LaVonne Dorsey Coaching and Counseling

Reposting Kaci Smith's wondering article on why it is important to support other woman! Statistics on Women Supporting Women By Kaci Smith - https://womenstherapycalifornia.com/

Thank you Kaci
Mothers, caregivers, and women in life transitions report a 70% improvement in their coping skills when involved in peer support groups.

In today’s fast-paced, often isolating world, the importance of human connection has never been more apparent—especially for women. As social beings, we thrive on relationships, shared experiences, and mutual support. The act of gathering in a safe, supportive community of women offers profound healing benefits, both mentally and physically. Whether it’s through structured support groups, informal meetups, or virtual spaces, the collective power of women coming together cannot be overstated. Let’s explore the compelling statistics that highlight the healing power of gathering in a community of women.

1. Reduced Stress
Women who participate in social support groups experience a 50% reduction in stress-related symptoms compared to those who lack such social ties. The presence of empathetic peers helps reduce cortisol levels and promotes relaxation.

2. Improved Emotional Resilience
Women with strong social connections are 45% more likely to have higher emotional resilience, particularly when facing trauma or life challenges. Sharing struggles in a safe space reduces the emotional burden and builds strength to navigate difficult situations.

3. Mental Health Boost
Women who engage in supportive communities report a 30% improvement in their mental health. Group-based interventions, where women come together to share experiences, provide a sense of emotional security and validation, enhancing overall well-being.

4. Lower Rates of Depression
Peer support is crucial for mental health, and women who engage in these groups are 41% less likely to experience depression compared to those without such connections. The ability to talk openly and feel understood can alleviate feelings of isolation and hopelessness.

5. Increased Life Satisfaction
Women with strong social networks experience a 60% increase in life satisfaction. Friendships and community involvement provide a sense of purpose and fulfillment, contributing to overall happiness.

6. Reduced Anxiety
Women who regularly meet in support networks or therapy groups report a 30% reduction in anxiety. The presence of a supportive group diminishes the fear of judgment and provides emotional safety, lessening anxious feelings.

7. Enhanced Coping Skills
Mothers, caregivers, and women in life transitions report a 70% improvement in their coping skills when involved in peer support groups. Sharing solutions and learning from others’ experiences boosts confidence in managing life’s challenges.

8. Lower Risk of PTSD
Participation in trauma-informed women’s groups reduces the risk of developing PTSD by 27%. Safe, non-judgmental spaces allow for the processing of trauma in ways that foster healing and resilience.

9. Physical Health Benefits
Research shows that women with strong social connections are 50% more likely to experience positive health outcomes, such as lowered blood pressure and improved heart health. Supportive relationships also encourage healthier habits and reduce the likelihood of chronic disease.

10. Stronger Immune Systems
The benefits of social interaction extend to the immune system, with studies showing that social support boosts the immune response by 20%, helping the body recover faster from illness and resist infection.

11. Decreased Loneliness
Loneliness is a growing concern, but women who engage in regular social gatherings report a 60% reduction in feelings of isolation. A community of women can provide the necessary sense of belonging and connection, reducing the emotional and physical toll of loneliness.

12. Enhanced Personal Growth
Women in safe, supportive communities report a 50% increase in self-esteem and personal growth. Being surrounded by empathetic and encouraging peers fosters self-exploration and growth.

13. Increased Empowerment
Being part of a women’s support group increases feelings of empowerment by 35%. Women report feeling more confident in their personal and professional lives, as they feel supported in setting and achieving their goals.

14. Greater Happiness
Women with close social bonds are 60% more likely to report higher levels of happiness and satisfaction. These relationships provide joy, support, and a sense of belonging that enrich life experiences.

15. Healthier Relationships
Women who regularly engage in community support report a 40% improvement in their relationships with others outside the group, including partners, family members, and colleagues. The emotional support they receive helps them build healthier connections in all areas of life.

