The Big Leagues
Recently, I participated in a recorded video conversation organized by Harvard University with two incredibly brilliant women: my friend Erica Chidi and Dr. Karestan Koenen.
Erica Chidi is the Co-founder and CEO of LOOM, a wellbeing platform empowering women through sexual and reproductive health education. She is passionate about helping people cultivate body literacy and giving them the tools to advocate for their health and wellbeing. At LOOM, Erica is pioneering a new form of online education that weaves together inclusivity, empathy and science to help women thrive in their bodies at every stage of their lives. LOOM builds on her work as the author of the best-selling book, Nurture: A Modern Guide to Pregnancy, Birth and Early Motherhood. In her work as both a doula and health educator, she has guided thousands of people in their transition from pregnancy to parenthood.
I first met Erica at a Planned Parenthood event last year and we clicked instantly. Erica is bright and engaged, kind and loving. She is an educator by profession, and her communication springs directly from the heart source. One of the aspects I admire most about Erica is that she clearly lives her life in vulnerability through courage. Those who choose to live this way are the bold ones. They are our spiritual and emotional pioneers. These types of individuals are the only ones for me.
Though I met Dr. Karestan Koenen recently for this recorded conversation, I knew instantly that she, like Erica, is another one of our world’s cherished pioneers.
Karestan C. Koenen, PhD aims to reduce the population burden of mental disorders through research, training, and advocacy. She is passionate about using science to overcome violence and trauma, which are major preventable causes of health problems globally.
Dr. Koenen’s research focus is three-fold. First, she studies why some people develop PTSD and related mental and physical health problems and why some people are resilient when exposed to similar traumatic events. Second, she investigates how violence, trauma, and PTSD alter long-term physical health and accelerate aging. Third, she aims to expand access to evidence-based mental health treatment for survivors of violence and trauma. Oh yeah. She is also Professor of Psychiatric Epidemiology at Harvard University in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences. (*source)
In short, these are two women we should be listening to — right now.
As a collective society and in unprecedented times, we are given the opportunity to listen, to learn, and to evolve. To acknowledge and take accountability. To look forward, toward building an equal, more empathetic and compassionate society. It is an honor to have participated in a conversation including topics as important as mental health, shame, and racial injustice with two brilliant women who I deeply admire. Listening to Erica and Dr. Karestan unpack and thoughtfully consider our most challenging and complex issues not only brings a renewed sense of inspiration, but they also present us with life’s most critical and sustainable human offering: hope.
Kindest,
Kate
