January 9, 2025 • 30 mins
On this episode of Voices of Legacy, we are privileged to host Lashanna Alfred, a licensed independent social worker, trauma therapist, and certified EMDR consultant whose life’s mission is to help individuals overcome trauma and unlock their full potential. Lashanna is also a five-time author, adjunct professor, and empowerment coach specializing in relational trauma, emotional resilience, and confidence building.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Good morning, listeners, friends, and well maybe even some family
who knows. And welcome to the Voices of Legacy, where
we're honored to have and welcome Miss Lashawna Alfred. Hopefully
I'm pronouncing the name correctly. Yes, yes, good good. A
distinguished license independent social worker, trauma therapist, and certified e
(00:44):
M d R Consultant. We're going to explain exactly what
that is, with a mission to empower individuals to overcome
limiting beliefs and unlock their full potential. Amen, Sister Lashana,
I was expecting amen from with five books, five time
author and counting, I'm expecting an adjunct professor, empowering coach.
(01:08):
She specializes in relational trauma, emotional resilience, and confidence building.
I might need some of your services, offering transformative programs
and workshops that blend personal experience with professional expertise. Her
passion for helping others and I feel you right there.
(01:29):
We could stop right there. Her passion for helping others
heal and grow is evident in her dedication and her
calling to foster lasting change in those that she interacts with.
Good day, good morning, good afternoon, Miss Alfred, how are
you hello?
Speaker 2 (01:46):
I am doing great. Thank you for having me. I'm excited.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Well, thank you for being here. I'm excited to hear
your interesting story. Now, is there a movie forthcoming?
Speaker 3 (01:55):
No, not a movie in the making, but I definitely
believe it should be a movie.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
I would agree, and we're going to explain why that is.
Can you tell us something about yourself.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
I am a resilient individual who has a heart for people. Yeah.
I had a heart for people, and it didn't come easy, right,
So I had to go through some things to get
to this point or where I am in.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
My life now.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
So it wasn't always that way.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Wasn't always that way.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Oh wow, that's an ad mission and a half. So
how did you come to this point? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (02:31):
So I am born and raised in Toalled, Ohio, and
my mom and dad both was murdered when I was youngers,
and so that impacted me in ways that I didn't
realize until I became an adult. And so I literally
lived my life as if it was me against the world,
and so I did what I wanted to do. I
(02:51):
was raised by my grandmother and my uncles, and so
they were there with me throughout, you know, my life,
teaching me life lessons that probably wasn't conducive to where
I actually wanted to go in life. So where I
was raised, it was drugs, violence, sex and all of that,
and ultimately it landed me in prison in a different country.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Oh wow, What country was that I was in?
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Trinidad and Tobago.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
Wow. And not only were you in prison, but you
had a little present in prison.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Yes, yes, I was actually pregnant.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
Oh my goodness.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
Yes, I was actually pregnant and delivering my baby there.
And that was an experience because they didn't care that
I was delivering a baby. They still reminded me that
I was still a prisoner. Right, so my hands was
handcuffed to the bed. Wow, and the officer yeah, oh
my goodness, Yeah, while I was there delivering a baby.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
Now, which book is this in?
Speaker 2 (03:51):
This is in Behind Bars, A Chance to Change.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
And so I wrote that book because I realized once
I was physically behind bars, I was mentally behind bars
before I was ever physically, And so helping other individuals
identify those mental bars that we find ourselves in that
can keep us stuck in relationships on jobs that.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
You know, we don't like.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
And so that's that first book, Behind bars a chance
to change.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
Wow. Wow, So this was the beginning of I almost
want to call it somewhat of a ministry of help
for others sharing your testimony.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
Yes, yes, definitely so because I met God there, so
definitely ministry a transformative you know, life for me and
understanding that I didn't go through it just for me,
and so that's why I am own my voice and
every opportunity that I have to encourage or empower someone
(04:48):
else by sharing my story and not just sharing my story, right,
but literally getting out the wisdom that I've gleaned from
what I've been through to help others.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
So there's healing in that testimony, not only for the
m that you blessed with sharing your story, but also
for yourself. It sounds like, absolutely did you find freedom
in sharing your story?
Speaker 2 (05:08):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (05:08):
Well, to be honest, I found freedom while I was
still locked up. Oh wow, prior to being able to
share my story.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Right.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
So the freedom came just with me being face to
face with my reality. And so me sharing my story
is kind of like it's just a part of my life.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
But I was free before I got out.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
That sounds like a Paul experience that you had and
you were free Incarceray, Oh yeah, that's an awesome story.
Explain to our listeners what is E m d R.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
So EMDR stands for I movement, de systecitization and reprocessing,
And basically it's a skill that we use to help
the left and right brain work together. And so some
people use their fingers and have you follow their fingers
going left and right. And what people don't understand is
(06:01):
that when we're walking, when we're doing that left and
right movement, it's actually creating that bridge between our left
and right brain. And so that's what MDR is. It
literally helps individuals who have trauma stored in a part
of their brain get released into another part of the brain.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
Full disclosure. I have to act like I don't know
a lot of stuff. Then I do know so I
can get you to talk about. However, I actually experienced
traumatic brain injury myself, so I didn't have the EDMR deal.
But when I was doing the research for our interview today,
it reminded me of when one of my eyes were
actually across. I was thrown from a patrol vehicle and
(06:43):
got a subdermalhemon toe me and bled to the right
and had paralysis to the right and it crossed my eyes.
I had to do something similar to that. I had
to focus, I like what you were talking about, on
one side with that close and then focus on the
other side. And after a while, if you practice it,
yes you're straight. Yes and hopefully. But so, so this
is an effective way to help people deal with trauma.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
Yes, yes, yes, and so it also helps with traumatic
brain injuries as well.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Even the individual who founded.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
It, she had experienced got some traumatic medical news and
so she was walking and she noticed that she was
going taking her eyes left and right, and by the
time she got to her destination, she noticed the charge
that she was feeling related to this news was gone.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
So with the e m d R, you you utilize
this to help people deal with trauma now in conjunction
with the story of your life or how do you
handle that?
