6. Self-identity as a woman of color with danyelle beal

The Vibrant Introvert

Today is all about perspective taking and identifying the ways in which we develop a rigid self-identify.

Our guest today is danyelle beal, a behavior analyst for more than 20 years. She will share her struggles and her successes, her identity as a black woman, and how journey has led her to become a leader and a mentor for other women of color in her field.

This story is one that doesn’t not have a definite starting or ending point because we are really talking about danyelle’s experience as a woman of color...and that experience continues to today.

We are really going to dig into race issues here primarily through her internal struggle and then explore the outer context of racism and prejudice which is infused in her everylife from the inside out.

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In this episode I share about my coaching practice which has been deeply impacted by Danyelle's story and these podcast interviews. I share so many commonalities with folks like danyelle, who feel marginalized and who engage in behavior that leads to burnout because of the habits we've formed to deal with some hard internal struggles. I wanted to share that I’m in the development stage of my ideas, and that I’m very much open to where this exploring may lead me. One thing I know is that I am really passionate about working with individuals who experience anxiety, who may feel disempowered, and who struggle with self-identify, and who experience these same outcomes of escape from these narratives—overcompensation, burnout, a lack of mentorship from someone who understands them. The reason here is that these labels describe me in the past, and though I am much more flexible and able to navigate my life through these perspectives on myself...they still exist in my internal world. And I’ve learned that that’s ok, but I’ve also learned skills to respond to them in ways that lead me toward my goals and values, not away. And so, in this way, doing this work of self-as-context has taught me so much self-compassion, while also illuminating my own values around my work and who I’m passionate to serve.

I wanted to share this because danyelle’s story really ignited this passion in me. So, thank you Danyelle. If you are interested in learning more about my journey, my coaching, and services, please contact me on my website actinspiredbehavior.com

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Our guest, danyelle beal, is a BCBA of over 20 years, a business owner of Loving Hands and is part of an initiative called Reveal--a community for woman. She provides supervision, mentorship to up-and-coming BCBAs, especially black and brown clinicians, and is working toward her pysD. Reach out to her at https://lovinghandsfamilysupportservices.com