Tanner-Sibelle Arlana Tanner-Sibelle, Interspecies Connection & Wellness Coach | Author Arlana Tanner-Sibelle is the founder of We Wellness Solutions and the author of Moving Beyond Words: A Transformational Guide for Animal Guardians and Their Companions. With over 25 years of experience in holistic wellness and a lifetime of working with animals, she blends intuitive insight with integrative healing modalities to support both people and their companions. Arlana helps animal guardians create happier, healthier, and more harmonious relationships by guiding them from stress and frustration into calm, trust, and a deeper connection.

Written by Jivi Saran, Quantum Business Consultant Jivi Saran is globally recoginised, for advancing Quantum Business and Conscious Capitalism. A Senior Business Advisor, Scholar, and Best Selling Author, Jivi blends rigorous research with 35 years of executive advisory experience to elevate leadership and business transformation. In a world defined by unpredictability, rapid digital acceleration, and social transformation, classical strategy, built on control, prediction, and linear planning has reached its limit. Businesses are discovering that the forces shaping their organizations today are not mechanical, they are relational, dynamic, and deeply human. Quantum business strategy steps into this gap. It offers leaders a new way of thinking, one that integrates purpose, consciousness, and systemic intelligence to build organizations that are resilient, adaptive, and primed for long-term impact. According to McKinsey, more than 50% of S&P 500 companies will be replaced in the next 10 years due to disruption and exponential change. Classical, linear strategy built for stable, predictable environments can no longer carry organizations safely into the future. What is quantum business strategy, and why it matters now Quantum business strategy acknowledges that organizations exist in fields of interconnected relationships and emergent possibilities. Instead of treating markets as predictable and leadership as purely analytical, it recognizes the multidimensional reality in which modern enterprises operate, complexity, fluidity, stakeholder interdependence, and human consciousness. In this model, strategy is not a rigid plan, it is a coherent field of intention, decision-making, and aligned action. It shifts leaders from managing complexity to cohering it. When strategy is anchored in coherence, purpose, and relational intelligence, organizations not only withstand disruption, they evolve because of it. This shift is no longer optional. As expectations rise for ethical leadership, sustainable business practices, and evidence of societal value, organizations must learn to operate from a deeper level of intelligence and awareness. Quantum business strategy provides that foundation.   5 foundational principles of quantum strategy 1. Purpose-centered alignment Quantum strategy begins with purpose, the organizing frequency that shapes an enterprise’s identity, choices, culture, and impact. Purpose is not a branding exercise, it is the field that holds the organization together when markets shift or crises emerge. PwC’s Global Purpose Report reveals that 79% of business leaders believe purpose is critical to success, yet only 34% say it currently guides their strategy and decision-making. When leaders articulate purpose clearly, decisions become more coherent, innovation becomes more meaningful, and teams align around a shared identity that transcends profit. Purpose becomes the strategic anchor that allows the organization to remain stable while evolving continuously. 2. Relational and network-based thinking Quantum strategy sees the organization as a living network. Customers, employees, partners, communities, investors, ecosystems, they all participate in the enterprise field. Instead of optimizing one part of the system at the expense of another, leaders design strategies that enhance value across the whole network. This shift strengthens trust, deepens collaboration, and generates new pathways for innovation and resilience. When leaders adopt relational awareness, they stop asking, “How do we win?” and begin asking, “How do we create value that benefits everyone connected to this enterprise?” 3. Adaptive and emergent planning Traditional strategy assumes predictability. Quantum strategy assumes emergence. A Boston Consulting Group study shows that companies using adaptive, iterative strategy cycles are 30% more likely to outperform their competitors in volatile markets. Instead of rigid long-term plans, leaders use short, iterative cycles that allow strategy to evolve organically in response to new data, shifting conditions, and emergent opportunities. These cycles may be 90-day or 6-month strategic loops that include intention setting, action, reflection, and realignment. This approach allows organizations to stay nimble in fast-changing markets. It also reduces risk by preventing leaders from becoming attached to outdated assumptions or sunk-cost thinking. 