Break The Chains, Find Your Flame

Over the last 10 years, David has completed over 50 triathlons, including 15 Ironman-distance triathlons (2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26.2-mile run), more than 50 runs longer than marathon distance, including several 24-hour runs, running 85 miles in Mexico in the heat of the summer, running 104 miles straight from Santa Barbara to Manhattan Beach, and most recently biking 4,700-miles in just six weeks as he met with the participants of his upcoming book exploring the emotional side of cancer.

As a former sedentary, over-weight, smoker, David knew that he needed to focus not on what others wanted out of him, but on what he wanted out of life. Through lessons learned in business and sport, David introduces the concept of the “middle of the pack” and discusses how to get more out of ourselves than ever imagined. He applies this concept to life and business and adds value to the people he works with coming from the perspective of the “middle of the pack.”

David was born in Miami and raised mostly in the Los Angeles area. He and his wife split their time between homes in Southern California and Southern Nevada. He has worked in real estate, lending, construction, started both an animation company and a skin care company, and then went into financial services. He has college-aged twins who are as aspirational as their father. After losing his sister to brain cancer, David has organized a yearly fundraiser in her memory, the most recent being the impetus for his upcoming book, Cycle of Lives – 15 People’s Stories, 5,000 Miles, and a Journey Through the Emotional Chaos of Cancer.

ANGELA IRWIN, MBA

Angela Irwin is an international Life & Confidence Coach, TEDx speaker, and the founder of

Joyful Life Solutions (www.joyfullifesolutions.com) which specializes in helping women

reprogram their self-esteem & self-acceptance to build lasting confidence.

Prior to that, Angela spent 15 years in the corporate medical device field, holding various

positions in marketing, management, and clinical education in the U.S., Australia, and

Europe.

During the pandemic, Angela launched the Joyful Life Cochlear Implant Fund

(www.jlcif.org) to help ensure her fellow cochlear implant recipients have access to the

ongoing critical technology that they need to keep their hearing.

Angela supplements her training by drawing from her personal experiences, numerous

challenges, and transitions in her own life.

In addition to her coaching training, Angela holds a B.S. degree in sociology & psychology,

as well as an MBA.

Born in a small farm community in South Dakota, Angela has lived and traveled all over the

world. She and her husband Colin have been living in France for the past 11 years.

You can watch Angela’s TEDx talk here:

https://bit.ly/2S3vHxH

Becky has been practicing Master’s level therapy since 2005 in a broad range of settings which has created her dynamic background. Her work with children, adolescents, adults, couples, families and School Districts keeps her inspired and creative. In addition to her clinical work, Becky has done trainings and talks for programs and agencies in varies parts of the United States.

Becky began her private practice in 2014 and has been focused on providing her local communities with resources and clinical support, aiming to help all people know that they matter in this life and that they are witnessed and cared about. She believes that to understand someone’s current thoughts, feelings and behaviors that it is beneficial to understand what experiences “made us who we are.” By taking time to explore the past and connect it to the present, Becky believes more lasting change, healing and relief can be experienced by her clients.

Becky currently practices in East Bridgewater, MA.

Rolando and Steve talk about Men's Mental Health and Wellbeing

Jo-Ann Venezia Phillips is a Clinical Social Worker and Psychotherapist currently running a private practice in Medway Massachusetts. Jo-Ann’s interests fall heavily on the somatic and depth psychologies, mindfulness, meditation, and the emerging field of relational neuroscience. Educated in social work at both the undergraduate and graduate levels at Salam State University, she believes in a holistic view of the self, looking at a person from a bio-psych-social- and spiritual perspective.

Jo-Ann’s approach integrates developmental, psychoanalytic, and relational psychologies incorporating contemplative, meditative and mindfulness-based approaches to her practice. Over the last 20 years Jo-Ann has trained and practiced in a variety of settings and modalities, primarily with adults and adolescents focusing on the exploration and understanding of the human experience. Jo-Ann has extensive experience, education and training in addiction recovery and trauma. She specializes in working with high-risk behaviors, anxiety, stress, depression, issues with relationships and coping challenges. Her strengths are in teaching adaptive coping skills, exploring underlying causes and identifying and implementing solutions. She has an integrative approach using the theoretical frameworks of Internal Family Systems, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness- Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing and EMDR. In the last several years she has focused on Trauma and Post Traumatic Growth. Using the relational field, Jo-Ann invites her clients to enter into the therapeutic relationship with the spirit of collaboration, exploration and compassion. Grounded in the understanding that a strong therapeutic relationship is vital to the healing and transformation process, Jo-Ann uses play, humor, compassion and warmth to foster a deep connection with those she works with.