Speaker 2 (07:48):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (07:49):
So I'm a license independent social worker, so I have
my own private practice and so yes, oh yes, yes,
and so when I'm doing this particular therapy, it's them
coming into my office. So this has nothing to do
with Lashana. One of the things about being an MDR
(08:10):
therapist is that we have to get out of the way, right,
we learned to get out of the way. So it
has absolutely nothing to do with me, and even I
want the listeners to understand when we're talking about trauma,
we're not talking about like just the big T traumas.
We're also talking about the small T traumas. So anything
less than nurturing is traumatic.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
Wow, I might have to get an appointment. So this
has empowered you to be free to walk in your calling,
to be a benefit to people passed, as you said,
more than just you, yes, And how has that benefited
you in life as you see it?
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (08:46):
You know, when I began my change journey, right, I
remember praying and saying to God, I didn't want my
story to just be I was in prison, right, And
I also wanted to impact more lives with my new
life right in a positive way than I did when
I didn't know any better. And so now it's just
(09:08):
so rewarding that I can actually be what I wish
I had, right. I'm able to be that mentor that
positive figure to individuals when I didn't have it, you know.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
So yeah, that's the rewarding part.
Speaker 4 (09:20):
For me, kind of like the know to do good
but not do it absolutely that's a sin, absolutely, and
it's a blessing on the other hand to do what
you're doing is help people, and this gets me excited
empowerment and personal growth.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
In your role as an empowerment coach, what are some
of the common limiting benefits that you encounter and how
do you guide individuals in overcoming them.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
So some of the limiting beliefs that I encounter are
things like I'm not good enough, right, I don't belong,
I'm different. It's my fault, right, And those things come
from childhood experience, and we start owning it, well, it's
my fault, and we make excuses for other people's behaviors
(10:06):
because we're used to being blamed, so we begin to
blame ourselves and so that can be hard. That can
be really challenging.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
What about when people actually are somewhat to blame. How
do you balance that? It seems like it's a hard
thing to balance.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
Yeah, well, see, it's when.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
Sometimes you have some culpability in your own circumstance.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
Absolutely, But then when I so as a therapist, I
trace it back to see where did this come from.
So a lot of times we think that's just in
the past, but what I have people understand is how
the past is showing up presence, right. And so just
say a child who was less than received less nurturing, right,
(10:49):
and so they don't quite know how to manage their emotions,
and so they become angry. So now as an adult,
we see this twenty thirty forty year old who's being
more physically violent, and we can look at that like
they should know better. But when we're talking about the
brain and how the brain process information, if that's how
I know how to survive, That's how I know how
(11:09):
to survive, whether I'm thirty, forty fifty and so me
being able to help them go back and trace it
and see how what they've been through in the past
is showing up presently, that's how we bridge that down.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
Deprogramming, reprogramming. Yes that makes sense. Yes, that's about right. Wow, Wow, Wow,
I almost feel like I'm going to have to pay
when we're done. Community engagement. You've been involved in well
a lot of initiatives fashion shows aimed at the mental wellness.
(11:43):
Could you tell us more about the events and their
significance to what it is that you do.
Speaker 3 (11:48):
Absolutely so. I do a yearly event entitled the unveiling.
So the unveiling is Lashawa taking counseling to the stage.
So I know a lot of people is not going
to come into a counselor's office, right, So this is
my way of creating a platform where individuals feel like
they're going to have they're having fun, right, they don't
feel isolated. Yeah, you know, single out And so this
(12:11):
year spot right. Yeah, So in twenty twenty four, we
actually had a men's panel, so men talking about the
impact mental health has had on them. I had other therapists, men,
male therapists who came and shared their story.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
And so every year it's.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
About creating a space for people to feel free with
being their authentic self.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
Yes, man, that sounds awesome. That sounds awesome. The educational
contributions that you've made have been considerable. As an adjunct professor,
how how do you integrate your professional experience into your
teaching and what do you hope your students take away
from your courses and even your experience.
Speaker 3 (12:53):
Yeah, and so I have been I graduated with my
masters at the University of And here's an interesting story.
My parole officer told me I would be a good
social worker. So nobody in my family went to college,
none of that. And then even as my parole officer
was introducing me to that, I'm thinking I probably needed
(13:14):
a social worker when I was younger, right, And so
that's how I actually got into getting my own degree.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
And so after that, I began to teach.
Speaker 3 (13:24):
As an adjunct professor at the University of Toledo in
twenty eleven and have been, you know, teaching since. And
so one of the takeaways as a because I teach
social workers, and many social workers go into that field
because they've experienced some things, and so really helping them
embrace their authentic self as they're going into the field,
(13:48):
and so in blending that what I've been through, so
they understand, like, it doesn't matter where you come from, right,
it doesn't matter how you start, It really matters how
you're been right. Yeah, teaching absolutely absolutely.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
I'm in my zone. Yeah, what I'm teaching.
Speaker 3 (14:05):
I'm able to be you know, I'm able to be me,
able to be free, right, And the reality is wherever
I go, I'd be me.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
I would probably expect that to be true. Which do
you like better, the counseling, the teaching or the writing?
Speaker 2 (14:18):
Oh, I like teaching better.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
Really.
Speaker 3 (14:21):
Yeah, I'm gonna tell you why, because I have an
opportunity to go in and teach, and it's up to
them right to grab the information and utilize it. In counseling,
I have to walk alongside of them, right, So in
teaching what I'm doing my speaking engagements, I'm able to
literally plant the seed and trust that somebody else is
gonna come and water it.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
So I'm assuming you travel and speak.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
Yes, Yes, so I've been to Atlanta, Baltimore, Washington.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
Yeah, so definitely traveling.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
You can go to Cambridge do a symposium and it's
really useful information and I think it touches everybody exactly
where they they are. I think it's important for everybody
to really realize who they really are, their genuine self,
their their pain and their suffering, and how that benefits
you moving forward. I think we can focus too much
(15:13):
on how it how bad it hurts, right, and the
hurt is something that you can either maintain or let go. Yes,
And that's what I'm hearing in what you're saying today
and even in what I read from your books. Tell
us about those five books of yours? Yeah? And is
there another one?