4. Human-centric leadership and conscious culture Quantum strategy recognizes that consciousness drives performance. The mindset, emotional intelligence, ethical grounding, and self-awareness of leaders create the energetic field in which decisions are made and culture forms. In quantum-aligned organizations: Leaders cultivate psychological safety. Decision-making integrates empathy and intuition. Teams are empowered to contribute meaningfully. People flourish, innovate, and take ownership. Gallup’s 2023 State of the Workplace report found that highly engaged teams show 18% higher productivity, 23% higher profitability, and 81% lower absenteeism. Human-centricity is not a “soft” concept, it is a strategic advantage. Culture becomes the engine that supports coherence, collaboration, and high performance across the organization. 5. Systems integration and sustainable impact Quantum strategy views sustainability and social responsibility as central to long-term viability. Organizations are part of broader ecosystems economic, environmental, and societal. According to Accenture’s 2024 report, companies integrating sustainability into strategy outperform peers by 21% on profitability and demonstrate greater resilience during market volatility. Leaders embed sustainability into core strategy by integrating metrics that reflect: Ecological impact. Human well-being. Community benefit. Long-term organizational resilience. This integrated approach positions the enterprise as a responsible, future-ready actor capable of contributing positively to society while remaining profitable and competitive. How to operationalize quantum strategy: Practical moves for leaders 1. Articulate your purpose field Gather your leadership team for a facilitated session to articulate the deeper purpose that guides the organization. Distill this into a coherent purpose statement that informs all strategic decisions. 2. Map your relationship ecosystem Identify the full network of people and systems connected to your business. Visualize how value flows among stakeholders and where new possibilities, tensions, or partnerships may emerge. 3. Implement 90-180-day strategy cycles Replace static 3-5-year plans with rolling cycles of action, learning, and recalibration. This keeps the organization responsive and aligned. 4. Invest in conscious leadership development Build leadership capacities in emotional intelligence, systems thinking, conflict resolution, intuition, and ethical decision-making. These skills increase coherence across the enterprise. 5. Integrate sustainability metrics Define KPIs that assess ecological, social, relational, and cultural impact. Report openly and track them as seriously as financial performance. Why quantum strategy outperforms classical strategy Resilience in uncertainty Because strategies evolve through iterative cycles, quantum organizations respond quickly to disruption and minimize the risks associated with rigid planning. Adaptive organizations, according to McKinsey, recover from disruption 1.5x faster than rigid, plan-driven companies. Attraction of high-caliber talent & partnerships IBM’s 2024 CEO Study found that nearly 75% of employees prefer purpose-driven organizations, and customers increasingly choose brands aligned with their values. Purpose-driven, conscious enterprises attract employees, collaborators, and clients who are aligned with deeper values. Innovation through emergence Emergent thinking allows organizations to discover opportunities that traditional analysis overlooks. Creativity becomes a natural output of culture. Long-term sustainability and legacy Quantum enterprises create value not just for shareholders, but for communities, ecosystems, and future generations, enhancing relevance and trust.   A call to action for modern leaders Leaders today have a choice, continue operating from outdated models, or expand into a more conscious, relational, and adaptive way of doing business. Quantum strategy invites leaders to see their organizations as living systems capable of coherence, creativity, and profound impact. To begin this transition, reflect on your purpose, engage your teams in meaningful dialogue, map your strategic ecosystem, and adopt iterative cycles of learning and action. The future belongs to leaders who can navigate uncertainty with clarity, integrity, and wisdom. Quantum Business TM strategy is not just a framework, it is an invitation to elevate how we lead, how we create value, and how we shape the future of business. If you are ready to unlearn the old paradigm of strategy, book a discovery call here . Follow me on Instagram , and LinkedIn for more info! Read more from Jivi Saran Jivi Saran, Quantum Business Consultant Jivi Saran is a transformative business advisor, scholar, and thought leader whose work bridges quantum principles, human consciousness, and organizational strategy. With over 35 years of guiding executive teams, she empowers leaders to make purposeful, future-shaping decisions that elevate both performance and humanity as the founder of Quantum Business Growth and author of Quantum Business: Leading with Soul in a World of Systems, Jivi champions a new era of leadership grounded in clarity, coherence, and conscious capitalism.

