In the Suite Podcast Episode 29: The Importance of Race, Mental Health, and Conducting DEI Workshops in the Workplace with Dr. Virletta Bryant, The Art of Healing Center

Dr. Virletta Bryant, Founder & CEO at The Art of Healing
Dr. Virletta Bryant, Founder & CEO at The Art of Healing
Dr. Virletta Bryant, Founder & CEO at The Art of Healing

Today’s episode of In The Suite with Dr. Virletta Bryant is all about the importance of honoring race, mental health, and conducting Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) workshops in the workplace. This is a special broadcast and one that actually begins to ‘create the bridges’ that Dr. Bryant speaks about as we build connections to one another. Dr. Bryant has a natural aura of kindness, patience, and philosophy that echoes as she speaks, and lingers yet when she listens. 

In addition to offering consulting services to different businesses and to different organizations, consider Dr. Bryant’s The Art of Healing Center to cope with many of life’s challenges from women’s issues, trauma, relationships, grief, anxiety, or major life changes. 

Dr. Bryant is a licensed clinical social worker and licensed Mental Health Service Provider who has taught at Coppin State University and Washington Adventist University for 20 years combined. She received her Bachelor of Social Work degree from an Historically Black College & University (HBCU), Oakwood University in Huntsville, Alabama. She continued her educational pursuits and obtained her Master of Social Work from Andrews University in Berrien Spring, Michigan, followed by her Ph.D. at the University of Maryland. 

Mental health and finance were always a part of her life. Her own career was influenced by both her parents, Dr. Bryant’s mother, a mental health therapist, and her father, a Certified Financial Planner.

“I really felt like what I could offer was an oasis to women, and to the people that women love,” she explains. She wanted to craft a safe space dedicated to their mental health, to their well being, and to their transformation. That’s why she created her practice, The Art of Healing Center.

In this episode, we dive into trauma, generational trauma, getting triggered, and how to host impactful conversations about race. Trauma and pain don’t have natural endpoints, Dr. Bryant says, so there’s a fine balance of being able to release trauma while also recognizing when we are experiencing it in the first place.

“The same way that you experience it is the same way that you begin to heal from it. There’s only one way and that’s through it,” Dr. Virletta Bryant tells us so eloquently. 

Dr. Bryant says it begins with hosting team-building conversations about race and discussing emotions and important topics in the relationships closest to you, be it work relationships, friends, family, etc. So we did just that! 

I hired Dr. Bryant to conduct a Diversity Equity and Inclusion virtual workshop with my team at C-Suite Social Media over Zoom, called “Creating a Culture of Belonging.” We left the meeting with a closer understanding of each person within the team. We felt 1energized to continue the diversity and inclusion dialogue, eventually shifting our internal culture deck to articulate some of the insights gleaned from Dr. Bryant.

Listen to this episode to hear Dr. Virletta Bryant break down why the body has a physical response to getting triggered. “Remember that pain and trauma is not just a mental concept, it resides in your psyche and in your body,” says Dr. Bryant. 

If you’re looking to lean in boldly to your leadership and build a stronger culture for remote teams in 2021, Dr. Bryant’s virtual training program will make a lasting impact on your organization. She provides women, and their loved ones with a wide range of psychological services in the Washington, D.C. area and virtually. Visit her website The Art of Healing Center to learn more or Contact Dr. Bryant via her contact page

In the Suite is a podcast that shares amazing stories of women in business in the financial services and wealth management industry, and this week’s episode is a slight departure as we discuss race, mental health, trauma, and more! Don’t miss Dr. Bryant’s tips throughout the episode, here are just three to get you inspired!

  1. Breathing is a vital tool. Your breath connects mind, body, and spirit.  One of the best things you can do to calm yourself down from stress or a triggering situation is to breathe. “In through your nose out through your mouth. Whatever you do, make your exhale longer than your inhale. That’s it.” Your body will have a physiological response allowing it to relax.
  2. Emotions and discussions are part of the healing process. Having relationships with people is hard! Figure out how you utilize a particular difference about the other person in a healthy and productive way. It starts with having conversations and understanding a person’s perspective, and it’s okay if emotions come up, which they likely will. “That’s a part of the process,” Dr. Bryant explains. “Emotions help us to understand, aha, there’s something here to be investigated and explored.”
  3. You can’t control your thoughts but you can be aware of them. It’s important to understand that while we don’t have control over the thoughts that float in and out of our brain at any given time, we do have control over what we do with the thought once we think it. What will you do after? A thought can multiply quickly by force of inertia, so don’t let yourself spiral. Be aware, make a shift, pivot.

Show Notes: 

We’re thrilled to welcome Dr. Virletta Bryant In The Suite. This week’s episode is a slight departure as we focus on topics such as race, mental health, trauma, and more. Dr. Bryant is a licensed clinical social worker and licensed Mental Health Service Provider who has taught at Coppin State University and Washington Adventist University for 20 years combined.

This episode is powerful as Dr. Virletta Bryant gives us mighty tips to understand how our brains work, how our bodies work, and how to understand the emotions behind getting triggered. We also dive into trauma, generational trauma, and how to host impactful conversations about race. 

“The same way that you experience it is the same way that you begin to heal from it. There’s only one way and that’s through it,” Dr. Virletta Bryant tells us so eloquently. 

During this episode, we ask Dr. Bryant to teach us how to have productive discussions about race in the workplace and build more inclusive cultures with remote teams, using her “Create a Culture of Belonging” DEI training that she did with our team at C-Suite Social Media. The overall effect was transformational and brought us much closer together. If you would like more information on Dr. Bryant’s corporate workshops for DEI – Diversity Equity and Inclusion Training – delivered over Zoom meeting, you can visit The Art of Healing Center to learn more.

If you are also struggling with women’s issues, trauma, relationships, grief, anxiety, or major life changes, consider Dr. Bryant’s The Art of Healing Center to cope with many of life’s challenges. She provides women, and their loved ones with a wide range of psychological services in Washington, D.C. area. She also offers consulting services to different businesses and to different organizations.

Don’t miss this episode! Join the conversation to hear about:

  • A warm welcome to Dr. Virletta Bryant (09:00)
  • How Dr. Virletta Bryant approaches mental health services (12:15)
  • The heaviness of collective trauma (16:30)
  • Working on the things that we fear the most (21:55)
  • Team building conversations about race (25:50)
  • Discussing emotions and important topics in your relationships (30:30)
  • Imposter syndrome and why you have to “show up” (34:10)
  • How Dr. Bryant approaches individual client and corporate clients (39:00)
  • What does getting triggered do to your body? (42:00)
  • Follow this simple breathing exercise to raises your awareness (46:15)
  • What is cross-generational trauma? (51:00)
  • How to reframe your mindset constructively (54:00)
  • How you can get in touch with Dr. Bryant (58:55)
  • What is Dr. Bryant’s superpower?! (60:40)

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