Free Coaching Sessions for 12 Brothers

Hey, fam.

First and foremost, thank you for taking the time to read this message.

My name is Josh Odam (he, him, his) and I am the Founder and Curator of Healing While Black LLC, an online platform dedicated to normalizing conversations around mental health and wellness for Black queer, trans*, and gender non-conforming people.

I am a Certified Life Coach, trained in Youth and Adult Mental Health First Aid and Trauma Informed Care by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. 

For many of us, we know our mental health is correlated to the oppressive systems (including, but not limited to, racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and classism) we navigate daily.  My job as a coach is to provide comprehensive and quality support as we set out to actualize your goals. 

For over a year, this pandemic has left us without our usual outlets and support systems. We are all beyond our capacity and need support now more than ever. In this time, we have also been experiencing a destigmatizing around mental health.

We can ask for help if we need it. Black people can ask for help if we need it. Black men can ask forhelp if we need it.

Two weeks ago, we put a call out for consultations. Over 35 Black men of all experiences (including, but not limited to, transgender, cisgender, non-binary, queer, and heterosexual) reached out. Brothers reached out from across the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and parts of Europe. 

Many expressed interest in coaching but could not incur the cost. 

As it is Black Futures Months, I am calling on white accomplices and non-Black people of color  for support in this initiative.

We can fully sponsor 15 Brothers for three months of coaching for $4400.

How it works: As a coach, I meet with brothers every week for approximately 50 minutes.

I subscribe to the CLEAR approach:

Contracting: Opening the discussion, setting the scope, establishing the desired outcomes, and agreeing the ground rules.

Listening: Using active listening, the coach helps the coachee develop their understanding of the situation and generate personal insight.

Exploring
1: Helping the coachee to understand the personal impact the situation is having on themselves.

2: Challenging the coachee to think through possibilities for future action in resolving the situation.

Action
Supporting the coachee in choosing a way ahead and deciding the next step.

Review
Closing the intervention, reinforcing ground covered, decisions made and value added. The coach also encourages feedback from the client on what was helpful about the coaching process, what was difficult and what they would like to be different in future coaching.

If you would like more information, please contact me @healingwhileblack on Instagram.

Cashapp: $healingwhileblack
Venmo: @healingwhileblack

Please note: I am not, nor am I portraying myself or Healing While Black LLC, as a social worker, professional counselor, psychologist, psychiatrist, or licensed mental health professional. The services provided should be viewed as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the knowledge, skill, and judgement of licensed mental health professionals. I do not offer any diagnoses, psychological advice, or evaluation. If higher levels of care are needed, Healing While Black LLC will assist coachee in connecting with an appropriate provider.

Graphic: Sara Wong, NPR