Written by Jonique D. Whitaker, BSN, RN, CEO Jonique Whitaker is a multiple award-winning innovator and nurse. Her expertise lies in leveraging clinical discipline to drive visionary technology inventions, strategic business consulting, and purposeful motivational leadership. In today's world of constant digital noise and fleeting trends, true mastery often takes a back seat. Joh, founder of Mastrah, is on a mission to change that by providing a platform designed to promote focus, skill development, and meaningful engagement. Introduction: The cost of distraction In an era saturated with endless feeds, political noise, and fleeting trends, the pursuit of genuine skill mastery has been quietly suffocated. While social media promised connection, it delivered chaos, leaving motivated individuals exhausted and creators undervalued. This systemic problem, the antithesis of deep, purposeful work, is precisely what Joh, the founder of Mastrah, set out to solve. A 30-year-old visionary and proud graduate of the University of Oklahoma, Joh’s professional foundation was forged not in tech, but in the crucible of high-stakes healthcare. The nurse's perspective: Focus or failure Joh’s primary career as an Emergency Room Tech and now an Emergency Room Nurse provided an unrelenting education in the necessity of focus. This clinical precision deeply influenced her philosophy on learning and information consumption. "In the ER, there’s no room for extraneous noise or polarizing opinions. You execute a clear, measured process to achieve a life-saving result," Joh states. She realized that the digital world needed a similar environment, a clean space where energy is conserved and directed toward achieving measurable goals. This commitment to resilience was not just professional, it was personal. Having openly discussed her private struggles, including two miscarriages, Joh’s drive to build something meaningful and lasting, a foundation for her future dreams of becoming a wife and mother, further fueled the mission to build Mastrah as a platform defined by strength and purpose. Mastrah: The mastery platform redefining content value Launched on the principle that time spent online should be empowering, Mastrah is Joh’s answer to digital burnout. It is not just another social platform. It is a Mastery Platform built to filter out the noise and reward expertise. The core difference lies in its value system: For the creator: Mastrah solves the monetization crisis. Creators are paid for the quality and depth of their specialized knowledge through subscription and a la carte models, freeing them from the constant chase for ad revenue and algorithmic approval. For the learner: Mastrah provides a sanctuary for growth. It eliminates the political chaos and irrelevant noise that plague other platforms, offering dedicated, long-form content focused 100 percent on skill acquisition, from financial literacy and fitness to professional certifications like Nursing CE Credits, an area of specialized focus driven by Joh’s own professional background. A call for purpose Joh, a Louisiana and North Carolina native and a determined Leo, is building Mastrah on the foundation of trust, purpose, and professional execution. She firmly believes that individuals are being exhausted by platforms that dilute their focus and that the future of the creator economy belongs to those who offer true, unadulterated value. Mastrah is poised to lead this new movement, inviting both experts and learners to reclaim their focus and invest their time in what truly matters, mastering a skill and achieving purpose. Mastrah is set to officially launch on January 3rd, 2026. Visit my website for more info! Read more from Jonique D. Whitaker Jonique D. Whitaker, BSN, RN, CEO Jonique D. Whitaker is a multiple award-winning Nurse, innovator, and founder of Joniva Innovations LLC. She expertly translates the high-stakes discipline of clinical care into visionary technology, strategic business consulting, and powerful motivational leadership. A believer in mastery through purposeful execution, Jonique is the driving force behind platforms like Mastrah and device inventions like OptaComm. Her mission is to create products that change the world, empower individuals and organizations to achieve total clarity and unlock their full potential. She welcomes connection regarding partnerships, speaking, and strategic development.

Rhode Island – Tracy, a Registered Nurse with over 20 years of healthcare experience, Reiki Master Teacher, and Certified Trauma Coach, announces the release of her deeply personal memoir, "Broken Little Girl: How One Woman Shattered the Cycle of Inherited Pain," the first in a three-book series addressing trauma recovery through the lens of nervous system regulation and polyvagal theory. Drawing from her two decades of nursing experience across rehabilitation, psychiatric care, geriatrics, and hospice, combined with her expertise as a Reiki Master Teacher and trauma-informed coach, Tracy offers readers an unflinching look at how trauma patterns pass through generations–and how they can finally be broken. "Broken Little Girl" traces Tracy's journey from a childhood marked by control and criticism, through a marriage that mirrored those same toxic patterns, to her eventual liberation and healing. What sets this memoir apart is its dual focus: the raw, honest storytelling of lived experience paired with practical insights into how trauma embeds itself in the body and nervous