16. Higher Recovery Rates
Women recovering from addiction who participate in peer-support groups are 45% more likely to maintain long-term sobriety, as these groups provide accountability and emotional support during recovery.

17. Increased Trust and Vulnerability
Women in supportive groups experience a 35% increase in trust and comfort with vulnerability. This openness creates deeper connections and aids in emotional healing.

18. Longevity
Women with strong social ties are 22% more likely to live longer than those who feel isolated. The health benefits of community support are tied not just to mental well-being, but to physical health and longevity.

19. Reduced Symptoms of Grief
Women grieving the loss of a loved one experience a 40% reduction in prolonged grief symptoms when part of a supportive community. Grief support groups provide emotional comfort and shared understanding.

20. Lowered Workplace Stress
Women who regularly participate in support groups report a 30% decrease in workplace stress. These connections offer a space to decompress and share strategies for balancing work and life demands.

Conclusion: The Power of Coming Together
The numbers are clear: gathering in a safe, supportive community of women is more than just a social activity—it’s a powerful tool for healing and personal growth. These communities offer emotional, mental, and physical benefits that extend beyond the immediate connection, helping women navigate life’s challenges with resilience, confidence, and hope. In a world that often feels disconnected, creating and maintaining these spaces for women is essential for fostering collective well-being and individual empowerment.

Welcome to 2025—A Year of Growth, Clarity, and Transformation!

As we step into the new year, LaVonne Dorsey & Associates extend our warmest wishes for a prosperous and fulfilling year ahead. We're here to support you every step of the way on your journey of growth, development, and self-discovery.

This year, why not invest in a powerful tool that can unlock new insights and accelerate your personal and professional evolution? We are excited to introduce you to the Integrated Enneagram Assessment Tool—a transformative resource designed to help you understand your motivations, patterns, and unique strengths like never before.

What is the Integrated Enneagram?

The Enneagram is a profound framework for self-awareness. It illuminates the unconscious patterns and behaviors that drive how we think, feel, and act. By bringing these patterns into conscious awareness, you can transcend old habits, create new ways of being, and unleash your true potential.

With the Enneagram, you’ll gain:

Deep Self-Awareness: Understand the "why" behind your actions and reactions.
Personal Growth: Break free from limiting behaviors and develop more supportive, empowering ways of engaging with the world.
Clarity & Empowerment: Connect with your unique strengths and higher self, while uncovering the obstacles that may be holding you back.
The Enneagram isn’t just about identifying challenges; it’s about providing a roadmap to your most liberated, authentic self. It’s a tool for integration and growth, helping you become the best version of yourself in both your personal life and your professional endeavors.

Why Now?

2025 is the perfect time to set new intentions and resolutions. The Integrated Enneagram can help you map out your goals, develop clear strategies for achieving them, and move forward with confidence. Whether you’re looking to strengthen relationships, advance your career, or simply understand yourself on a deeper level, the Enneagram provides invaluable insights.

Ready to start your journey?
Reach out today to schedule your Enneagram assessment and take the first step towards a more enlightened and empowered 2025.

Let’s make this your most transformative year yet! ✨

LaVonne Dorsey & Associates
Cell: 206-941-3422
Email: [email protected]
Web: https://www.lavonnedorseycoach.com/

😎 Ways to Keep Employees Engaged During the Summer😎

Summertime can make it tough for employees to stay fully engaged, especially when it's 80 degrees outside. Distraction becomes challenging, leading to decreased collaboration and subpar results for companies. Instead of struggling against the sun, why not embrace it? Here are some fun and engaging activities for fostering collaboration during the warm summer months:

➡️ Meetings Outdoors—The whole team can enjoy the weather while meeting or brainstorming.
➡️ Flexible Hours—Develop flexible working or 'summer' hours to allow employees to enjoy the warm weather without calling in.
➡️ Summer Activities—Introduce bi-monthly BBQs outside, gamify regular work in engaging and non-stressful ways, or initiate outdoor wellness activities (i.e., yoga sessions, walking meetings).
➡️ A Field Trip—Organize a fun afternoon for employees to visit somewhere.

