Hi ,

Thank you for the warm reception and heartfelt responses after the first newsletter. I hesitated before hitting send, but I’m so glad I did.

Last week, during my morning journaling, I had an aha moment that stopped me in my tracks:

“I am very resilient.”

It sounds obvious; people have told me this for years. But it took me 40 years and two months to truly feel that truth in my body. To say, with full conviction: “I am darn resilient, and I have always been resilient.”

From coming to America at 21 with nothing, to now building Centering Wholeness, completing my Ph.D., and creating a life that reflects both science and soul. It hit me that 21-year-old Alice would look at me and say, “Duh, girl.”

But here’s the thing: that realization didn’t come from striving or proving.

It came when I finally leaned into softness, gentleness, slowness, and abundance.

🖤 Resilience: Our Shared Inheritance

Historically, we Black people, Black women, immigrants, and others from marginalized communities have always been resilient. But that resilience has often been weaponized.

We’re praised for enduring, yet rarely given the resources, rest, or love we deserve. Somewhere along the way, resilience started to mean you don’t need help.

But the truth is, we do.

We always have. And needing help doesn’t make us less resilient; it makes our resilience real.

That’s why this space now has a name: Resilience in Real Time.

A reminder that resilience isn’t a finish line; it’s a living practice one we breathe, return to, and redefine every day.

🧠 From My Research

When I was completing my doctoral research, I studied how mental-health counselors sustain wellness while being consistently exposed to trauma. The findings were profound: those who stayed well weren’t the ones who avoided pain; they were the ones who stayed connected to themselves in the midst of it.

I explored trauma, resilience, and wellness through an ecological lens, recognizing that no one heals or thrives in isolation. Resilience requires community, connection, and care. We need help to be resilient.

If you would like to learn more about my research, please don't hesitate to contact me. (It's about 160 pages).

🪞 Reflection for the Next Two Weeks

Take a few quiet minutes and sit with these prompts:

• Where in my life am I craving more ease?
• What am I ready to release before the end of the year?
• What does “home” feel like in my body right now?

You don’t have to rush to answer. Sometimes, simply noticing is the first step toward coming home to yourself.

💼 What’s New (and What Remains) at Centering Wholeness

• My commitment to Black and African mental health remains at the heart of everything I do. Take a look
• I’m focusing more intentionally on EMDR therapy for trauma healing, offering both weekly and intensive sessions for residents of Ohio and New York (yes, I accept insurance). Schedule a discovery call
• I’m expanding globally through organizational resilience architecture, content creation, speaking engagements, and my Therapist-in-Residence program. Learn more
• And this December, I’ll be launching my biggest project yet, The Coming Home to Yourself Journal Experience. It’s the culmination of my work as a therapist, researcher, and entrepreneur.

In community,

Dr. Alice

Founder, Centering Wholeness LLC

Licensed EMDR Therapist | Resilience Researcher

P.S. In the next issue, I’ll share grounding rituals and small, sustainable practices to help you move through this season with softness and steadiness.