{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"S3E9: Mental Health Advocate, Mom, Veteran, Latina: A Hidden Healer Featuring Ayanna Kelly","description":"In this episode, guest Ayanna Kelly, an Afro-Latina advocate, disabled veteran and mom, shares an inside look at her mental health journey from burnout to standing at the White House as a leader of the Mental Health Youth Action Forum. (\u200b\u200bhttps:\/\/www.mentalhealthishealth.us\/youth-action-forum\/) That forum, which took place in May 2022, was created in partnership with MTV Entertainment Group and coordination with the Biden-Harris Administration.   In a \u201csurreal\u201d moment, Ayanna found herself standing next to President Joe Biden and U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, and other highly accomplished people.  She saw herself as a model of \u201cbeing that one person that other people can see themselves in.\u201d  Before reaching such a significant milestone, Ayanna had been known for speaking of mental health challenges of intergenerational issues and the additional pressures of being an Afro-Latina woman, where sometimes it felt like \u201cthere was no space for me.\u201d Topics covered in this interview: \u2013Breaking away from being an enabler to regaining mental health, Ayanna talks of learning to make herself a priority.   \u2013Often asked to speak of dealing with children\u2019s mental health, she shares a poignant story of teaching her son to express the range of all his feelings. She talks of \u201cletting the light shine in all the dark places.\u201d \u2013Dr. Alfiee recommends Happy to Be Nappy, a great book for teaching self-concept and self-image to children through the eyes of a young brown child:(https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Happy-Be-Nappy-Board-Book\/dp\/1484788419) \u2013Commended by Dr. Alfiee for her \u201copenness, vulnerability and perseverance,\u201d Ayanna shares challenges with postpartum depression after her daughter was born, when she didn\u2019t want to get out of bed or even shower. \u2013The power of learning from others is detailed, including \u201cThe Hidden Healers,\u201d  which is a group of advocates dedicated to providing accessible mental health resources for communities of color and other marginalized groups.  Some teach culturally relevant mental health concepts, from praying five times a day, as shared by two Muslim women, to volunteering.  \u2013Ayanna explains the way poderistas (Latinas) help. She is an active Poderistas Power Squad member where she helps uplift the Latina community through civic engagement, social justice initiatives, and mental health roundtables.  \u2013The launch of Ayanna\u2019s new podcast, \u201cSazonycorazan,\u201dis revealed, where people share stories from real life, and what they learned from others, including the Hidden Healers\u2019 group.  The title means: \u201cSeasoning in Heart.\u201d  She discloses her wish list of dream guests, the top one being Dr. Bren\u00e9 Brown. About Ayanna Kelly: Ayanna (she\/her\/ella) is a proud Afro-Latina residing in the DMV area with her family where she earned her master's degree in Human Resource Management after serving eight years in the military.  Ayanna is an advocate for DEIBA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity, Belonging, and Accessibility) )and mental well-being for people in the workplace. She uses her lived experiences as an Afro-Latina, mother, and disabled veteran to breathe life into her HR, DEIBA, and advocacy work. She teaches organizations how to create psychologically safe workplaces that foster belonging.  Ayanna is an MTV Mental Health Youth Action Forum leader where she curated mental health campaigns to address the inequities which limit BIPOC youth from accessing mental health services.  Ayanna truly believes in the inter-connectivity of mental health, anti-racist practices, and true belonging in the workplace and in society.  In her spare time, you'll catch her at the soccer field with her first born, tending to her houseplants, walking her dogs, and reading as many books as possible.  Words to live by:  "You can't get to courage without rumbling with vulnerability." -  Dr. Bren\u00e9 Brown  Follow Ayanna Kelly: Website: https:\/\/www.ayannaskelly.com\/ Instagram: https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/ayannakelly\/ LinkedIn: https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/ayannakelly\/ Podcast: \u201cSazonycorazon\u201d with Ayanna Kelly https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/saz%C3%B3n-y-coraz%C3%B3n\/id1630800362 https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/6VCC10D8JyZQjcdXGTPObG Follow Dr. Alfiee: Website:  https:\/\/dralfiee.com Instagram: https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/dralfiee Twitter: https:\/\/twitter.com\/dralfiee Linkedin: https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/dralfiee\/ Website: https:\/\/dralfiee.com Find out more about the AAKOMA Project here: https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=yvTKmYKi24I Season 3 Produced By: https:\/\/socialchameleon.us More Couched in Color: https:\/\/dralfiee.com\/podcast Music Produced by: Mark \u201cKing\u201d Batson (Superproducer of your favorite artists and Grammy award-winner for albums with Eminem and Beyonc\u00e9) ","author_name":"Couched in Color","author_url":"http:\/\/couchedincolorpod.libsyn.com\/","html":"