Guest Contributor:
Natasha Helwig:
Introspective Coach, Self Work Facilitator, Writer
Founder of The Broken Heals Self Work Program
Tell us about your educational and/or professional training, and current area of expertise related to mental health and wellness?
I am a Certified Life Coach with the Certified Coaches Federation. I focus mainly on facilitating activities and guiding Black people to do Self Work activities focused on deepening their relationship with themselves and others through plenty of introspection, conversation and journaling. I provide a safe space for people to be comfortable expressing their stories vulnerably and release the shame responses they have from their experiences. We focus mainly on unpacking our relationship with ourselves, our parents, our partners, how we look at sex and desire and rediscovering our gifts and interests.
What are some ways that you promote mental health and wellness through your area of expertise?
I am a Self Work Facilitator who hosts workshops to promote self awareness and wellness. I also write and share my writing via social media. Everything I write about is focused on self love, wellness and understanding love and relationships.
What are some things that we should know about your area of expertise?
My work is not for the faint at heart. You have to be ready to unpack and dive deep into understanding yourself, your patterns and your relationships. However, should you choose to work with me - your readiness leads to your confidence and by working with me I help nurture your self-awareness, uncover your generational patterns, set healthier boundaries, try new things and communicate lovingly and clearly. Through my group workshops you begin to feel more comfortable with vulnerability and through my one on one work I help you hit major breakthroughs within your love and relationships.
What does Black Mental Wellness mean to you?
To me, Black Mental Wellness means taking ownership of where we are, making a decision that we want to move from victim to survivor and then thriver, and giving ourselves plenty of love and grace throughout the journey. Collectively, it means us supporting one another along our process, taking time to listen and create space for one another to be heard, releasing shame surrounding our experiences, finding the message in our mess, and building a community that is fostering growth, love and healing.
How do you promote change and well-being in the Black community?
I publicly promote change through my writing material and content shared on social media. As well, my business, Broken Heals, is focused on facilitating self work workshops and online coaching for Black women to take accountability of their self love, begin practicing consistent self care and build self care habits, unpack the baggage we are carrying in our relationship with ourselves and others and rediscover our gifts and interests.
What are some upcoming events you are leading, that promote mental health and wellness, that you would like for our Black Mental Wellness audience to know about?
The Broken Heals Self Work Program launches on January 12th, 2021. This is an opportunity for Black women to start or continue their healing journey with myself (and other women depending on the package you choose). We will dive deep into our relationship with self and others together, hold one another accountable to setting goals and intentions, uncover our generational patterns, discuss our relationship with sex and desire, and rediscover our gifts and talents.
How can we encourage more people to seek mental health treatment?
It starts by each one of us recognizing individually that we don't know what we don't know. We can only help ourselves along the journey to a point before we hit stagnancy without having external factors/people help us along. We can encourage people to seek mental health treatment by first taking accountability for ourselves and having the courage to seek help for ourselves first. Once we start healing, we begin to heal those around us. When we start applying things we've learned we can begin by having more loving conversations with those around us about the importance of taking care of our mental health.
What are your recommendations for ending stigma in the Black community?
It starts by us having more conversations. Each one teach one. I think social media and influencers are beginning to do a good job by sharing their experiences and saying vulnerably 'this is where I'm at and this is what I'm doing about it'. The conversations are slowly becoming less taboo on social media and we've got to begin bringing these conversations more and more into the home, among our friends and family and at work - regardless of if we are hit with resistance. Secondly, I think we need to read more. We need to read more books about our favourite people, more books on love and relationships, more books on healing and God. I think we underestimate the power of reading sometimes and how much change this can cultivate in our lives.
What can potential clients expect during an initial session? Follow up sessions?
An initial session with me is meant for both of us to see if we vibe and our energies match or not. I will ask you questions about your self love, your habits, how your relationships have been with yourself, your parents and past or present partners - and the goal is to get an overall look at what you need help with and whether or not my offerings can help you. In follow up sessions, you are given self work (homework) prior and we come to the session and unpack that work together. I help you dive deeper into your introspection and help you hit breakthroughs in understanding yourself and your patterns. We work together to discover who you are, your core values, your generational patterns, what you've needed from parents and partners, your sexual fantasies and so much more. Sometimes the sessions can be heavy, other times light hearted and fun, however all the time they are enlightening.
What wellness strategies do you think should be given more attention within the Black community? Are there any reasons why you think they are not given more attention?
Rest, Rest, Rest. We need to fall in love with real rest, self love and presence. We are engrained to work ourselves into the ground, be hyper focused on everyone else but ourselves and constantly thinking about the past or the future without seeing what's right in front of us in the present. Why are they not given more attention?
Well, 1) slavery taught us. 2) colonialism and this capitalist society doesn't create space for us to rest and 3) we are scared to sit with ourselves - we run around like busy bodies and ignore ourselves because we don't know what will come up.
When we do sit still, we are so drained that we just crash and sleep. We've told ourselves there isn't any time and if we try to rest we feel guilty about it. Again we have to acknowledge where we are at, find acceptance and from there be able to make changes.
How do you make time for your own wellness and self-care?
I have a morning routine - each morning I read, write, pray and exercise. I make sure that at minimum I do each of these activities for at least 5 mins. Usually I will read and write for 20 mins or so each, prayer is 5-10 mins and exercise is always 15 mins minimum up to 45 mins. I don't like feeling like I 'have' to do something so I make sure to keep things as simple as possible within my schedule. I get all of these activities done within an hour to two hours depending on the morning. I also write my gratitudes each and every day as part of my 'writing' in my morning routine. The 5 Minute Gratitude Journal by Intelligent Change has been great in keeping me accountable with this - I recommend it to anyone.
What are your top favorite wellness and self-care strategies?
read. write. talk. Pray
Guest Contributor
Natasha Helwig (Tash) is an Introspective Coach, Self Work Facilitator and Writer that has been helping Black women grow, love, heal and be heard for over 7 years. Her workshops are not for the faint at heart - they are for those struggling with their self worth, those that may have been wounded in a relationship with family, friends or intimate partners and for those that are simply feeling stuck or out of place in their present life. Tash's work is the light touch needed to help inspire you to begin seeking guidance and taking action in various areas of your life. There is no small talk with Tash, she encourages you to go deep and she knows how to cultivate an environment that encourages vulnerability, confidentiality, openness and sharing.
