*BONUS BIRTHDAY WEEK EPISODE* #FlashbackFastForwardFriday

Join us as Leah and I tackle the “Courageous Conversation” topic of HEALING! There are so many things that damage eyes which require work to heal. One of those areas in my life was low/no self-esteem and jealousy. So many traumatic experiences culminated in my youth with the intent to destroy me but God! Although I was able to live through it there was damage done. By the time I reached high school was already in pieces. I had already been molested/raped, impregnated and experienced abortion, attempted suicide, and so much in between. I had no idea who I was or who I was supposed to be. Expelled from the math science and apply technology program I had placed into from middle school, I entered a “new world” at a parochial school. Full of rage, anger, sadness, loneliness and a monsoon of other emotions, I put on my mask and tried to fit it. I wanted to BE normal but I wasn’t. By the time I intersected with Leah, in MY MIND she was everything I wanted to be but wasn’t. I wasn’t healthy enough to admire her so I hated her because I was jealous. My own journey through mental illness/wellness and healing led me to understand that when I did not know who I was I was not able to TRULY connect with anyone. Mini years have passed since that time until now and miraculously Leah and I connected after many years and developed a genuine and beautiful friendship but this is our very first conversation about why we did not get along in high school. Leah never knew that I was jealous of her she just knew we did not connect. NOW, Leah IS my sister and friend. “Leah is a Licensed Clinical Therapist (LMSW) and a two-time graduate of the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. During her time studying, she gained a bachelor of arts degree in psychology and then later earned her master’s degree in social work with a more in-depth focus on mental health and interpersonal practice. She is also a licensed coach for trauma. More popularly known as "The Mental Reconstructionist," Leah is one of the best at rebuilding people's lives by res