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HAPPY NEW YEAR!
It has been a while since I have posted. I've just been a bit busy. I read this post from Karen Liebenguth Coach & Mindfulness Trainer Green Space Coaching & Mindfulness and felt I would share. I hope that you will find it helpful.

Seven ways to mentally reset and gear up for ongoing uncertainty in 2022

It’s the end of the year but not the end of Covid-19 and the layers of complexity, uncertainty and anxiety it brings into our lives.

But if it isn’t Covid, it’s an economic crisis, a merger, an organisational restructure and redundancies, bankruptcy and even existential crises like climate change that threaten our sense of safety and security leading to anxiety and stress.

So is now the time for us to learn in earnest how to be with uncertainty and anxiety – both of which are an intrinsic part of life.

When we bring kind, open and curious awareness to our experience, when we can feel it without pushing or pulling, it changes and becomes more manageable.
How can we relate to our experience in a more helpful way?
We don’t have to feel anxious about our anxiety, to feel that we shouldn’t experience it, despite what many voices in society lead us to believe.

Perhaps the first step must be to pause and acknowledge to ourselves and to the people we work with that it’s been another challenging and difficult year. It doesn’t have to be dramatic. It doesn’t have to be sentimental. Just saying how it is. And perhaps we also need to acknowledge that life is tough and unpredictable rather than hold on to the view that it should be easy when it isn’t.

The poet John Keats coined the term ‘negative capability’ – the capability to bear being in uncertainties, mysteries, doubts, with any irritable premature reaching after fact and reason. From this place something new, previously unknown, can emerge.

The question is, would it be possible for us to bear, to experience the disturbing aspects of life – Covid and others – without turning them into a problem that we must try hard to solve? Our very efforts not to have an experience ties us to it and makes it worse. It’s a paradox.

The uncertainty of Covid, the changes and complexity that it brings with it are difficult experiences indeed. However, they are just unpleasant experiences. They are just what we don’t want, what we prefer not to happen.

Disturbing experiences can still be there. When we bring kind, open and curious awareness to our experience, when we can feel it without pushing or pulling, it changes and becomes more manageable.

What would it be like to give up the fantasy that there always needs to be a resolution?
This goes against our need to know and control in order to feel safe. Andrew Olendzki, Professor at Lesley University in Cambridge and the Director of its Mindfulness Studies programme states that where the mind “is capable of seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching and thinking, it is just thinking that gives rise to stress, with thoughts of the past or the future. Whereas our senses can only function in the present moment.”

When difficult things happen we intuitively want to push them away, to get rid of them (and conversely we want to hold on to pleasant experiences which can be equally painful). Furthermore, we add unnecessary layers of thoughts, judgements and emotions and in no time we find ourselves in a sea of despair, in a mind-made future scenario that has not happened yet and may never happen.

This type of future thinking known as catastrophising causes most of our anxiety and stress because the mind can’t distinguish whether something is actually happening or just a narrative scripted by the mind. The impact on our emotional life is the same.

When we can go with the flow instead of resisting it, life becomes easier in the midst of difficulty.
Here are seven ways of changing our relationship with anxiety and uncertainty:
1. We can remember that we are emotional beings that think and not thinking beings who have emotions.
Lisa Feldman-Barrett demonstrated this in her groundbreaking neuroscientific research and book ‘How Emotions Are Made’. It also turns the engrained centuries old western view cogito ergo sum (‘I think, therefore I am’, coined by René Descartes) on its head.

2. We can reframe anxiety and uncertainty.
Instead of it being a problem that has to be solved, we can see clearly that sometimes we experience disturbing and difficult experiences and sensations. And so perhaps we can give up feeling anxious about experiencing anxiety and uncertainty. It’s okay to feel anxious, it’s human.