Lacey McClure is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in the state of Massachusetts.  She has worked with diverse populations across the lifespan in the greater Boston area.  She spent the majority of her early career working in community mental health in leadership roles and as a therapist.  She owns and operates a private practice where she specializes in treating Eating Disorders that she started in 2018.  At the end of 2020, Lacey left her position as Director of Behavioral Health at Steward Health Care to travel the country on a yearlong road trip while working full time with private practice clients virtually.

Marvin is a Holyoke resident, teacher, musician, and dharma practitioner.

A suicide prevention and social justice educator, Ysabel Garcia founded Estoy Aqui, an initiative that focuses on the sociocultural factors contributing to suicide risk in Latino/Latinx and Black communities via training, dialogue, and outreach. Garcia’s experience as a first-generation Dominican immigrant, as well as her lived experience as a former psychiatric patient, has influenced her work to dismantle the myths and sanism surrounding mental health and suicide. Garcia regularly collaborates with the Massachusetts Coalition for Suicide Prevention, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and the United Suicide Survivors International Council. Additionally, she often advocates for community care alternatives and peer support methods as viable resources for mental health support. Specifically, her outreach program, La Cultura Sana, offers skills-based dialogues addressing suicide and mental health to key figures in the Latino/x and Black community that provide emotional support as part of their day-to-day work or social roles.

Lastly, Garcia serves as a Western Massachusetts Training Consortium board member, Hampden County Health Improvement Plan Behavioral Health Domain member, Suicide Prevention Resource Center Lived Experience Advisory Committee member, and Springfield Youth Mental Health Coalition member. She works in Nipmuc and Pocumtuc Land, known as Western Massachusetts, and holds a master’s degree in public health.

Dr. Pandit is a Licensed psychologist in Connecticut and New York, currently working with patients in skilled nursing, subacute rehab, and assisted living facilities engaging patients in individual psychotherapy, as well as psychological and cognitive assessments. She earned her doctorate degree in Counseling Psychology from Springfield College in Massachusetts in 2016. She completed my post-doctoral fellowship at the Pace University, Westchester Campus, Counseling and Personal Development Center in 2017; and completed her pre-doctoral internship at the SUNY Oneonta Counseling Center in 2016. Dr Pandit's prior experiences have included college counseling, community mental health, in-home behavioral management, and outpatient hospital settings. She is extremely passionate about the intersectionality of mental health and diversity and inclusion.

Our 4th Stigma Is Curable Event based on de-mystifying Anxieties, and challenging concepts and stigmas related to this emotion.

Presented by Steve Opalenik

Some listeners and clients asked me to release just the Progressive Muscle Relaxation guided meditation, without the 20 minute explanation. Here it is, simple and plain, just the guided meditation for your listening pleasure.

Caroline Collins work creates a true expression of the scientific art of mental and physical fitness. She promotes a lifestyle, not a trend. She is a Science Educator, 2x World Ranked Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Brown Belt, an Entrepreneur, and a leader in fitness and health.

After being physically attacked and fearing for her life over 10 years ago, She realized she knew nothing about how to use her body to protect herself. She sought after a martial art and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu found her. After completing her Master’s in Science Education, she moved out to California from Massachusetts to train with the best BJJ competitor and world champion athlete, Cobrinha, and simultaneously start her career in her other passion: science education. Her aim was to teach people how to live healthier and happier in their bodies through conscious existence and natural nutrition and fitness.

After only two years of being a Science Educator, she was promoted to Science Department Chair in the Los Angeles School District. She also served as a Teaching Fellow for the National Science Foundation, being an example for teachers across the country in how to teach science. She lead students in critically thinking about the physiological (function) of the body in order to understand their wellness needs. Knowing the science supports the art of living our best.

