S3E9: Mental Health Advocate, Mom, Veteran, Latina: A Hidden Healer Featuring Ayanna Kelly

Couched in Color

In this episode, guest Ayanna Kelly, an Afro-Latina advocate, disabled veteran and mom, shares an inside look at her mental health journey from burnout to standing at the White House as a leader of the Mental Health Youth Action Forum.

(​​https://www.mentalhealthishealth.us/youth-action-forum/)

That forum, which took place in May 2022, was created in partnership with MTV Entertainment Group and coordination with the Biden-Harris Administration.

In a “surreal” moment, Ayanna found herself standing next to President Joe Biden and U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, and other highly accomplished people. She saw herself as a model of “being that one person that other people can see themselves in.”

Before reaching such a significant milestone, Ayanna had been known for speaking of mental health challenges of intergenerational issues and the additional pressures of being an Afro-Latina woman, where sometimes it felt like “there was no space for me.”

Topics covered in this interview:

–Breaking away from being an enabler to regaining mental health, Ayanna talks of learning to make herself a priority.

–Often asked to speak of dealing with children’s mental health, she shares a poignant story of teaching her son to express the range of all his feelings. She talks of “letting the light shine in all the dark places.”

–Dr. Alfiee recommends Happy to Be Nappy, a great book for teaching self-concept and self-image to children through the eyes of a young brown child:(https://www.amazon.com/Happy-Be-Nappy-Board-Book/dp/1484788419)

–Commended by Dr. Alfiee for her “openness, vulnerability and perseverance,” Ayanna shares challenges with postpartum depression after her daughter was born, when she didn’t want to get out of bed or even shower.

–The power of learning from others is detailed, including “The Hidden Healers,” which is a group of advocates dedicated to providing accessible mental health resources for communities of color and other marginalized groups. Some teach culturally relevant mental health concepts, from praying five times a day, as shared by two Muslim women, to volunteering.

–Ayanna explains the way poderistas (Latinas) help. She is an active Poderistas Power Squad member where she helps uplift the Latina community through civic engagement, social justice initiatives, and mental health roundtables.

–The launch of Ayanna’s new podcast, “Sazonycorazan,”is revealed, where people share stories from real life, and what they learned from others, including the Hidden Healers’ group. The title means: “Seasoning in Heart.” She discloses her wish list of dream guests, the top one being Dr. Brené Brown.

About Ayanna Kelly:

Ayanna (she/her/ella) is a proud Afro-Latina residing in the DMV area with her family where she earned her master's degree in Human Resource Management after serving eight years in the military.

Ayanna is an advocate for DEIBA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity, Belonging, and Accessibility) )and mental well-being for people in the workplace. She uses her lived experiences as an Afro-Latina, mother, and disabled veteran to breathe life into her HR, DEIBA, and advocacy work. She teaches organizations how to create psychologically safe workplaces that foster belonging.

Ayanna is an MTV Mental Health Youth Action Forum leader where she curated mental health campaigns to address the inequities which limit BIPOC youth from accessing mental health services.

Ayanna truly believes in the inter-connectivity of mental health, anti-racist practices, and true belonging in the workplace and in society.

In her spare time, you'll catch her at the soccer field with her first born, tending to her houseplants, walking her dogs, and reading as many books as possible. Words to live by:

"You can't get to courage without rumbling with vulnerability." - Dr. Brené Brown

Follow Ayanna Kelly:

Website: https://www.ayannaskelly.com/

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayannakelly/

Podcast: “Sazonycorazon” with Ayanna Kelly

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/saz%C3%B3n-y-coraz%C3%B3n/id1630800362

https://open.spotify.com/show/6VCC10D8JyZQjcdXGTPObG

Follow Dr. Alfiee:

Website: https://dralfiee.com

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/dralfiee

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dralfiee/

Website: https://dralfiee.com

Find out more about the AAKOMA Project here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvTKmYKi24I

Season 3 Produced By: https://socialchameleon.us

More Couched in Color: https://dralfiee.com/podcast

Music Produced by: Mark “King” Batson (Superproducer of your favorite artists and Grammy award-winner for albums with Eminem and Beyoncé)