Speaker 3 (15:28):
Yes, okay. So the first one behind bars the Chance
to Change. So of course I wrote that book because
I was thinking, Okay, I'm coming home with a felony
and I'm not gonna allow the system to stop me
right and cause me to go back into a lifestyle
that can take me away from my children. So that
was that first book. That's when I started You Change.
(15:49):
And then the second book is Ladies, Take Your Man
Back Now The Man Stance for Mature Assertive Nature. I
wrote that book because I was in a relationship and
a young lady had just got out of the relationship
with the person I was in a relationship with, and
so she was feeling devastated, right, And so I remember
getting off the phone with her and I prayed for her,
(16:11):
and I just I was late.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
Called you yeah, oh wow, Yeah you know how guys
are Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
Yeah, I do.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
But yeah, she called me I talk to people, oh yes, yeah.
Speaker 3 (16:25):
So she called me wondering how this person she had
been with for ten years all of a sudden want
to marry me, right, And so I was like, Okay,
this is bigger than him, bigger than me, bigger than you.
Maybe God is saying something to you. But Anyway, after
I got off that phone, I began to write, and
I literally wrote the first three chapters just from that
you know, phone call.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
So, ladies take your Man.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
Back, mature, assertive nature, really understanding who we are prior
to any trauma or break nasty breakup or the.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
Boy taking a negative into a positive.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
Oh yeah, oh my goodness, yes, So that's the Ladies
take Your Man Back. Then the Power of Perception healing
from the inside out. As a therapist, I realized that
individuals was looking for their healing outside of them, and
so that book helps them really identify the internal things
that needs to change in order for them to receive
their healing.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
And then the fourth book is.
Speaker 3 (17:22):
Justice Wears a Dress The Power of a Woman's Voice.
And so that was inspired through Trayvon Martin's mom And
so when we looked at all the unarmed black men
who was being murdered, I was not focused so much
on that as much as I was focused on the
women who was crying out, you know, for change. And
so that one Justice Wears a Dress, the power of
(17:45):
a woman's voice and helping women own their voice right
and not be silent when it's concerning things about us right,
our bodies, whatever, just to open your you know, open
your mouth and own your voice.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
Don't be afraid, don't be afraid.
Speaker 3 (18:00):
And the last one, the fifth one, is the Freedom
Formula has proven strategies to help you break free from
the beliefs that keep you stuck. And so I'm really
really excited about that book that's going into audio as well.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
And really, I mean just being free.
Speaker 3 (18:15):
And we don't realize that the thing that's keeping us
from being free is that limiting belief that we have you.
Speaker 1 (18:22):
Yeah, it's always you. And harken back to Paul in Silence,
I mean to be in prison, to be able to
be in a place of euphoria, but yet you're physically incarcerated.
Is the condition of a lot of people that experience trauma.
It's in your mind, you went through it. Don't discount that.
We don't erase that. However, yes, you can choose what
(18:45):
you do with what you've been through.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
Absolutely, absolutely, that's where we get get read some of you.
That's where we get the pain and its purpose in
the past.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
Right, yes, yes, yes, of those five books, I'm going
to ask you, hopefully not too hard of a question,
what's your favorite.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
So far, so far, it's the Freedom Formula.
Speaker 3 (19:04):
I love the Free because I learned more, you know,
with this fifth book than I did with the first four. Right,
even when we're talking about the title, we're talking about
the chapters.
Speaker 2 (19:14):
You can literally open a book and see like full
word picture. So I have. One of the chapters is
goal Setting.
Speaker 1 (19:22):
Is that the one that has the interaction where you
can write in it?
Speaker 3 (19:25):
No, no, no, no, okay, yeah, that one is the
power of Perception.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
You can write in those. I think the other four
you can really write it.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
Yeah, but this one here, I mean you can go
to it and see it has mindfulness techniques and different things.
It tells the stories of individuals who have actually experienced
feeling trap, feeling stuck, and how they got the courage
to move forward and do something different.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:52):
So it's other stories of other people can healthy. Awesome, awesome, awesome.
What are some of the most rewarding moments you've experienced
in your career and how have you navigated the challenges
inherent in your field and in these wonderful experiences.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
I was picked to be.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
To receive award at the University of Toledo the Social
Work program for twenty eighteen, and I believe twenty nineteen
as a war for alumni, and so that was really
rewarding to say, basically saying, the work that I've been
doing after graduation, right outside of the university, that.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
Is very rewarding.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
One of the challenges is it's really challenging for me
to sit back and watch individuals or agencies create programs
that may not really help people, but that can really.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
Hinder them, you know. And in my experience, I've had
to you.
Speaker 3 (21:11):
Know, really like leave positions because they're no longer aligned
with my core values because I believe that people can change.
And although I'm not against like medication assistance, i believe
that it's there to assist, not to be like the cure,
because it's not right like people. When we're dealing with
(21:31):
mental health, individuals have to be able to feel and
we don't want medications that's going to hinder us from
feeling right. So they need to be able to feel
it and then be able to shift a mindset, you know,
a belief around it so they can begin to you know,
take control of their lives. So that's been a challenge
as well.
Speaker 1 (21:51):
So here's a question for you hopefully can answer it.
I think you can. I'm trying to think of how
to form this. But the change mental health. And we're
right down the street from one of the mental hospitals
here from the sanitariums. Toledo had a beautiful as much
as it can be, but physically beautiful sanitarium has gone
(22:12):
now has been gone for many, many years. In most areas,
especially urban communities, there's very limited mental help. How does
that affect what you do? Yeah, And it sounds like
you're you're thinking along the same lines. It seems as
though there's a thought to maintain the status quo.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
Yeah, but what about the cure? Right?
