I was very excited about our conversation. Not only because we are both survivors of childhood sexual abuse, but also because we know how important the church is for communities...especially in communities of color and especially for survivors of domestic and sexual violence.

Veronica Thompson, LCSW, is a trauma therapist, a committed Christian, and a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. She has dedicated more than twenty years to helping children, teens, and families navigate and overcome the trauma of sexual abuse. In her writing and clinical work, Veronica explores the intersection of the Christian faith with the best clinical psychotherapy practices.

Veronica earned her Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University (New York, NY) and minored in law. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from

Southern Connecticut State University (New Haven, CT).

Website: http://veronicathompson.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/veronicathompsonlcsw/

Movement and Chakra Healer Shanda is back! This time around, she is sharing her experiences with Mardi Gras. I aIso asked her to give us a reading for this Fire Horse Year, and we got answers. The ancestors came through and gave us a spiritual lashing, I mean, a lesson. lol. https://www.domangotraining.com

Welcome to Come to the Brink. I’m Zoë Flowers.

This season, The Disruptors, is about people who challenge what we’ve been told to accept—about work, identity, healing, leadership, and who we’re allowed to become.

Today’s guest understands disruption not as rebellion for rebellion’s sake, but as an inward reckoning that changes everything outward.

I’m joined by Joyce Kyles.

At the heart of Joyce Kyles Consulting is a commitment to wellness, self-care, and transformation. Joyce brings over twenty-five years of professional experience and lived wisdom into spaces where individuals and teams are invited to grow, unlearn, and reimagine what thriving can look like—personally and collectively.

Her work disrupts narratives we take for granted: how we see ourselves, how we work, how we care for others, and how we give ourselves permission to evolve.

Joyce and I talked about endings and new beginnings, and evolving through choice, not drama.

Welcome to Come to the Brink. I’m Zoë Flowers.

This season, The Disruptors centers people who have challenged the status quo—not just through ideas, but through decades of sustained, embodied work. People who stayed long enough to see what harms us, what exhausts us, and what it actually takes to heal.

Today, I’m joined by Vanessa Timmons.

Her work is grounded in a deep commitment to liberation through wellness—and today, we’re beginning at the root.

Vanessatimmons.com

Today’s episode is about a difficult, necessary question: How do we interrupt harm in our movements and organizations without becoming the very thing we’re trying to dismantle?

Darin J. Dorsey is a facilitator, consultant, and trainer who supports organizations and coalitions in strengthening internal resilience, advancing strategy, and improving cross-movement coordination.

His work focuses on helping groups align values, structures, and practices to support effective violence prevention and long-term systems change.

This episode includes discussions of sexual assault. Please take care while listening.

https://www.rootingmovements.org/about-us

https://www.motherjones.com/criminal-justice/2022/03/racism-domestic-violence-sexual-assault-movement-anti-me-too-black/

https://www.instagram.com/rootingmovements/

https://darinjdorsey.substack.com/p/on-nonprofit-consulting-in-2025

UGoddess is a poet and hip hop artist.

By day, she is a proud paralegal. But no matter how demanding her life gets, she chooses her music, poetry, and truth-telling even when it would be easier to stop.

Her work blends old-school hip-hop with her Jamaican culture, creating music that is rooted and intentional.

https://www.instagram.com/ugoddess_the_poet/?hl=en

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_ASqZua62vg7ETMETxUHyA

Check out her music: "Stirring it Up" is available everywhere. Live Podcasts: "Lyrics and Levels" is a breakdown of music, production, and all things hip hop, "Black Girl

Cash App $Just4UGoddess

Today’s conversation is about dreaming as disruption.

I’m honored to talk with author, independent researcher, and community connector Dr. Stephanie R. Burns.

Dr. Burns is a Master Dreamer, founder, and host of Reimagine New Orleans. Reimagine New Orleans is a series of community gatherings that invite residents, artists, elders, culture-bearers, and thinkers to collectively envision the future of the city rooted in memory, creativity, and shared heritage.

Her work disrupts the idea that dreaming is passive or impractical. Instead, she reminds us that dreaming—especially in communities shaped by loss, displacement, and resilience—is a form of planning. A form of care.

Contact Info:

https://linktr.ee/StephanieRBurns

Happy New Year!!

After the sudden loss of her mother, Diandra Ford-Wing made the courageous decision to pause her thriving corporate career—choosing healing over momentum, reflection over productivity. That decision became the seed for her debut novel, Red Bird, a deeply moving exploration of loss, resilience, and becoming.

Today, Diandra advocates for grief-literate workplaces—challenging organizations, universities, and leaders to move beyond outdated bereavement policies and toward cultures where people are supported through life’s hardest moments.

https://www.booksbydiandra.com

https://www.diandraspeaks.com