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Sonia Head Shot 2021 Sonia Head Shot 2021

The Cultural Wellness Project

People of African descent and others affected by skin color bias experience a 'cleanse' which leads to freedom from the crippling uncertainties, fostered insecurities, and debilitative dependencies caused by bias.

Speaker Information

First Name
Sonia
Last Name
Bailey
Public Phone Number
Zip/Post Code
33313

Speaker Details

Describe the work that you do.
I lead people through the initial cleanse process and assist them to set up structures in their lives and communities which allow them to continue the healing process long after that first 30-day process. We provide individual cultural wellness coaching, workshops and retreats that focus on cultural healing. We provide training and certification to new cultural wellness coaches.
Who do you serve/who is your preferred audience?
People of African descent and all who are affected by the crimes and atrocities committed in the past and the present.
How do you transform your audience?
The audience is made aware that everyone has been affected in this process, and that the Cultural Wellness Movement is not about blame and staying stuck in the past. Participants are invited into the healing journey, regardless of their skin color or circumstances. Together, we acknowledge the importance of helping people of African descent to heal so that the path to healing is then opened to all.
Presentation #1 Details
Title: Preparing to heal from the devastation of bias.
1- Focus on strong universal love. This is comprehensive oneness, a fully embracing love, where the health of one impacts the health of all.
2- Individuals can access healing of the self through an inward, then outward, focus. It is in your best interest and your community’s best interest to come from this place of love.
3- The healing journey is a paradigm shift and a lifelong journey.
Presentation #2 Details
Title: Facing the past (Grieve things that were taken and the things you’ve lost. Mourn with others who’ve shared the journey.)
1- Avoid being plugged into the daily accounts of new atrocities and becoming de-focused on healing. Instead, embrace the realities of the past and the present in preparation for a healthy and bright future.
2- Help others to health by establishing structured ways to acknowledge these truths together.
3- Embrace a healthy cleansing process that acknowledges the strengths within the self that can be built on later.
Share any books you've written, films you've produced, etc.
The Path to Cultural Wellness: Seven Pillars with Reflections and Meditations to Help Us Heal from the Effects of Bias (2022)
Healing Ourselves: The African American Woman's Guide to Richer Living (1998)
Share any Certifications, Degrees, or Awards you have.
Certified Recovery Coach
Why would a booker choose you (sell yourself a bit)?
Ms. Bailey has been assisting people to find freedom from unhealthy attachments, behaviors, and activities for more than 25 years. As a recovery coach, she has applied the principles and processes of recovery to address the root cause issues that keep people from finding healing from the devastating effects of racism.
Share any recommendations, reviews, or testimonials you have.
1,
I was fortunate enough to read the book entitled The Path To Cultural Wellness" by Sonia Bailey. It left me with an overwhelming sense of enlightenment and encouragement. The book gently navigated me through a well lit path toward the seven pillars of recovery with reflections and meditations to help us heal from the effects of bias.
It explains how the 30- day mental, spiritual and physical detoxification and cleansing process of all negativity is essential to true growth and healing.
As an African America woman, I was able to relate to many topics addressed in this book. The very first hit home for me on the topic of self-love. It took quite a while for me to finally feel comfortable in the skin that I'm in and I was therefore able to confidently look in the mirror during the meditation and reflective activity. But I know what it's like to feel inferior, less than, not beautiful enough, not petite enough while living and working among others that seem to have everything. I love how the author gently nudges the reader to find safe and quite places to meditate and reflect and also observe others like us within our community. The idea is to learn to appreciate and love things about ourselves, our own race as well as appreciate the differences and similarities of one another since we are all from the Motherland.
The next important step on the path to Cultural Wellness is to educate ourselves about our culture and our history and dismiss the negative outliers that are on the news or social media. It is important for us to do our own research and then share the knowledge with our friends and families prior to spreading it amongst our communities.
One of the activities on this particular path was pertaining to knowledge. The reader is asked to write down 10 questions that they would want to know about their African history or heritage and then to explore various ways to find the answers to those questions.
The next few chapters on mourning , releasing Hate directed inwards and outwards were very insightful. I believe these to be very intense and purposeful aspects to the healing process. Letting go of the hurtful past memories and images of racism portrayed throughout the years is a necessary step in the direction of healing.
The final few chapters involve healing from the inside out and focusing on our true and immeasurable worth. The meditations and activities seem very uplifting.
The author stresses the importance of utilizing tools such as therapy, counseling, coaching, and mentoring to aid in the healing process. Finding someone that you trust and confide in but also hold you accountable is another option.
Focusing on becoming a greater version of ourselves in every way possible is the final chapter in addition to realizing that this healing is a journey that we are beginning individually but can eventually catapult as a movement within our communities.
I highly recommend this book and can attest to the love that permeates throughout the reading of it. Through the author's cultural enrichment activities, I not only felt loved, but also a sense of connection and validation because of words of wisdom, guidance and advice offered.
Khadija Hunter Ndiaye
2,
The Path to Cultural Wellness is like a breath of fresh air. The book speaks about post trauma and how we have a tool to see the spiritual wounds. It has a wonderful call to action will you take a 30 day the 30 day detox meditation and it helps you step-by-step which is very reassuring and it also speaks about in 3 months taking the same 30 day detox meditation meditation and seeing how you change. I think is wonderful.

It is so wonderful that each other sentence makes you pause and do an inner perspective reflection about your spiritual fitness, your mental wellness, and your overall well-being. Thank you for guiding me inwardly to discover my to reconnect with my higher self.

Rev. Ruben Hamm
What is your primary speaker business model?
Open to All Options
Will you travel to speak?
Yes
What is your speaking preference?
Open to All