system. "I spent years convinced that if I just left my toxic relationship, all the pain would disappear," Tracy explains. "What I discovered was that healing required understanding how my body kept score of everything–my father's rage, my mother's exhaustion, years of making myself small to survive.” This book is for anyone who thought escape would equal instant healing, only to discover the real work was just beginning." The memoir illuminates a critical truth often missing from trauma recovery conversations: that abusive relationships don't happen in isolation. Tracy maps the generational patterns that prepared her to accept mistreatment, examining how her parents' unhealed wounds became her inheritance, and how she nearly passed the same legacy to her own children. As an Executive Contributor for Brainz Magazine, Tracy is building on themes she explores in her ongoing article series covering nervous system regulation, somatic healing practices, and breaking generational trauma patterns. "Broken Little Girl" takes these concepts deeper, offering readers both validation and actionable pathways forward. The book tackles difficult questions rarely addressed in traditional self-help literature: What happens when forgiveness feels impossible? How do you parent while still healing? Can you recognize abuse when it's all you've ever known? How do physical symptoms manifest from chronic psychological stress? Tracy's unique background allows her to bridge clinical understanding with lived experience. Her years working in psychiatric care inform her analysis of manipulation and gaslighting, while her hospice experience shaped her perspective on what truly matters at life's end–lessons that catalyzed her own decision to leave. "This book isn't about achieving perfection or reaching some mythical 'healed' state," Tracy notes. "It's about the messy, nonlinear reality of recovery. It's about learning to distinguish between past danger and present safety when your nervous system can't tell the difference. It's about giving yourself permission to heal at your own pace." "Broken Little Girl" is now available on Amazon in paperback, hardcover, and Kindle formats. It is the first volume in Tracy's series, followed by "The Ladder Out: Excavating The Self After trauma" and the companion workbook "Excavating the Self: A Workbook." About Tracy Tracy is a Registered Nurse, Reiki Master Teacher, and Certified Trauma Coach with over 20 years of healthcare experience. She serves as an Executive Contributor for Brainz Magazine and operates Integrative Coaching, where she offers courses on trauma-informed parenting, finding yourself after trauma, recognizing manipulation, and supporting survivors through recovery. She lives in Rhode Island with her husband and four children. Tracy is passionate about helping others break generational trauma patterns through nervous system healing and somatic practices. Media contact Tracy Ann Messore 401-359-3830 tracymessore@gmail.com

Toren Ylfa is a mythic advocate, ex-martial artist, trauma-informed practitioner, and Traditional Japanese Reiki Master Teacher whose work fuses ancestral fire, poetic cadence, and survivor-led scholarship. With a background in biochemistry, psychology, and child psychology, Toren trained extensively in trauma-informed care and alternative therapies, including CBT, DBT, REBT, EFT, TFT, and NLP. Their mastery of Southern Praying Mantis Kung Fu, kickboxing, and boxing, paired with lived experience of complex trauma, forms the backbone of a legacy built on reclamation, discipline, and fierce transformation. Toren Ylfa, Tattooed Alkhemist Your work blends martial arts, mythic cadence, and trauma-informed care into a unified advocacy voice. How did this synthesis evolve, and what does it reclaim for survivors? It evolved from necessity. I didn’t set out to build a mythic framework–I bled into it. Martial arts taught me how to hold chaos without flinching, how to move through grief with discipline and precision. Trauma-informed care gave me language for the wounds I carried and the ones I witnessed. And myth? Myth gave me permission to be more than a case study. It gave me archetypes, cadence, and fire. I fused these elements because survivors deserve more than sterile frameworks and pity. We deserve a legacy. We deserve to be remembered not just for what we endured, but for how we transmuted it. My synthesis is reclamation. It’s the refusal to be flattened. It’s the insistence that our stories are sacred, strategic, and sovereign. In your memoir The Controlled Chaos, coming soon, you channel personal history into a mythic narrative. What role does emotional precision play in crafting survivor-led scholarship? Emotional precision is everything. It’s the scalpel I wield when cutting through shame, distortion, and sentimentality. I don’t write to be palatable–I write to be exact. The Controlled Chaos isn’t just a memoir; it’s a ritual. Every page is a sigil. Every chapter is a reckoning. I use mythic cadence not to romanticize trauma, but to elevate it beyond pathology. Emotional precision means I name what happened without flinching, but I also name what it became. I track the transformation. I honor the rage, the grief, the discipline, and the fire. Survivor-led scholarship demands that we write with both rigor and resonance. I do not dilute. I do not apologize. I write to reclaim. You’ve trained in Traditional Japanese Reiki and multiple therapeutic modalities. How do you integrate energy