Speaker 3 (22:34):
It's really unfortunate, right because again there is there's a
lot of programs popping up, right, but there is minimum
access to what individuals actually need, right, and so, and
it's a lot of bureaucratic things that's in place that
(22:55):
can blot people from getting to help as well.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
And so if I have a mom.
Speaker 3 (22:59):
Calling then about their older adult child, it's really little
I can do because the adult child has to be
willing to receive the help, even if they're mentally incapable,
you know, of really asking for you know, outside of
you know, pink slipping and that type of thing. We
have individuals who's able to come to our office and
(23:22):
pretend like, oh, no, everything is okay, but their mom
is like, no, I'm seeing what's going on at home.
But we have to go off of what the actual
individual is saying. And so it's a lot of blockage
there as well.
Speaker 1 (23:35):
And it's so hard to get someone actually committed to
some type of mental health help. It's very hard, and
I can relate to that. Looking for it, looking ahead?
What projects and initiatives are you most excited about. I
heard about the book that's soon to come or is
it already out? The fifth one? The fifth one?
Speaker 2 (23:55):
I think you said the fifth one is out.
Speaker 1 (23:56):
But you're getting ready to do the audio? Yes, okay,
or at least release it. How do you envision some
of the initiatives and projects that you have the impact
in the community and what do we have to look
forward to?
Speaker 3 (24:09):
Yeah, so April fourth, I believe April fourth or fifth,
we're having a gala. It's a mental health gala and
it's minority women led agencies, be able health agencies in
the City of Toledo. And I'm really excited about that,
and it's really really highlighting the actual individuals who are
(24:33):
actually providing help, you know. So that's what this gala
is for, designed to target individuals who are actually in
the mental health field, providing help and really honoring them,
supporting them, letting them know that the work that they
do is important and so and then it may I'll
be doing the unveiling and so that is for the
(24:55):
community individuals who know that they have a hard time,
you know, being their authentic self and coming out and
just being able to hear and see an empowerment you know.
Speaker 1 (25:08):
Event that sounds exciting looking forward to that. For those
listening you who may be struggling with trauma and seeking
personal growth, what advice would you offer a person that's
in the middle of potentially a crisis or not dealing
with some past trauma that's affecting their life.
Speaker 3 (25:27):
Now, Yeah, the advice I would offer them now is
to seek professional help. And I don't just say that
because I'm a therapist, right, I say that because so
often we suffer in silence, you know, internalize things, and
then we're looking for the people around us to help us.
Speaker 2 (25:48):
Who's not even equipped to help us. Right, like our.
Speaker 3 (25:51):
Spouses, our family members, you know, parents, they may not even.
Speaker 2 (25:55):
Be equipped to help us.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
So I would say to a listener, you know that
may be bruggling and really trying to move forward to
seek help. And then if they don't want to, they're
not quite ready to go into someone's office. Get a book, right,
Get a book and journal, start writing down, do some mindfulness, meditation,
(26:16):
really allowing yourself to get real with what's actually happened,
you know, what has actually happened in your life, and
stop you know, masking it. If it hurt, it hurt,
it's okay, right, yeah, exactly, Yeah, and don't pretend if
you don't feel good, say that.
Speaker 1 (26:33):
Yes, last question of the day, what do you think
mss Alfred's legacy is and what would you like for
it to be?
Speaker 2 (26:45):
That is? That's that's that's a nice question. I like that.
Let's see what do I think it is? Now? I believe, Oh.
Speaker 1 (26:58):
As you're thinking, I'll say, I really en and I
just summarized, skimmed over your stuff. I'm like, I gotta
read these books. They're really good. And that's a go ahead.
Speaker 3 (27:08):
Yeah, I believe it's one of you know, resilience, triumph,
you know, freedom, right, and empowerment.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
But the core of it is God.
Speaker 3 (27:27):
Right, Like I really would not be who I am
outside of who I am in Christ. That's it, right,
and I believe that's what it is now. And I
don't know if I would want it to change too much?
Speaker 1 (27:43):
Right, So yeah, to do it over again.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
Oh my goodness, I would.
Speaker 3 (27:48):
It's I don't think it's when I look back, right,
I'm talking about even my prison experience, like I needed
that because if outside of that, I would still be stuck.
I would still be thinking it was my family who
was keeping me out of trouble. Right, I was still
but I was in a place where my family tried
to reach me and they couldn't.
Speaker 2 (28:09):
And God, I mean when I.
Speaker 3 (28:11):
Say tried to reach me, they came paid for somebody
to try to get me out. And while I'm in court,
they're telling me you getting out, You're getting out, And
in my spirit God said, You're not going nowhere.
Speaker 2 (28:24):
Because I got you you. This was an assignment.
Speaker 1 (28:27):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (28:28):
And even when it was time for me, I didn't
even know when I was going to be released, but
I kept reading where the scripture says that my time
was in God's hands, and so I trusted that, and
I remember God saying to me, I'm not trying to
change your situation. I'm trying to change you. And so
when I say the legacy, I wouldn't change it. Every
(28:50):
single thing that I've been through has been orchestrated to
create the woman I am today.
Speaker 2 (28:56):
I'm good with that.
Speaker 1 (28:57):
That is amazing and I'm so thankful that you chose
to come sit with us for just a little bit
here at WGT Public Media. Thank you again for coming.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
Yes, thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (29:22):
Thank you for listening to the Voices of Legacy. This
is your friend, Pastor Krol Mitchell, the third your host
of this program. We want you to go to WGTE
dot org slash legacy to like, share, subscribe, and hear
all of our past podcast and our future podcast. Be
a friend and join with us in the Voices of Legacy,
(29:46):
where you're writing your own legacy every day that you live.
Have a blessing WGT Voices around us.
