Show up Differently & C.H.A.R.M. them ALL:
Learn how nature & nurture impact relationships
Build a Community of Trusted Adults
Normalize conversations about HARm & healthy relationships
Inspire Diversity, Demonstrate Inclusion, & Empower Each Other
Mentorship
One-on-One & Groups
Adults with Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are more likely to deny themselves of healthy habits, self-care & supportive relationships, often teaching youth to normalize these behaviors.
Without understanding our past and how it impacts our future, youth are often traumatized by people who want to be Trusted Adults but don’t know how because:
1) They haven’t faced ACEs themselves;
2) They never had a Trusted Adult & don't know how to be one.
Real Talks
Hesitant to be the one who says something?
No idea where to turn if there are problems?
You’re not alone.
Knowing what it feels like to be a victim, survivor, and thriver of violence, Marcella likes to dig beneath the surface and shine light on darkness, making her talks real & interactive for youth and adults. Her vibrant yet straightforward delivery has made Marcella an award-winning, sought-after speaker who spotlights the realities of trauma and the possibilities of resilience.
“Marcella really knows how to drop knowledge and makes it fun at the same time... I learned a lot!”
Workshops
1 Hour - all day, one-time or ongoing sessions offer: development, facilitation & evaluation, plus materials. All available remotely. Rates vary.
Be the Trusted Adult YOUth (YOU & youth) need! (Series of sessions, *1-hour each )
Childhood trauma = Adulthood drama 🙇🏽♀️💔🙎🏽♀️🙍🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️
Research shows early childhood trauma can have significant impact on the development and well-being of a person’s life. Depression, divorce, disease can all stem from having ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences). Trusted Adults are well-positioned to be agents of healing and resilience-building. I lived it to learn it to share it.
*Series will address the biology of the body's stress response system, the phases of The Survivor Spectrum — victim mentality, survivor mode, thriving from trauma — and the role of Trusted Adults in creating inclusive and nurturing environments that support resilience.
Identity Quest: The ABCs of ME (Series of sessions; *1-hour each)
We can feel lost, not wanting to ask for directions. Instead, we guess where we need to be and hope for the best. This series of workshops questions the purpose of identity and discusses how knowing our #ABCs🚦 (Awareness-Boundaries-Consent) is the best strategy to finding ourselves. It’s your life, right? Instead of asking others outside of ourselves or following directions from outdated generations, participants engage in conversations about their ABCs in relationships, thereby discovering the best map is their own moral compass.
*Series of three 1-hour workshops, each focused on one of the ABCs. These workshops can be scheduled together or spaced apart to allow participants sufficient time to process information.
Tune In & Watch Out: Recognize & Reshape Trauma in Media (One-time; 1-hour & 2-hour options)
While trauma in the media is not the leading cause of violence in society, it does contribute by glorifying violence through fighting, jealousy, and using social status. Traumatized children can potentially view abusive relationships in the media as normal, even inspiring because they want to emulate what they see and hear. When song lyrics, movie scenarios, and reality TV become reality, children often don’t recognize their need to seek help or learn about resilience often repeating the cycle of violence.
The Consumption of Consumerism: Recognize & Reshape Trauma in Media (One-time; 1-hour)
For adults, it’s crucial to understand how relationships are portrayed in the media, why unhealthy behaviors start & persist, how advertising has drastically contributed to youth suicide & homicide and which strategies can normalize conversations with youth using the 3 C’s of Consumerism, which encourage media literacy & overall healthier generations. Through interactive learning, participants will identify the impact of trauma in media, from print to screen, commercials and product placement, and will learn Tips & Talks (30-seconds to 30-minutes) to help youth understand the differences between fantasy and real-life situations.
The Survivor Spectrum: Survivor-to-Thriver Peer Mentorship Program (One-time; *4-hour)
Many organizations claim to be trauma-informed without being informed by trauma survivors. Yet 1 out of 4 people live with trauma impacted by ACEs, sexual assault, relationship violence, and are then re-victimized by organizations who claim to empower survivors, then offer little to no support, thereby contributing to the survivor’s fears of feeling unseen and unheard.
This workshop provides "outside the box" alternatives to organizations who support survivors’ ongoing success by implementing a Survivor-to-Thriver Peer Mentorship Program.
The Survivor Spectrum: Storytelling Circle & Committee Mentorship (Ongoing Monthly; 1-hour)
All survivors, youth and adults, need a space to speak up, hear themselves, and heal from their hurt. Thankfully storytelling circles have created communities for generations, lending to the reality that when we share out loud, we hear ourselves. While trauma-bonding is often inevitable, allowing ourselves to share without reservation should be to.