Together we can...
Shatter the Shame; Break the Silence
Shatter the Shame; Break the Silence -The Panel
For the first time, an official week of Sexual Assault Awareness Month will be dedicated to the lived experience of Black people to bring awareness to the prevalence and impact of sexual trauma on and within the Black community!
The week wraps up with a live event where esteemed experts in the field come together to discuss and share with the community their stories, their work, their impact, their resources, and their continued commitment to be of service!
Join us as we close out the week by shattering shame, breaking silence, and healing on purpose!
MEET OUR PANELISTS
Dr. Michelle Gilliard
Dr. Michelle Gilliard, Ph.D., has spent much of her mental health career working with children, adolescents, adults, and their families dealing with varying presenting concerns. Her years of clinical work and advocacy experience exude a strong passion for working with underserved populations through a trauma-focused lens. Her clinical practice has been supplemented through counseling, research, supervision, and teaching. Dr. Gilliard's primary area of research and treatment specifically focuses on childhood sexual abuse (CSA) within African American communities and families. From inpatient psychiatric facilities to PHP/IOP settings, Dr. Gilliard has been able to specialize in depression/mood disorders, trauma-informed care, severe mental illness, and a variety of other presenting concerns. Additionally, Dr. Gilliard is an adjunct professor at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology teaching master's students in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program and Counseling Psychology program.
Alexander K. Horton
Alexander K. Horton has a deep interest and expertise in African American life, history, and culture; specifically history, politics, and mental health. By working to connect it to informed action, he has successfully affected change at various levels and in different ways over more than a decade. He strives to develop autonomous Black power and culturally relevant healing strategies for people of African descent.
Michelle Jackson
Michelle Jackson is a voiceover artist, author, certified coach and transformative speaker. Michelle provides practical strategies to help survivors of sexual trauma accept their truth and forge their own path of healing and restoration. Her "FLPT" approach has inspired scarred women to fight for their recovery through her forgiveness, love, purpose and transformed thoughts approach.
Michelle uses her experience as a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and clinical depression as motivation to raise awareness of suicide prevention and child protection. Her advocacy work led to her being the author of "When She FLPT," an international speaker, and co-host of the "Hey Aunty & Ash" podcast.
Robert H. Marshall Jr.
Robert is one of the top empowerment and wellness empowerment speakers, and he’s on a mission to inspire 1 Million boys and men through his empowerment speaking. Robert’s journey to wholeness from bullying, fatherlessness, and sexual traumatic experiences make him the perfect advocate for boys and men looking to overcome adverse and traumatic experiences.
Robert’s passion for helping boys and men achieve healing and personal abundance is powered by his vision to see all people set free from unjust and inequitable systems, socioeconomic walls, emotional blockages, and traumatic boundaries caused by adverse childhood and life experiences. Marshall truly believes every human has the ability to walk in total wholeness and unlock their greatness.
Ashley Johnson-Wicks
Ashley Johnson-Wicks (Ash Janelle) is a mom wife and multi-hyphenate creative. She is a trained actor with a B.A. in Acting and a Masters in Teaching. Ash is the author of a 2021-memoir vividly retelling her journey of trauma and sexual abuse called The Surgery. She is also 1/2 of the podcasting duo “Hey Auntie & Ash” where her and her life mentor “bridge generations through conversations”. In addition, she is the founder of an inspirational e-commerce stationary line called The Organized Well. Ash’s message is one of healing, wellness, and intimacy with the father. She hopes to inspire women and men to tell their stories and heal with God.
Dr. T.Jai Rogers
"Dr. T. Jai Rogers is a seasoned mental health professional and captivating speaker with over 12 years of experience. Transitioning from a business background to counseling, he now co-owns Master Your Mind Counseling and Consultation, providing therapy to individuals, couples, and families in a safe and supportive environment. Dr. Rogers is dedicated to advancing mental health, particularly for persons of color, through his clinical practice and research. His multifaceted approach encompasses not only therapy but also educational initiatives and community outreach efforts aimed at empowering individuals. With a passion for understanding and addressing the unique challenges within the Black community, Dr. Rogers leaves a lasting positive impact on those he serves, embodying a commitment to holistic well-being."
Sauntè Harden-Tate
Saunte` Harden-Tate (pronounced Sahn-tay) is a Black American Chicago Westside Native, creative writer, Advocate, Community Educator, Trauma Advocate, proud mother of two, and wife.
With a deep-rooted passion for healing, advocating, and educating the community on trauma, Saunte has over 12 years of advocacy, and prevention work which includes advocating for the rights of people such as survivors of Gender-based violence, at-risk youths and young adults, marginalized folks (especially the black community), and the LGBTQIA+ community. With her deep understanding of trauma, Saunte` has a special affinity for uplifting and educating the community on the long-steaming traumas and struggles that disproportionately affect the black community.
Knowing firsthand and witnessing the depth of trauma among black people, Saunte` has a profound desire to start the healing
process but found that the biggest issue was that the black community struggled to talk about the many traumas that they deal with every day; so, she created a web show called “Oh! We Gon’ Talk!” This webshow facilitates conversations centered around generational trauma within the black community.
Heal On Purpose Founder
& Panel Host
Dr. Yulinda Renee Rahman aka Doc YuRoc is a Trauma Informed Board-Certified Kink Conscious Sex Therapist with a Doctorate in Clinical Sexology.
She is a researcher of sexual trauma, therapeutic BDSM, and creator of resources for sexual trauma healing, and author of “A Power Exchange with Your Pain: A Guide Towards Reconciliation with SELF.
Her vision is to break the stigma around sexual trauma that prevents Black folks from seeking support by providing education, creating resources, and guiding them through her therapeutic modality, Self-Reconciliation Therapy. The work began with a focus on Black women and has expanded to include the Black community.
"I see deeply and have been gifted with the capacity of making people feel safe enough to allow me to see them and reflect back to them the beauty that is their many parts.
I lead with intuition guided by clinical skill and communicated through empathy earned by lived experience.
As I say to everyone I work with “as I speak to you, I speak to myself” meaning that I do not suggest, inform, or invite anyone to do anything that I myself have not done, am doing, or need to do.
WE are in this together. I DID so you CAN DO, and hopefully with a bit more ease.
No more silo. Around Here WE #healonpurpose.