Speaker 3 (30:23):
WGT supported in part by the American Rescue Plan Act
funds allocated by the City of Toledo and the Lucas
County Commissioners and administered by the Arts Commission,
Good morning, listeners, friends, and well maybe even some family
who knows. And welcome to the Voices of Legacy, where
we're honored to have and welcome Miss Lashawna Alfred. Hopefully
I'm pronouncing the name correctly. Yes, yes, good good. A
distinguished license independent social worker, trauma therapist, and certified e
(00:44):
M d R Consultant. We're going to explain exactly what
that is, with a mission to empower individuals to overcome
limiting beliefs and unlock their full potential. Amen, Sister Lashana,
I was expecting amen from with five books, five time
author and counting, I'm expecting an adjunct professor, empowering coach.
(01:08):
She specializes in relational trauma, emotional resilience, and confidence building.
I might need some of your services, offering transformative programs
and workshops that blend personal experience with professional expertise. Her
passion for helping others and I feel you right there.
(01:29):
We could stop right there. Her passion for helping others
heal and grow is evident in her dedication and her
calling to foster lasting change in those that she interacts with.
Good day, good morning, good afternoon, Miss Alfred, how are
you hello?
Speaker 2 (01:46):
I am doing great. Thank you for having me. I'm excited.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Well, thank you for being here. I'm excited to hear
your interesting story. Now, is there a movie forthcoming?
Speaker 3 (01:55):
No, not a movie in the making, but I definitely
believe it should be a movie.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
I would agree, and we're going to explain why that is.
Can you tell us something about yourself.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
I am a resilient individual who has a heart for people. Yeah.
I had a heart for people, and it didn't come easy, right,
So I had to go through some things to get
to this point or where I am in.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
My life now.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
So it wasn't always that way.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Wasn't always that way.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Oh wow, that's an ad mission and a half. So
how did you come to this point? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (02:31):
So I am born and raised in Toalled, Ohio, and
my mom and dad both was murdered when I was youngers,
and so that impacted me in ways that I didn't
realize until I became an adult. And so I literally
lived my life as if it was me against the world,
and so I did what I wanted to do. I
(02:51):
was raised by my grandmother and my uncles, and so
they were there with me throughout, you know, my life,
teaching me life lessons that probably wasn't conducive to where
I actually wanted to go in life. So where I
was raised, it was drugs, violence, sex and all of that,
and ultimately it landed me in prison in a different country.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Oh wow, What country was that I was in?
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Trinidad and Tobago.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
Wow. And not only were you in prison, but you
had a little present in prison.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Yes, yes, I was actually pregnant.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
Oh my goodness.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
Yes, I was actually pregnant and delivering my baby there.
And that was an experience because they didn't care that
I was delivering a baby. They still reminded me that
I was still a prisoner. Right, so my hands was
handcuffed to the bed. Wow, and the officer yeah, oh
my goodness, Yeah, while I was there delivering a baby.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
Now, which book is this in?
Speaker 2 (03:51):
This is in Behind Bars, A Chance to Change.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
And so I wrote that book because I realized once
I was physically behind bars, I was mentally behind bars
before I was ever physically, And so helping other individuals
identify those mental bars that we find ourselves in that
can keep us stuck in relationships on jobs that.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
You know, we don't like.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
And so that's that first book, Behind bars a chance
to change.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
Wow. Wow, So this was the beginning of I almost
want to call it somewhat of a ministry of help
for others sharing your testimony.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
Yes, yes, definitely so because I met God there, so
definitely ministry a transformative you know, life for me and
understanding that I didn't go through it just for me,
and so that's why I am own my voice and
every opportunity that I have to encourage or empower someone
(04:48):
else by sharing my story and not just sharing my story, right,
but literally getting out the wisdom that I've gleaned from
what I've been through to help others.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
So there's healing in that testimony, not only for the
m that you blessed with sharing your story, but also
for yourself. It sounds like, absolutely did you find freedom
in sharing your story?
Speaker 2 (05:08):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (05:08):
Well, to be honest, I found freedom while I was
still locked up. Oh wow, prior to being able to
share my story.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Right.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
So the freedom came just with me being face to
face with my reality. And so me sharing my story
is kind of like it's just a part of my life.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
But I was free before I got out.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
That sounds like a Paul experience that you had and
you were free Incarceray, Oh yeah, that's an awesome story.
Explain to our listeners what is E m d R.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
So EMDR stands for I movement, de systecitization and reprocessing,
And basically it's a skill that we use to help
the left and right brain work together. And so some
people use their fingers and have you follow their fingers
going left and right. And what people don't understand is
(06:01):
that when we're walking, when we're doing that left and
right movement, it's actually creating that bridge between our left
and right brain. And so that's what MDR is. It
literally helps individuals who have trauma stored in a part
of their brain get released into another part of the brain.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
Full disclosure. I have to act like I don't know
a lot of stuff. Then I do know so I
can get you to talk about. However, I actually experienced
traumatic brain injury myself, so I didn't have the EDMR deal.
But when I was doing the research for our interview today,
it reminded me of when one of my eyes were
actually across. I was thrown from a patrol vehicle and
(06:43):
got a subdermalhemon toe me and bled to the right
and had paralysis to the right and it crossed my eyes.
I had to do something similar to that. I had
to focus, I like what you were talking about, on
one side with that close and then focus on the
other side. And after a while, if you practice it,
yes you're straight. Yes and hopefully. But so, so this
is an effective way to help people deal with trauma.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
Yes, yes, yes, and so it also helps with traumatic
brain injuries as well.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Even the individual who founded.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
It, she had experienced got some traumatic medical news and
so she was walking and she noticed that she was
going taking her eyes left and right, and by the
time she got to her destination, she noticed the charge
that she was feeling related to this news was gone.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
So with the e m d R, you you utilize
this to help people deal with trauma now in conjunction
with the story of your life or how do you
handle that?