3. We can recognise that thoughts about the future are just thoughts
Remember, we are not our thoughts and that not everything we think is necessarily true.

4. We can notice when we are caught up in a narrative
The narrative could be about anything – what might happen to us, our job, colleagues, organisation, the world – but we can always come back to our senses: what we see, hear, feel, taste, touch, smell. When that happens we are in the present moment and we can have powerful agency of the choices we make, i.e. how we respond to what’s happening (versus merely reacting).

5. We can choose the attitude we bring to anxiety and uncertainty.
We can choose to beat ourselves up for feeling anxious, calling ourselves a wimp or weak only to feel more anxious and overwhelmed. Or we can choose to bring kindness, openness, sensitivity and compassion to ourselves and the situation we are in.

A word of caution here: kindness and compassion are non-sentimental attitudes. Quite the opposite is true: these vital attitudes require a sturdy and courageous heart (courage = from the French meaning to take heart), one that can bear to be with a difficult experience without pushing it away or getting overwhelmed by it.

6. We can relax into the changing nature of all things.
We can choose an activity and explore our experience of it, whether it’s a 1:1 or team meeting, checking your emails, a presentation or talk, having lunch, or an informal chat with a colleague. Notice how everything changes moment by moment.

When we can go with the flow instead of resisting it, life becomes easier in the midst of difficulty.

7. In the midst of difficulty we can always choose to notice enjoyable moments
They are always there, we just need to pay attention to those kind words, helping hands and generous acts…

At a mindfulness training event in November 2021, Vidyamala Burch, co-founder of Breathworks UK, author and international speaker, said “Working with our heart-mind is one of the most remarkable things we can do with our life.” As we head into 2022, where further uncertainty lies just around the corner, consider how you can improve your relationship with anxiety and change to better protect your wellbeing.

We are super excited to share the launch of Joel Kampf's learning workshop series https://www.joelkampf.com/ Striving Toward a Multi-Cultural, Anti-Racist Organization: A workshop and coaching series for Business Leaders.

The Inclusive Leadership Project | Joel Kampf Changing the way your culture operates begins with looking at the way you think and make decisions. It requires adopting a shift from “what we think we already know,” to thinking guided by inquiry, curiosity and humility. When we trade our ingrained stories, assumptions and opinions for a more o...

An inside look at one of my clients... I hope that you will enjoy this story as much as I have. Love to you Tee-Ta!

Exploring Life & Business with Tee-Ta Walker - OrlandoVoyager Today we’d like to introduce you to Tee-Ta Walker. Tee-Ta, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin? Wow! “My story”… thus far, I guess, because I am still writing it every single day. Well, I look at it like this. I thought the last .....

Why you have trauma and how to heal it
Conversations with Tee-Ta & Tiffany: A Black Girl and A White Girl talking •

Why you have trauma and how to heal it Special guest LaVonne Dorsey, Clinical Therapist and Executive Coach shares how ancestral trauma affects black people, how COVID trauma needs to be brought t...

Outdoor meals, virtual dinners: Washington families adapt Thanksgiving plans to new COVID-19 restrictions

By Anna Patrick
Project Homeless engagement editor
Jenna Petersen knew she was pregnant during last year’s Thanksgiving holiday, but she hadn’t told her family yet.

This year, she was looking forward to sharing her daughter Maren’s first Thanksgiving with her mom and dad.

“It was going to be special,” Petersen said.

But after Gov. Jay Inslee on Sunday announced new restrictions on social gatherings, Petersen and her family canceled their small, in-person potluck.

Surging rates of COVID-19 and new state guidance have led families across Washington this week to reevaluate their plans for the Thanksgiving holiday. For families still looking to celebrate together over stuffing and gravy, the governor’s new orders require people who aren’t living in the same household to either quarantine for 14 days or quarantine for seven and then test negative for COVID-19 before gathering under one roof. Naturally, these restrictions don’t apply to people who live in the same household.