Taking the risk to leave a successful career to pursue her deeper passion, she left my job to train as a full-time athlete and compete BJJ nationally and internationally. Simultaneously, she started her first business, a health food company to promote optimal nutrition for active people.

During the 7 years of living in Los Angeles, she started several businesses in the fitness and nutrition fields, including; a health food and catering company that contracted with Mike Tyson, a fitness/self-defense/wellness program that lead seminars in local school districts and in large corporations and also trained personal and group fitness classes and designed nutrition programs for clients.

Her current business, CC Fit & Wellness, is the culmination of her skills, knowledge, and applied experience from being a world ranked Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitor, a leader in science education, and a successful business creator in nutrition and fitness.

The clients she serves are guided to a better understanding of how their body works and its individual needs to function optimally. Her goal for all of her clients is to feel and look beautiful with confidence, strength, and technique.

Instagram: @ccfitandwellness

Website: ccfitandwellness.com

The Promethean Project’s 3rdmeeting of Stigma Is Curable is focused on the stigma related to addiction & recovery. We are honored to host our Guest Speaker, James Garnes.
James Garnes was born and raised in Springfield, MA. The son of two public school teachers, and a multi-instrument/band musician, his journey has taken him from UMass Amherst to prison and back again. James has made a point to engage with his community through speaking engagements in local recovery programs, for the Springfield's District Attorney's Drunk and Distracted Driving program, and for podcasts such as the “Healing Broken Hearts”, and “Break The Chains, Find Your Flame”. He studied Communications at the University of Massachusetts, and believes in the balance of a mental, physical, and spiritual health focused lifestyle

Episode 50!!! So glad to have my cousin, James, on for this episode to talk about his health journey and the small steps he is taking to make a big change in his life!!!

Buy The Book "The Successful Body" here:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08X3V7F53/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_api_glt_JGBZBR3VVTDP5VJNX91M?fbclid=IwAR03L7ceBgkvvhZXlutgUdjfFhMT45DDao2CDfaxeiX7ooX3rJYGE-yl5RY

Rolando Garcia III Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rolando-garcia-iii-48341715/?fbclid=IwAR3jqC-MklyFWLKbAsmWUvD4TUmzqVSzNFmnaTUxTCH7EySpYRlBTwEHHiE

Erik Seversen Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/erik-seversen-56ab9b10/?fbclid=IwAR0La-g5TrmSGD9FeLNh7CU_5icdC0HpDJX_fNY80r08qoEauoaY8NMRJYE

Erik Seversen website:

https://erikseversen.com/?fbclid=IwAR0La-g5TrmSGD9FeLNh7CU_5icdC0HpDJX_fNY80r08qoEauoaY8NMRJYE

Our Presentor:

Dr. Khadijah Tuitt is a Board Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner who completed her terminal degree at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. She in an alumna of the Partnership Fellow’s Program for emerging Leaders of Color and received honorable mention for the prestigious National Compassionate Caregiver of the Year (NCCY) Award.

As a child Khadijah experienced homelessness and neglect and by the time she reached adulthood she was a convicted felon. She is often invited as a panelist or keynote speaker and uses her story of trials to triumphs to help organizations understand the barriers that many Black and underserved individuals face.

Dr. Tuitt works to increase awareness around understanding the power of culture, diversity, and inclusivity. She also mentors in the community and is frequently invited to speak about the effects of substance use and mental illness on individuals, families, and society. She is passionate about increasing awareness regarding mental health disparities in underserved communities and in communities of color.

Resources:

 (n.d.). https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/LSB/LSB10492

 At what cost? a review of school police funding and accountability across the U.S. South - idra. (n.d.). IDRA. https://www.idra.org/resource-center/at-what-cost-a-review-of-school-police- funding-and-accountability-across-the-u-s-south/

 Hassett-Walker, C. (n.d.). The racist roots of American policing: From slave patrols to traffic stops.

The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/the-racist-roots-of-american-policing-from-slave- patrols-to-traffic-stops-112816

 Hinton, E., & Cook, D. (2021a). The mass criminalization of Black Americans: A historical overview.

Annual Review of Criminology, 4(1), 261–286. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-criminol-060520- 033306

 Hinton, E., & Cook, D. (2021b). The mass criminalization of black Americans: A historical overview.