Speaker 2 (07:48):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (07:49):
So I'm a license independent social worker, so I have
my own private practice and so yes, oh yes, yes,
and so when I'm doing this particular therapy, it's them
coming into my office. So this has nothing to do
with Lashana. One of the things about being an MDR
(08:10):
therapist is that we have to get out of the way, right,
we learned to get out of the way. So it
has absolutely nothing to do with me, and even I
want the listeners to understand when we're talking about trauma,
we're not talking about like just the big T traumas.
We're also talking about the small T traumas. So anything
less than nurturing is traumatic.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
Wow, I might have to get an appointment. So this
has empowered you to be free to walk in your calling,
to be a benefit to people passed, as you said,
more than just you, yes, And how has that benefited
you in life as you see it?
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (08:46):
You know, when I began my change journey, right, I
remember praying and saying to God, I didn't want my
story to just be I was in prison, right, And
I also wanted to impact more lives with my new
life right in a positive way than I did when
I didn't know any better. And so now it's just
(09:08):
so rewarding that I can actually be what I wish
I had, right. I'm able to be that mentor that
positive figure to individuals when I didn't have it, you know.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
So yeah, that's the rewarding part.
Speaker 4 (09:20):
For me, kind of like the know to do good
but not do it absolutely that's a sin, absolutely, and
it's a blessing on the other hand to do what
you're doing is help people, and this gets me excited
empowerment and personal growth.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
In your role as an empowerment coach, what are some
of the common limiting benefits that you encounter and how
do you guide individuals in overcoming them.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
So some of the limiting beliefs that I encounter are
things like I'm not good enough, right, I don't belong,
I'm different. It's my fault, right, And those things come
from childhood experience, and we start owning it, well, it's
my fault, and we make excuses for other people's behaviors
(10:06):
because we're used to being blamed, so we begin to
blame ourselves and so that can be hard. That can
be really challenging.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
What about when people actually are somewhat to blame. How
do you balance that? It seems like it's a hard
thing to balance.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
Yeah, well, see, it's when.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
Sometimes you have some culpability in your own circumstance.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
Absolutely, But then when I so as a therapist, I
trace it back to see where did this come from.
So a lot of times we think that's just in
the past, but what I have people understand is how
the past is showing up presence, right. And so just
say a child who was less than received less nurturing, right,
(10:49):
and so they don't quite know how to manage their emotions,
and so they become angry. So now as an adult,
we see this twenty thirty forty year old who's being
more physically violent, and we can look at that like
they should know better. But when we're talking about the
brain and how the brain process information, if that's how
I know how to survive, That's how I know how
(11:09):
to survive, whether I'm thirty, forty fifty and so me
being able to help them go back and trace it
and see how what they've been through in the past
is showing up presently, that's how we bridge that down.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
Deprogramming, reprogramming. Yes that makes sense. Yes, that's about right. Wow, Wow, Wow,
I almost feel like I'm going to have to pay
when we're done. Community engagement. You've been involved in well
a lot of initiatives fashion shows aimed at the mental wellness.
(11:43):
Could you tell us more about the events and their
significance to what it is that you do.
Speaker 3 (11:48):
Absolutely so. I do a yearly event entitled the unveiling.
So the unveiling is Lashawa taking counseling to the stage.
So I know a lot of people is not going
to come into a counselor's office, right, So this is
my way of creating a platform where individuals feel like
they're going to have they're having fun, right, they don't
feel isolated. Yeah, you know, single out And so this
(12:11):
year spot right. Yeah, So in twenty twenty four, we
actually had a men's panel, so men talking about the
impact mental health has had on them. I had other therapists, men,
male therapists who came and shared their story.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
And so every year it's.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
About creating a space for people to feel free with
being their authentic self.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
Yes, man, that sounds awesome. That sounds awesome. The educational
contributions that you've made have been considerable. As an adjunct professor,
how how do you integrate your professional experience into your
teaching and what do you hope your students take away
from your courses and even your experience.
Speaker 3 (12:53):
Yeah, and so I have been I graduated with my
masters at the University of And here's an interesting story.
My parole officer told me I would be a good
social worker. So nobody in my family went to college,
none of that. And then even as my parole officer
was introducing me to that, I'm thinking I probably needed
(13:14):
a social worker when I was younger, right, And so
that's how I actually got into getting my own degree.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
And so after that, I began to teach.
Speaker 3 (13:24):
As an adjunct professor at the University of Toledo in
twenty eleven and have been, you know, teaching since. And
so one of the takeaways as a because I teach
social workers, and many social workers go into that field
because they've experienced some things, and so really helping them
embrace their authentic self as they're going into the field,
(13:48):
and so in blending that what I've been through, so
they understand, like, it doesn't matter where you come from, right,
it doesn't matter how you start, It really matters how
you're been right. Yeah, teaching absolutely absolutely.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
I'm in my zone. Yeah, what I'm teaching.
Speaker 3 (14:05):
I'm able to be you know, I'm able to be me,
able to be free, right, And the reality is wherever
I go, I'd be me.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
I would probably expect that to be true. Which do
you like better, the counseling, the teaching or the writing?
Speaker 2 (14:18):
Oh, I like teaching better.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
Really.
Speaker 3 (14:21):
Yeah, I'm gonna tell you why, because I have an
opportunity to go in and teach, and it's up to
them right to grab the information and utilize it. In counseling,
I have to walk alongside of them, right, So in
teaching what I'm doing my speaking engagements, I'm able to
literally plant the seed and trust that somebody else is
gonna come and water it.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
So I'm assuming you travel and speak.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
Yes, Yes, so I've been to Atlanta, Baltimore, Washington.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
Yeah, so definitely traveling.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
You can go to Cambridge do a symposium and it's
really useful information and I think it touches everybody exactly
where they they are. I think it's important for everybody
to really realize who they really are, their genuine self,
their their pain and their suffering, and how that benefits
you moving forward. I think we can focus too much
(15:13):
on how it how bad it hurts, right, and the
hurt is something that you can either maintain or let go. Yes,
And that's what I'm hearing in what you're saying today
and even in what I read from your books. Tell
us about those five books of yours? Yeah? And is
there another one?
