Becoming Changemakers: Transforming Lives Through Collective Healing with Dr. Dominica McBride

An Intimate Conversation with Women of Color

Becoming Changemakers: Transforming Lives Through Collective Healing

Episode 154 with Dr. Dominica McBride

Topics Discussed

• [00:08:10] Creating community through healing.
• [00:08:50] Youth, safety, thriving community economy.
• [00:21:29] Healing as a leadership skill.
• [00:37:22] Community impact and growth.

Healing plays a vital role in personal and community transformation, as discussed in the podcast episode featuring Dr. Dominica McBride. Dr. McBride underscores the significance of healing in the context of leadership development and community empowerment, drawing from her own upbringing in a small rural town marked by both positive and negative community dynamics, including racism and discrimination. These experiences shaped her understanding of the impact of community dynamics, sparking her interest in psychology and community healing.

Dr. McBride's organization, BECOME, is dedicated to fostering community transformation and collective healing. Through their work with organizations and individuals, they strive to address deep-seated issues that hinder communities and individuals from thriving. Their approach involves developing solutions, strategies, and shared aspirations to bring about positive change. Evaluation and research are utilized to track progress and ensure success in building flourishing communities.

Healing is woven into the fabric of the organization's efforts at both the organizational and neighborhood levels. Dr. McBride stresses the importance of healing as a leadership skill, underscoring the need for individuals to confront internal struggles, trauma, and obstacles to unlock their full potential as leaders and change agents. The healing process is viewed as essential for individuals to embrace their power and make positive contributions to their communities.

Moreover, the podcast delves into the value of pausing and reflecting, allowing individuals to process emotions, insights, and experiences. By incorporating healing practices into leadership development, individuals can cultivate resilience, empathy, and self-awareness—qualities crucial for effective leadership and community transformation.

In essence, integrating healing into leadership development is pivotal for personal growth, community empowerment, and collective transformation. By acknowledging and addressing internal wounds, individuals can become more effective leaders, fostering positive change and nurturing thriving communities.

The podcast episode also highlights the profound impact intentional pauses can have on our well-being. Dr. Dominica McBride emphasizes the importance of pausing in our lives to reflect, heal, and grow. She shares an instance where her team engaged in circle practice, incorporating a pause with the use of chimes to facilitate deeper reflection and emotional processing. This intentional pause allowed individuals to tap into deep wisdom, sit with tension, and fully absorb shared experiences.

Additionally, the concept of the "pregnant pause" is discussed, emphasizing how pauses can lead to significant outcomes. The host of the podcast acknowledges the power of pausing in her own life, taking breaks from social media to focus on specific goals and projects. By intentionally stepping back from distractions and taking time to pause, she was able to manifest new opportunities and delve deeper into her passions, such as art curation.

Incorporating intentional pauses into our daily routines can promote self-care, mental clarity, and personal growth. By allowing ourselves the space to pause, reflect, and process our experiences, we create opportunities for healing and transformation. Pauses serve as moments of introspection, enabling us to connect with our inner selves, identify areas for improvement, and set intentions for the future. Ultimately, intentional pauses can lead to deeper self-awareness, emotional healing, and personal development.

Dreams Realized Through Perseverance, Passion, and Dedication

Dr. Dominica McBride shares her journey of achieving her dreams through perseverance, passion, and dedication in the podcast episode. She highlights how her aspirations of raising a family, establishing an organization like Become, and authoring a book all came to fruition through her unwavering commitment and hard work.

Dr. McBride's story exemplifies how dreams can be realized by staying dedicated to one's goals and being passionate about making a difference in the community. Her organization, Become, which focuses on community transformation and healing, showcases the impact that can be made when dreams are pursued with determination and perseverance.

Through her work and personal experiences, Dr. McBride emphasizes the importance of unlocking one's potential, assuming leadership roles, and becoming agents of change in their communities. By pursuing her dreams and staying true to her vision, she has been able to create a positive impact not only in her own life but also in the lives of others, particularly women of color.

The key takeaway from Dr. McBride's journey is that dreams can indeed be realized through perseverance, passion, and dedication. By remaining focused on their goals, individuals can achieve significant and impactful outcomes not only in their own lives but also in the communities they serve. Dr. McBride's story serves as an inspiration for others to pursue their dreams with determination and unwavering commitment, knowing that with perseverance and dedication, anything is possible.

Gems Dropped

• 00:13:22-00:13:32 - "people want to see people using their talent and being able to make enough money, more than enough money off of their talent and off of their passion, and to be able to do it in the community and for the community."
• 00:32:30 - "It's amazing how much healing can be in a pause."
• 00:37:53 - "become change makers. Tap into what it is that you want for your life, those dreams that you want for your life."

About Dr. Dominica McBride

Dr. Dominica McBride is a leading thinker in the realm of community psychology, community healing, and collective transformation. As a champion of Culturally Responsive Evaluation and a grassroots advocacy strategist, she has dedicated her work to building the capacity of communities to create the reality they desire and deserve.

In 2013, Dr. McBride founded BECOME with the belief that communities should be at the forefront of realizing their visions of thriving communities. Drawing on her experience in program development and evaluation projects in Arizona, the Chicago area, and Tanzania, Africa, she recognizes the power of culturally responsive evaluation as a tool for positive change.

With a background in community psychology, Dr. McBride has made significant contributions as a consultant, program director, adjunct faculty member, and therapist in the field. Her expertise and insights have made her a sought-after speaker and trainer for communities, coalitions, and organizations across the nation. She has also been recognized and honored with a range of awards for her outstanding work, including the Supervisor of the Year Award from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology and the Marcia Guttentag Promising New Evaluator Award from the American Evaluation Association.

Dr. McBride holds a PhD in Counseling Psychology with a specialization in Consultation from Arizona State University. Aside from her professional accomplishments, she embraces the joy of motherhood and finds fulfillment in witnessing her two remarkable children flourish.

Connect with Dr. Dominica McBride

Website

Becoming Change Makers: The Exquisite Path to Leadership and Liberation for Women of Color

LinkedIn

About the Podcast

Women of Color: An Intimate Conversation (An Intimate Conversation with Women of Color) is a podcast about women empowerment stories and for Women of Color who want more out of life. This show is for women who have had enough and want change, especially those who have been waiting to choose themselves and live boldly.

In each inspiring episode, hear from women from different backgrounds, countries, and ages who have embarked on personal journeys, sharing their stories of empowerment, overcoming, and their path to living a dream life (style).

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