Annual Review of Criminology, 4(1), 261–286. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-criminol-060520- 033306

 Initiative, P. P. (n.d.). Following the money of mass incarceration.

https://www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/money.html

 The New York Times. (2015, May 8). A Conversation About Growing Up Black | Op-Docs | The

New York Times [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSAw51caEeg

 The problem with criminalizing childhood trauma | emancipate NorthCarolina. (n.d.).

https://emancipatenc.org/this-is-for-the-bad-kids/

 The Root. (2017, September 7). How the School-to-Prison Pipeline Functions [Video]. YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zer6FapK49E

 What are aces? | joining forces for children. (n.d.). Joining Forces For Children.

https://www.joiningforcesforchildren.org/what-are-aces/

Additional books to continue the conversation:

Stamped from the Begining - Ibram X Kendi

Me and My White Supremacy- Layla F Saad

How to be Antiracist- Ibram X Kendi

The New Jim Crow- Michelle Alexander

White Fragility - Robing Dianglo

Trailer for our new Miniseries Podcast of Stigma Is Curable- Our programming of community conversations on how to battle against mental and physical health stigmas.

James Harris, attended St Paul’s College (which no longer exists), he has a BA in Psychology.

After his freshman year, he joined the Army. James has eight years of service with an honorable

discharge. He also has two deployments one to Iraq and one to Afghanistan. After his military

duty, he earned a MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) from South University. He

is soon to be a License Professional Counselor (LPC). He is a member of Chi Sigma Iota, ACA,

RACA and sits on the board of NAMI-CVA

Today James is a multi-entrepreneur in Richmond VA, from the therapeutic standpoint he works

in community-based services in the inner cities, sits on FAPT team meetings at school as well as

social services, private practice and has started an international movement.

The movement is called “Men to Heal” which is assisting men to focus on their overall wellness,

mental and physical health. He conducts quarterly sessions on various topics involving men and

mental health. Feel free to stroll his page to purchase a shirt, get familiar or to see him with

celebrities, athletes and politicians who are in support of the movement. James conducts

speaking engagements for various companies and has done engagements in many states and five

countries via skype.

He also owns The HEALing Hub (@the_healing_hub-rva) which offers outpatient therapy,

massages, yoga, mindfulness, financial literacy seminars and feed the less fortunate every third

Saturday.

Lastly, James just authored his first book titled “Man Just Express Yourself” which is an

interactive guide for men, young and old. You can get a copy wherever books are sold. He also

has a YouTube channel which you can subscribe to called Men to Heal, where he gives insight

on certain health both physical and mental in relations to men and families

His website is www.mentoheal.com and his IG:@men_to_heal.

Our guest today is James Garnes. 

James is a Musician in the bands BROTHER and James and the Low Rollers. He is originally from Springfield Ma. and went to UMass Amherst majoring in Communications. He is a self proclaimed lifetime student and bear enthusiast. But more importantly he is one of the most solid people I know. His strength and grace are infectious, and if you get to bend his ear for five minutes, he will challenge your perceptions on life. We talk about addictions, positivity, connection, community and recovery, as well as where science meets spirit creating Magic!

Follow him on:

Insta: @rollin_with_brother_james

Angelica was drawn to the beauty of yoga in her early teenage years. However, it wasn't until college while struggling with grief from the death of her brother and a history of sexual trauma at the hand's of her father that she learned the healing power of yoga. After a decade of committed practice, Angelica decided to pursue yoga teacher training in order to assist others in finding tools to heal themselves. She is a graduate of Yoga Sanctuary's 200-hour yoga teacher training program. She has also completed teacher training certification programs with the Veteran's Yoga Project, Yoga 4 Cancer and Transcending Sexual Trauma through Yoga. She is currently enrolled in a program with the Prison  Yoga Project. Angelica uses movement and alignment cues in her classes to help her students feel a sense of agency, embodiment and empowerment. She currently teaches at Yoga Sanctuary (Community, BIPOC & Spanish), Breathing Space (where I teach public classes and bring yoga to people in recovery homes and prisons) and Bienestar (a program through Umass that offers wellness classes for the spanish speaking community).