work and psychological frameworks into your advocacy and writing? I treat energy work as ancestral literacy. Reiki–especially in its traditional Japanese form–is not a spa treatment. It’s a lineage. It’s a discipline. It’s a way of listening to the body’s mythic language. When I integrate Reiki with modalities like CBT, DBT, and trauma-informed care, I’m bridging the seen and unseen. I’m honoring both the nervous system and the soul. In my writing and advocacy, this shows up as layered analysis. I’ll cite global suicide statistics and then invoke the archetype of the phoenix. I’ll dismantle pseudoscience and then offer a sigil for protection. I don’t separate the mystical from the empirical–I braid them. Because survivors are not just data points. We are mythic beings navigating systemic harm. My integration is a form of resistance. Your podcast Sigil of the Unquiet confronts stigma with poetic fire. How do you balance mythic storytelling with statistical and legal rigor when addressing global mental health and suicide awareness? I balance it by refusing to choose between them. Mythic storytelling is not a distraction–it’s a delivery system. When I speak about suicide awareness, I don’t just cite the numbers–I name the silence. I name the cultural distortions. I name the systems that profit from our erasure. I use mythic language to pierce through apathy. I use cadence to make the data unforgettable. Legal rigor matters. Medical accuracy matters. But so does resonance. So does rhythm. Sigil of the Unquiet is built on the belief that survivors deserve both truth and beauty. I will not flatten our stories into statistics. I will not sanitize our grief. I will speak it with fire, with precision, and with mythic authority. You’ve dismantled pseudoscience and ideological attacks with survivor-led critique. What rhetorical strategies do you use to protect narrative agency while confronting systemic harm? I use snark as a scalpel. I use evidence as armor. I use cadence as a weapon. My rhetorical strategy is built on boundary-setting and mythic clarity. I don’t debate my existence. I don’t entertain distortions. I dismantle them. I cite survivor testimony, legal precedent, and medical consensus. I expose the ideological rot beneath pseudoscience. But I also protect the sacred. I refuse to let our stories be mined for spectacle. I write with the precision of a scholar and the fury of a fighter. I don’t just refute–I reclaim. I make it impossible to look away. Because narrative agency isn’t just about telling our stories–it’s about controlling how they’re received, interpreted, and remembered. Your branding blends Celtic and Viking motifs with academic precision. How do ancestral symbolism and mythic language empower your digital persona and advocacy work? They remind me who I am. My branding isn’t aesthetic–it’s invocation. The Celtic knots, the Viking runes, the Gaelic cadence–they’re not decoration. They’re declaration. They say: I come from warriors. I come from poets. I come from people who knew how to fight and how to mourn. Mythic language allows me to speak in layers. It lets me encode trauma, transformation, and truth into every post, every banner, every bio. Academic precision ensures I’m never dismissed as “just poetic.” I cite sources. I build frameworks. I wield language like a blade. My digital persona is a sigil–it’s designed to protect, provoke, and empower. It’s not just branding. It’s legacy. In martial arts, discipline meets chaos. How has your training in Southern Praying Mantis Kung Fu and competitive fighting shaped your approach to emotional survival and creative transformation? It taught me that pain is information. That chaos can be choreographed. That survival is a skill. Southern Praying Mantis Kung Fu is brutal, precise, and intimate. It’s about close-quarters combat and explosive power. It mirrors trauma–tight spaces, sudden impact, relentless pressure. But it also teaches control. Breath. Timing. Strategy. Competitive fighting taught me how to lose without crumbling. How to win without gloating. How to keep showing up. These disciplines shaped my emotional survival by giving me structure. They taught me that transformation isn’t passive–it’s practiced. They taught me that creativity isn’t fragile–it’s forged. I write like I fight–with rhythm, with rigor, and with refusal. You’ve built a legacy of survivor-led scholarship through podcasting, publishing, and public discourse. What advice would you give to others seeking to turn personal struggle into mythic advocacy? Start with boundaries. Then build with fire. Your story is sacred–don’t let anyone flatten it. Don’t chase virality. Don’t dilute your cadence. Speak with precision. Write with rigor. Study the systems that harmed you. Name them. Dismantle them. But also–invoke your myth. Find the archetypes that mirror your journey. Use symbolism to encode your truth. Use rhythm to make it unforgettable. Advocacy isn’t just about exposure–it’s about transformation. It’s about turning survival into strategy. It’s about building legacy. My advice? Be unapologetically exact. Be mythic. Be disciplined. And never forget–you are not just a survivor. You are a sigil. Follow me on Instagram ,   LinkedIn , and visit my website  for more info! Read more from Toren Ylfa

