Healing is the pathway to justice.
Safety is the foundation of healing.

Does this sound familiar?

We’ve all experienced it at some point or another in our lives. For some of us, it is a cycle that we can’t seem to break no matter how hard we try. It goes something like this. . .

You know you need to say something that’s going to make people uncomfortable. You tell yourself you’re ready. You even know what you are going to say. There’s that pause, that moment for you to speak up.

You know it because you feel it in your body—your heart feels like it’s going to jump out of your chest. You feel that fluttering in the pit of your stomach, the dry, stickiness in your mouth, the sweaty palms.

. . . aaaannnddd you’re silent. . . the words refuse to come out of your mouth. . .they are stuck in your throat. Your body fights the overwhelming sense of wanting to run away or you can feel your body shrinking.

Then the tidal wave of disappointment or shame or disgust comes crashing through. . .you feel the shift, the nosedive. . .it feels like you just turned off your own light. . .again.

Your mind and body check out. You find yourself in a fog, functioning on autopilot, just going through the motions.

Services

- What I do -

Talking is essential to our day-to-day functioning, yet it can be one of the most dangerous things we do

My coaching, facilitation and consulting services are geared toward people who spend most or all of their time helping other people. . .social workers, counselors, teachers, and leaders. These are folx who are committed to social and racial justice yet, find it difficult to invest in their own healing and growth work.There are four overarching goals in my work:

1. Establish safety and learn how to hold space to have vulnerable, justice-centered conversations;
2. Develop neuro-resilience and agility to name and repair ruptures and heal harm;
3. Create practices to heal relationships that have been harmed by social trauma, and;
4. Normalize generative justice-related dialogue.

About Me

- Where I come from -

My life journey has been about healing. The work that I do is first and foremost for me. I don’t believe in asking people to do something I have not done. Second, I know trauma and its impact. . .I’ve lived it, I study it, I teach it. Through my own journey of healing and growth I have come to know the pain of self-examination and the joy of liberation. The gut-wrenching process of self-reflection, acknowledging the harm I endured and the injury I created, and admitting my own collusion has been a painful, yet essential aspect of the healing process. I am uniquely blessed to have accompanied thousands of people on their healing journeys. I’ve sat witness to unimaginable experiences of trauma, held space to navigate through unimaginable pain, and believe in growth beyond what many see is possible. I am passionate about working with folks who are interested and committed to healing, justice and growth and would be delighted to travel with you on your journey.

Doctor of Philosophy in Leadership and Change – July 2020 – Antioch University, Yellow Springs, Ohio. Dissertation Title: Navigating the Silences: Social Worker Discourses Around Race
Master of Science in Social Work – May 2007 – University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee
Bachelor of Science in Social Work – May 2006 – Capital University, Columbus, Ohio
Associate of Science in Organizational Leadership – May 2003 – Franklin University, Columbus, Ohio
Licensed Independent Social Worker with Supervisor Designation – State of Ohio
Licensed Clinical Social Worker – State of Indiana
Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist
Anti-Oppressive Informed Practice Social Worker
Polyvagal Informed Social Worker

Reviews

- What clients say about me -

Within minutes of Dr. Bridges Patrick explaining polyvagal theory and prompting me to complete some short, powerful exercises, it all started to click. I finally felt able to pinpoint what was going on in my body as I moved into defensiveness or a state of shut down.

The framework Dr. Patrick shared enabled me to make sense of why this was happening, which gave me not only an understanding of what was happening but also an appreciation of my body as trying to help and protect me.

Dr. Bridges Patrick's use of a visual framework and relatable examples provided a clear sense of what initially felt like complex, academic ideas.

Very excellent job in discussing a topic that many try to avoid. You communicated very well with participants and made them open to listening to others’ views and understanding of racism.

Wonderful, great, awesome workshop. Sensitive, hard topic handled in professional, encouraging way that allowed a safe space for impactful dialogue

Cherie made it easy to have a discussion of a difficult topic.

Dr. Patrick is amazing and has given me much confidence in my career and working towards racism and oppression. Thank you.

Schedule a free session

- WITH NO COMMITMENT -

In our 30-minute complimentary introduction, you will learn why no one escapes the harm of social trauma and the ways it impacts us. I’ll share why traditional DEI work is insufficient and why healing social trauma is a critical element of justice work. You’ll see why talking can be one of the most dangerous activities we engage in and why safety (not comfort) must be at the core of healing work. I’ll share a bit about how the autonomic nervous system (ANS) contributes to both our physical and emotional health and helps us navigate our days by sending and receiving cues of safety and danger in service of our wellbeing. Finally, by the end of our 30-minutes, you’ll know the time commitment, energy, and resource investments that are required for the journey.

Healing is the pathway to justice. Safety is the foundation of healing.