Bryna Rogers, MS is a Senior Director at Bay State Community Services, overseeing the Quincy Family Resource Center (QFRC), The Dianne DeVanna Center, and serves as the agency's Infant Specialist. Bryna works with youth and families to insure they have the services, supports, and resources needed for success in school, at home, and in the community. This often involves working with schools, the juvenile court system, and various state agencies and providers. Prior to becoming a Senior Director at Bay State, Bryna spent over 15 years working with youth in school, home, and therapeutic settings. Since 2017, Bryna has served on the DCF Coastal Advisory Board, now serving as Vice President. With a master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling, she has also trained at the Brazelton Center with Boston Children’s Hospital in the Touchpoints and Newborn Observation curriculum. When not at the office, Bryna enjoys spending time with her husband and two boys, ages 21 and 19, walking her dogs Delilah and Cooper, spending time at the beach, and hanging out with her family and friends

Hollee A. McGinnis, MSW, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Social Work. She is a prominent scholar, policy expert, and community organizer on adoption and child welfare. Her research examines social and cultural determinants of children’s mental health, with a focus on improving outcomes for youth and adults with histories of childhood trauma and involvement in systems of child welfare locally and globally. Her current study will explore adult outcomes of adopted and foster care alumni. Prior to obtaining her doctorate in social work at Washington University in St. Louis, Dr. McGinnis was the policy director at the Donaldson Adoption Institute, a national organization focused on adoption policy and practice in the U.S., where she headed a national study on adoption and racial identity among adopted adults. She received her Master of Science from Columbia University School of Social Work (New York City) and completed a post-master’s clinical social work fellowship at the Yale University Child Study Center. In 1996, she founded Also-Known-As, Inc., a non-profit adult intercountry adoptee organization providing post-adoption services to international adoptees and adoptive families. Dr. McGinnis speaks regularly at national conferences and organizations, and has numerous published scholarly articles, book chapters, and essays. In 2008 she was recognized by the U.S. government with a Congressional Angel in Adoption award for her work in adoption. She is regularly sought out by the news media including interviewed about her research on South Korea’s child welfare system and overseas Korean adoptees by the New York Times Magazine, BBC News, and NPR.

Dr. Khadijah Tuitt is a Board Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner who completed her terminal degree at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. She in an alumna of the Partnership Fellow’s Program for emerging Leaders of Color and received honorable mention for the prestigious National Compassionate Caregiver of the Year (NCCY) Award.

As a child Khadijah experienced homelessness and neglect and by the time she reached adulthood she was a convicted felon. She is often invited as a panelist or keynote speaker and uses her story of trials to triumphs to help organizations understand the barriers that many Black and underserved individuals face.

Dr. Tuitt works to increase awareness around understanding the power of culture, diversity, and inclusivity. She also mentors in the community and is frequently invited to speak about the effects of substance use and mental illness on individuals, families, and society. She is passionate about increasing awareness regarding mental health disparities in underserved communities and in communities of color.

Steve is a licensed mental health counselor who specializes in working with people who are seeking to make a change in their health. He has a background in personal training, and utilizes his experiences with mindfulness, meditation, playful movement, and calisthenics to create action plans for those seeking to find/maximize/fuel their inner potential. Steve is a certified Y12SR Instructor ( Yoga as a 12 step recovery program), a certified PCC Instructor (Progressive Calisthenics Certification), and a CMHIMP (Certified Mental Health Integrative Medicine Provider).

Steve is one of the founders of The Promethean Project, and is currently the host of Break The Chains, Find Your Flame!

@theprometheanproject - Instagram

Steven Opalenik, LMHC - Facebook

Steve Opalenik, LMHC - LinkedIn

Rolando Garcia III is a recognized leader in the fitness industry, having served as both coach and mentor to some of the top fitness teams and most recognized brands in the world. His certifications include - RKC Level 2, PN2, Masters in Service and Hospitality at Cornell University, Full Instructor in JKD/FMA, and Coach at Boxe Francaise Savate.  Through his father he inherited the Dizon system of Filipino Martial Arts.  He is also a Brazilian Jiujitsu Purple Belt. Lastly, he is the author of “Intrinsic Excellence”, published by Dragondoor and foreword written by Dan John!

Instagram:

@rolandogarciaiii