Speaker 3 (15:28):
Yes, okay. So the first one behind bars the Chance
to Change. So of course I wrote that book because
I was thinking, Okay, I'm coming home with a felony
and I'm not gonna allow the system to stop me
right and cause me to go back into a lifestyle
that can take me away from my children. So that
was that first book. That's when I started You Change.
(15:49):
And then the second book is Ladies, Take Your Man
Back Now The Man Stance for Mature Assertive Nature. I
wrote that book because I was in a relationship and
a young lady had just got out of the relationship
with the person I was in a relationship with, and
so she was feeling devastated, right, And so I remember
getting off the phone with her and I prayed for her,
(16:11):
and I just I was late.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
Called you yeah, oh wow, Yeah you know how guys
are Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
Yeah, I do.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
But yeah, she called me I talk to people, oh yes, yeah.
Speaker 3 (16:25):
So she called me wondering how this person she had
been with for ten years all of a sudden want
to marry me, right, And so I was like, Okay,
this is bigger than him, bigger than me, bigger than you.
Maybe God is saying something to you. But Anyway, after
I got off that phone, I began to write, and
I literally wrote the first three chapters just from that
you know, phone call.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
So, ladies take your Man.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
Back, mature, assertive nature, really understanding who we are prior
to any trauma or break nasty breakup or the.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
Boy taking a negative into a positive.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
Oh yeah, oh my goodness, yes, So that's the Ladies
take Your Man Back. Then the Power of Perception healing
from the inside out. As a therapist, I realized that
individuals was looking for their healing outside of them, and
so that book helps them really identify the internal things
that needs to change in order for them to receive
their healing.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
And then the fourth book is.
Speaker 3 (17:22):
Justice Wears a Dress The Power of a Woman's Voice.
And so that was inspired through Trayvon Martin's mom And
so when we looked at all the unarmed black men
who was being murdered, I was not focused so much
on that as much as I was focused on the
women who was crying out, you know, for change. And
so that one Justice Wears a Dress, the power of
(17:45):
a woman's voice and helping women own their voice right
and not be silent when it's concerning things about us right,
our bodies, whatever, just to open your you know, open
your mouth and own your voice.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
Don't be afraid, don't be afraid.
Speaker 3 (18:00):
And the last one, the fifth one, is the Freedom
Formula has proven strategies to help you break free from
the beliefs that keep you stuck. And so I'm really
really excited about that book that's going into audio as well.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
And really, I mean just being free.
Speaker 3 (18:15):
And we don't realize that the thing that's keeping us
from being free is that limiting belief that we have you.
Speaker 1 (18:22):
Yeah, it's always you. And harken back to Paul in Silence,
I mean to be in prison, to be able to
be in a place of euphoria, but yet you're physically incarcerated.
Is the condition of a lot of people that experience trauma.
It's in your mind, you went through it. Don't discount that.
We don't erase that. However, yes, you can choose what
(18:45):
you do with what you've been through.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
Absolutely, absolutely, that's where we get get read some of you.
That's where we get the pain and its purpose in
the past.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
Right, yes, yes, yes, of those five books, I'm going
to ask you, hopefully not too hard of a question,
what's your favorite.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
So far, so far, it's the Freedom Formula.
Speaker 3 (19:04):
I love the Free because I learned more, you know,
with this fifth book than I did with the first four. Right,
even when we're talking about the title, we're talking about
the chapters.
Speaker 2 (19:14):
You can literally open a book and see like full
word picture. So I have. One of the chapters is
goal Setting.
Speaker 1 (19:22):
Is that the one that has the interaction where you
can write in it?
Speaker 3 (19:25):
No, no, no, no, okay, yeah, that one is the
power of Perception.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
You can write in those. I think the other four
you can really write it.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
Yeah, but this one here, I mean you can go
to it and see it has mindfulness techniques and different things.
It tells the stories of individuals who have actually experienced
feeling trap, feeling stuck, and how they got the courage
to move forward and do something different.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:52):
So it's other stories of other people can healthy. Awesome, awesome, awesome.
What are some of the most rewarding moments you've experienced
in your career and how have you navigated the challenges
inherent in your field and in these wonderful experiences.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
I was picked to be.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
To receive award at the University of Toledo the Social
Work program for twenty eighteen, and I believe twenty nineteen
as a war for alumni, and so that was really
rewarding to say, basically saying, the work that I've been
doing after graduation, right outside of the university, that.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
Is very rewarding.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
One of the challenges is it's really challenging for me
to sit back and watch individuals or agencies create programs
that may not really help people, but that can really.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
Hinder them, you know. And in my experience, I've had
to you.
Speaker 3 (21:11):
Know, really like leave positions because they're no longer aligned
with my core values because I believe that people can change.
And although I'm not against like medication assistance, i believe
that it's there to assist, not to be like the cure,
because it's not right like people. When we're dealing with
(21:31):
mental health, individuals have to be able to feel and
we don't want medications that's going to hinder us from
feeling right. So they need to be able to feel
it and then be able to shift a mindset, you know,
a belief around it so they can begin to you know,
take control of their lives. So that's been a challenge
as well.
Speaker 1 (21:51):
So here's a question for you hopefully can answer it.
I think you can. I'm trying to think of how
to form this. But the change mental health. And we're
right down the street from one of the mental hospitals
here from the sanitariums. Toledo had a beautiful as much
as it can be, but physically beautiful sanitarium has gone
(22:12):
now has been gone for many, many years. In most areas,
especially urban communities, there's very limited mental help. How does
that affect what you do? Yeah, And it sounds like
you're you're thinking along the same lines. It seems as
though there's a thought to maintain the status quo.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
Yeah, but what about the cure? Right?