Vibecke Garnaas is a transformational guide and multidimensional mirror, helping awakening souls reclaim their divine power and align with their true purpose. Born under the aurora lights of Norway, she carries the frequency of remembrance, creating spaces where your soul can breathe, remember, and rise. Since 2008, Vibecke has guided over 1,500 souls through direct transformational sessions, and her mentorships and retreats have touched thousands more. Her work blends multidimensional healing with grounded guidance, offering a unique synthesis of channeling, hypnotherapy, and frequency activation. As a certified Life Between Lives Hypnotherapist, Past Lives Regression Specialist, and Master NLP Coach, Vibecke serves spiritual entrepreneurs, conscious creators, and those on the edge of remembering who they truly are. Her clients include those ready to step into their highest calling and co-create a more compassionate world. She is the host of the Spiritual Quest Podcast and leads sacred retreats in vortexes from Sedona to Spain. Her presence is a catalyst, not a container – she doesn’t just guide you; she reflects the light you’ve always carried. If you are ready to awaken to your authentic frequency and align with your soul’s purpose, connect with Vibecke. She will not lead you – she will mirror the essence you’ve always been. Vibecke Garnaas, New Earth Strategist Who is Vibecke Garnaas? Introduce yourself, your hobbies, your favorites, you at home and in business. Tell us something interesting about yourself. I’m Vibecke Garnaas, born under the aurora lights of Norway. From a young age, I’ve felt a deep connection to the spirit world–a connection that has shaped my life as a bridge between dimensions. Guided by spirit, my journey has been anything but ordinary. I met my husband on The Bachelor 22 years ago, welcomed my two daughters–whom I saw in visions as a teenager–and even traveled back in time on the TV show Farmen, living and working with the land. I love traveling and exploring sacred places where the veil feels thin. Books that speak to my soul, music that feels like memory, and moments of stillness with my best friend and teacher–our family dog, Bella–bring me peace. Now, at 50, I’m embracing a new chapter, balancing life between homes in Norway and Spain as my daughters head off to university. In my work, I help others dissolve illusions and awaken to their true frequency. My business isn’t a brand–it’s a field. People don’t come to me for answers; they come to remember the questions they’ve forgotten to ask. Mystical and paranormal experiences have deeply shaped my path–from playing with spirit as a child to visitations from extraterrestrial beings. These moments have led me to a journey of remembrance, holding space for opposites–grounded yet spiritual. I’m here to reflect truth, not change it, and to keep asking questions for the betterment of this planet and humanity. What inspired you to dedicate your work to guiding starseeds, lightworkers, and visionaries into their soul’s mission? It wasn’t inspiration in the traditional sense–it was more like a remembering. Something inside me clicked into place, and I realized the path had always been there, waiting for me to see it. When I reconnected with my essence, it created a ripple effect, allowing others to reconnect with their own truth. I didn’t set out to guide or lead; it happened naturally, as my energy became an anchor for others to find their balance. Starseeds, Lightworkers, and Visionaries often feel out of place in the world, but their sensitivity is their gift. It allows them to access incredible clarity and harmony. My role isn’t to teach or lead–it’s to mirror their truth back to them. Can you explain what the 7-Step Frequency Activation is and how it supports deep soul alignment? The 7-Step Frequency Activation is a channeled framework gifted to me by Zarius & The Order of 7, a group of high-frequency beings I’ve been connected to since before birth. It’s designed to help individuals align with their soul’s highest frequency by activating dormant potentials, clearing energetic blockages, and creating resonance with their true self. Each of the seven steps acts as a frequency gate, guiding you through a spiral of transformation: Presence: Anchor in the now. Clarity: Release what no longer serves. Receptivity: Open to guidance and intuition. Movement: Take aligned action. Joy: Embody gratitude and stabilize higher frequencies. Collaboration: Co-create with others. Wholeness: Integrate and prepare for new growth. This process bridges spiritual insight with practical action, empowering individuals to transcend outdated paradigms and honor their soul’s mission. How does your mentorship help individuals break free from cycles of limitation, scarcity, and 3D conditioning? My mentorship is about dissolving the energetic patterns that sustain limitation and scarcity. Together, we replace these outdated structures with coherent, soul-aligned frequencies through tools such as breathwork, symbolic decoding, and harmonic entrainment. The journey follows the 7 Frequency Gates, each representing a phase of transformation. It’s not a program–it’s a living spiral of activation. This process empowers individuals to align with their soul’s path, break free from outdated conditioning, and become the creators of their own reality. In what ways do you help clients awaken to and embody their multidimensional nature? I don’t teach about higher dimensions–I help clients experience them. Through Life Between Lives hypnotherapy, breathwork, and symbolic exploration, I guide them to connect with their inner wisdom. This isn’t about adopting new beliefs; it’s about tuning into what’s already inside. Once they feel this connection, we ground it in their daily lives through simple practices, ensuring their insights become real and lasting. How do universal laws influence your work, and why are they essential for freedom and abundance? Universal laws are the foundation of my work–not as rules to follow, but as frequencies to align with. Principles like resonance, polarity, and rhythm guide transformation with coherence and flow. Freedom and abundance aren’t goals to chase–they are natural states that arise when your energy aligns with these laws. By attuning to them, you stop resisting life’s flow and begin co-creating with it. What transformations do clients typically experience when they activate their soul frequency through your process? Clients shift from seeking to simply being. They remember who they’ve always been beneath the noise, gaining clarity of purpose and emotional freedom. They experience authentic expression, energetic sovereignty, and a deep inner stillness. Life begins to flow with synchronicity, as opportunities and connections align effortlessly. These transformations unfold uniquely for each person, spiraling toward a deeper resonance with their true self. How does your work support individuals in creating sustainable personal, financial, and professional growth? Sustainable growth comes from aligning your external life with your internal frequency. Personally, you dissolve self-sabotaging patterns. Financially, you align with abundance frequencies, attracting wealth naturally. Professionally, your work becomes an authentic expression of your essence, opening new opportunities. Growth becomes a spiral, not a sprint–expanding without burnout, giving without depletion, and succeeding without sacrificing your soul. Why is aligning with the New Earth frequencies so important for heart-centered leaders and entrepreneurs today? The old paradigms of leadership–built on fear, scarcity, and control–are collapsing. The New Earth responds to coherence, integrity, and resonance. Heart-centered leaders who align with these frequencies become stabilizers in a chaotic world, influencing through resonance rather than reach. This alignment supports sustainable growth and ensures authenticity in every action. How does your approach contribute to unity consciousness and a more compassionate global community? My approach dissolves the illusion of separation, first within the individual and then within the collective. By realigning with their soul frequency, clients heal inner fragmentation, creating a foundation for external harmony. This embodied presence creates a ripple effect, elevating the emotional and energetic baseline of their communities. Unity consciousness isn’t achieved through ideology but through resonance, fostering a more compassionate global community. What signs should someone look for to know they’re ready to step into their higher purpose and begin this activation journey? You’re ready when your life feels too small for your soul. Signs include discomfort in familiar roles, heightened sensitivity, a pull to simplify, frequent synchronicities, and a deep longing for meaning. Amid this, there’s often a quiet inner knowing–a steady voice whispering, “It’s time.” You’re ready when the cost of staying small outweighs the fear of expansion. What is your invitation to people who feel called to transcend their limitations and step fully into their highest potential? Stop settling for less than who you are. You’re not here to fix yourself–you’re here to remember yourself. If you feel the call, it’s because your soul is already vibrating at a higher frequency than your current life reflects. Let go of the stories that hold you back, breathe into the spaces you’ve been avoiding, and step fully into the energy of who you are becoming. The invitation is here. The field is ready. The only question is: Are you ready to live as the version of yourself your soul already knows? If you feel the resonance and are ready to explore what your soul is calling you toward, I invite you to book a discovery call. Let’s step into the field together. Book your discovery call here . Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Vibecke Garnaas

Book Release Date: November 22, 2025 – New book “You Already Have It: A Practical Guide to Finding Balance Within” challenges the global self-improvement pressure and offers a more sustainable path to well-being. Mental well-being coach Valeriya Kovbuz announces the release of You Already Have It: A Practical Guide to Finding Balance Within , a book that offers an alternative to today’s culture of constant self-improvement. At a time when individuals feel overwhelmed by pressure to upgrade themselves, improve endlessly, and push through exhaustion, Kovbuz offers a grounded path guided by clarity, balance, and sustainable inner well-being. Instead of promoting the idea of becoming someone else, the book invites readers to slow down and reconnect with what is already stable and present within them. “You don’t need to become someone new. You just need to return to who you already are,” says author Valeriya Kovbuz. An original framework designed to support inner stability At the heart of the book is The TREE of Balance Method, Kovbuz’s visual model that maps the inner world across four interconnected domains: Trunk – presence and clarity Roots – safety and core values Extensions – creativity and authentic expression Energy – the current that fuels the entire system