Speaker 3 (22:34):
It's really unfortunate, right because again there is there's a
lot of programs popping up, right, but there is minimum
access to what individuals actually need, right, and so, and
it's a lot of bureaucratic things that's in place that
(22:55):
can blot people from getting to help as well.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
And so if I have a mom.
Speaker 3 (22:59):
Calling then about their older adult child, it's really little
I can do because the adult child has to be
willing to receive the help, even if they're mentally incapable,
you know, of really asking for you know, outside of
you know, pink slipping and that type of thing. We
have individuals who's able to come to our office and
(23:22):
pretend like, oh, no, everything is okay, but their mom
is like, no, I'm seeing what's going on at home.
But we have to go off of what the actual
individual is saying. And so it's a lot of blockage
there as well.
Speaker 1 (23:35):
And it's so hard to get someone actually committed to
some type of mental health help. It's very hard, and
I can relate to that. Looking for it, looking ahead?
What projects and initiatives are you most excited about. I
heard about the book that's soon to come or is
it already out? The fifth one? The fifth one?
Speaker 2 (23:55):
I think you said the fifth one is out.
Speaker 1 (23:56):
But you're getting ready to do the audio? Yes, okay,
or at least release it. How do you envision some
of the initiatives and projects that you have the impact
in the community and what do we have to look
forward to?
Speaker 3 (24:09):
Yeah, so April fourth, I believe April fourth or fifth,
we're having a gala. It's a mental health gala and
it's minority women led agencies, be able health agencies in
the City of Toledo. And I'm really excited about that,
and it's really really highlighting the actual individuals who are
(24:33):
actually providing help, you know. So that's what this gala
is for, designed to target individuals who are actually in
the mental health field, providing help and really honoring them,
supporting them, letting them know that the work that they
do is important and so and then it may I'll
be doing the unveiling and so that is for the
(24:55):
community individuals who know that they have a hard time,
you know, being their authentic self and coming out and
just being able to hear and see an empowerment you know.
Speaker 1 (25:08):
Event that sounds exciting looking forward to that. For those
listening you who may be struggling with trauma and seeking
personal growth, what advice would you offer a person that's
in the middle of potentially a crisis or not dealing
with some past trauma that's affecting their life.
Speaker 3 (25:27):
Now, Yeah, the advice I would offer them now is
to seek professional help. And I don't just say that
because I'm a therapist, right, I say that because so
often we suffer in silence, you know, internalize things, and
then we're looking for the people around us to help us.
Speaker 2 (25:48):
Who's not even equipped to help us. Right, like our.
Speaker 3 (25:51):
Spouses, our family members, you know, parents, they may not even.
Speaker 2 (25:55):
Be equipped to help us.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
So I would say to a listener, you know that
may be bruggling and really trying to move forward to
seek help. And then if they don't want to, they're
not quite ready to go into someone's office. Get a book, right,
Get a book and journal, start writing down, do some mindfulness, meditation,
(26:16):
really allowing yourself to get real with what's actually happened,
you know, what has actually happened in your life, and
stop you know, masking it. If it hurt, it hurt,
it's okay, right, yeah, exactly, Yeah, and don't pretend if
you don't feel good, say that.
Speaker 1 (26:33):
Yes, last question of the day, what do you think
mss Alfred's legacy is and what would you like for
it to be?
Speaker 2 (26:45):
That is? That's that's that's a nice question. I like that.
Let's see what do I think it is? Now? I believe, Oh.
Speaker 1 (26:58):
As you're thinking, I'll say, I really en and I
just summarized, skimmed over your stuff. I'm like, I gotta
read these books. They're really good. And that's a go ahead.
Speaker 3 (27:08):
Yeah, I believe it's one of you know, resilience, triumph,
you know, freedom, right, and empowerment.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
But the core of it is God.
Speaker 3 (27:27):
Right, Like I really would not be who I am
outside of who I am in Christ. That's it, right,
and I believe that's what it is now. And I
don't know if I would want it to change too much?
Speaker 1 (27:43):
Right, So yeah, to do it over again.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
Oh my goodness, I would.
Speaker 3 (27:48):
It's I don't think it's when I look back, right,
I'm talking about even my prison experience, like I needed
that because if outside of that, I would still be stuck.
I would still be thinking it was my family who
was keeping me out of trouble. Right, I was still
but I was in a place where my family tried
to reach me and they couldn't.
Speaker 2 (28:09):
And God, I mean when I.
Speaker 3 (28:11):
Say tried to reach me, they came paid for somebody
to try to get me out. And while I'm in court,
they're telling me you getting out, You're getting out, And
in my spirit God said, You're not going nowhere.
Speaker 2 (28:24):
Because I got you you. This was an assignment.
Speaker 1 (28:27):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (28:28):
And even when it was time for me, I didn't
even know when I was going to be released, but
I kept reading where the scripture says that my time
was in God's hands, and so I trusted that, and
I remember God saying to me, I'm not trying to
change your situation. I'm trying to change you. And so
when I say the legacy, I wouldn't change it. Every
(28:50):
single thing that I've been through has been orchestrated to
create the woman I am today.
Speaker 2 (28:56):
I'm good with that.
Speaker 1 (28:57):
That is amazing and I'm so thankful that you chose
to come sit with us for just a little bit
here at WGT Public Media. Thank you again for coming.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
Yes, thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (29:22):
Thank you for listening to the Voices of Legacy. This
is your friend, Pastor Krol Mitchell, the third your host
of this program. We want you to go to WGTE
dot org slash legacy to like, share, subscribe, and hear
all of our past podcast and our future podcast. Be
a friend and join with us in the Voices of Legacy,
(29:46):
where you're writing your own legacy every day that you live.
Have a blessing WGT Voices around us.
Speaker 3 (30:23):
WGT supported in part by the American Rescue Plan Act
funds allocated by the City of Toledo and the Lucas
County Commissioners and administered by the Arts Commission,
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