This model offers a simple, thoughtful structure for understanding internal imbalance and restoring balance with care. By translating complex inner experiences into an accessible form, it becomes easier to see where stability has been lost and how it can be rebuilt with clarity and intention. Why the book matters now Many people today move through life at a pace that leaves little room to pause, reflect, or reconnect with themselves. Even small moments of inner calm feel rare. This book offers a space to slow down and find that inner steadiness again. You Already Have It addresses this phenomenon directly, offering a counter-narrative to the “always become better” mindset and instead emphasizing sustainability, inner regulation, and authentic self-connection. Designed for both personal and professional use, the book provides practical insights for: individuals seeking clarity and balance coaches and therapists well-being practitioners educators and leaders specialists supporting people under chronic stress About the author Valeriya Kovbuz is a mental well-being coach, speaker, and writer whose work centers on helping people reconnect with their inner steadiness. Drawing on years of coaching experience and a deep engagement with Transactional Analysis, she developed The TREE of Balance Method – an original reflective tool that supports clients in understanding their inner world with clarity, compassion, and balance. Her approach is grounded in the belief that people are already complete. What we often seek is not another reinvention, but a return to what feels true and steady within us. In this book, she brings together her experience, her method, and her philosophy to offer readers a gentle, accessible guide to navigating the complexities of modern life without losing themselves in the process. Availability You Already Have It: A Practical Guide to Finding Balance Within is now available on Amazon . Media contact Email: valeriyakovbuz@gmail.com

Written by Twanna Carter, PhD, Career Transition Coach, Hypnotherapist An ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC) who empowers stressed, busy women execs, tackling impostor syndrome, self-criticism, and doubt to alleviate their stress so that they can find peace of mind and focus on excelling in their careers. Dr. Twanna Carter, renowned executive coach and certified Unbreak My Soul facilitator, today announced the next Unbreak My Soul Safe Space group session, taking place Sunday, June 22, 2025, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM EST via Zoom. Created as a confidential healing circle for professional women facing, or recovering from, workplace trauma, the two-hour virtual gathering offers reflection, validation, and evidence-based tools for rebuilding resilience and emotional well-being. “Too many high-achieving women carry invisible wounds from hostile or undermining work environments,” said Dr. Carter. “This Safe Space is a community where their stories are honored and their healing is prioritized.” What participants can expect from Unbreak My Soul Safe Space group session Guided group discussion that surface common challenges and shared experiences Interactive exercises rooted in positive psychology, trauma-informed care, and resilience science Practical take-away resources participants can apply immediately to support ongoing recovery A nurturing, judgment-free environment that empowers each attendee to reclaim agency, dignity, and confidence in her career Dr. Carter’s approach is shaped by her own journey chronicled in the anthology Corporate Blues: The Untold Truths of Women in the Workspaces . “Healing is an art, one fostered by time, practice, and, above all, love,” she added. “Your healing is sacred. Your thriving is inevitable.” Registration details Attendance is limited and by paid registration only. Interested participants can reserve their seat on Calendly . The registration fee covers: Live access to the two-hour Safe Space session Downloadable worksheets and reflection prompts A curated resource list for continued support About Dr. Twanna Carter Dr. Twanna Carter, PhD, PCC, is an award-winning executive coach and certified Unbreak My Soul Safe Space facilitator based in Bowie, Maryland. She specializes in guiding women executives and leaders out of survival mode, helping them design careers that honor their worth without sacrificing relationships or well-being. Media contact Dr. Twanna Carter CEOTwanna Carter Professional & Personal Coaching, LLC Email: twanna@twannacarter.com Website:   www.twannacarter.com Follow me on   LinkedIn ,   YouTube ,   Instagram , and visit my   website  for more info! Read more from Twanna Carter Twanna Carter, Ph.D., Career Transition Coach, Hypnotherapist An ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC) who empowers stressed, busy women execs, tackling impostor syndrome, self-criticism, and doubt to alleviate their stress so that they can find peace of mind and focus on excelling in their careers. Rather than coach symptoms, she leverages her coaching so that women work on the root causes that threaten to sabotage their career and life. Which means clients see immediate change resulting in decreased stress, increased confidence, and shifting from overwhelm to relaxation. Recognized as an Office of Personnel Management Presidential Management Fellow, Twanna left full-time federal employment to be an entrepreneur. She is currently the CEO of Twanna Carter Professional & Personal Coaching, LLC.