Since the restrictions were announced, The Seattle Times has heard from more than 200 people across the region. Some are sticking to their original plans. Many say they never had plans to begin with, thanks to the pandemic. Others, like Petersen, are canceling in order to follow the governor’s orders.

Stephen Hall of Port Townsend was going to a nearby relative’s house for a scaled-down meal, but after the governor’s announcement Sunday, Hall called his relatives to cancel.
“It’s not what I’d want in a perfect world, but a lot of times things happen that aren’t what I want,” he said.

Now, he’s planning a turkey dinner for one.

With daily COVID-19 case numbers breaking state records in recent days, many told The Seattle Times that while the restrictions seem necessary to stem an ongoing third wave, they also just wanted to have one day to get together and feel normal.

“Here’s another grief and loss moment of the holiday season that is meaningful to all of us,” said LaVonne Dorsey, a licensed mental health professional in Seattle. “People are having a hard time with finding hope.”

In addition to restricting indoor social gatherings, the governor announced a list of business shutdowns, including the closure of indoor dining, gyms and movie theaters starting this week.

After hearing the news, Geoffrey Wukelic of Capitol Hill was more surprised at what didn’t make the governor’s shutdown list: retail stores.
Wukelic’s brother, Corey, works in retail and was bracing to be out of work. But with stores staying open, requiring Corey to continue leaving his home for work, Wukelic’s family has decided to hold Thanksgiving dinner outside rather than indoors.

Wukelic’s parents will host a small meal on their deck in West Seattle with just their immediate family, maybe five or six people. They’ve ordered five outdoor heaters and a canopy that comes with temporary walls, hopeful it will make sitting in chilly weather more bearable.

“It’s OK,” Wukelic said. “It’s 2020, you know?”

Unlike some holidays that have been easier to adjust to in a pandemic, “a virtual Thanksgiving doesn’t really work” as well, said Dr. Simon Bronner, now at the University of Wisconsin, whose work has focused on folklore and traditions. “Because the whole point is the meal and the idea of gathering around this symbolic bird. …

“There’s this conflict about wanting to have some type of ritual to keep us going or to forgo the ritual because of the risks that you take with it,” Bronner added.

Mickey Huynh, 44, emigrated with his family from Vietnam when he was 12. To celebrate their first year in the U.S., Huynh’s uncle cooked a turkey and made mashed potatoes and cranberries.

“I’d never seen a turkey that big before,” he said.
For the last 32 years, ever since resettling in Olympia, Huynh and his four siblings gather together with their families to cook a turkey and give thanks for the lives they’ve made in the U.S. “This year is no exception to it,” he said.

Huynh and his family have decided to proceed with their plans to celebrate together, all 17 of them, at his home. They’ve taken this pandemic seriously, he said. Most are working from home. But to be told how to celebrate Thanksgiving, he said, is just too far.

Serena Padilla was never planning to share in an in-person Thanksgiving. She works at a small business in Ballard, sees the general public and didn’t want to risk exposing her family to the virus.

Outdoor meals, virtual dinners: Washington families adapt Thanksgiving plans to new COVID-19 restrictions Surging rates of COVID-19 and new state guidance have led Washington families to reevaluate their Thanksgiving plans. Some are sticking to their original plans. Many say they never had plans, thanks to the pandemic. Others are scaling back.

STAYING HEALTHY AT HOME
Many of us struggle with spending so much time in our homes working, socializing, parenting and managing the added stress of the economy, politics and civil unrest. These elements can be challenging on their own, but when combined, can have more effect on us than we may realize. To alleviate the impact and to create consistency, consider the following.

Mental Fitness:
Many factors contribute to our mental and emotional health. It is important for all of us to pay attention to increased anxiety, agitation, frustration and possibly loss of sleep. Take time to create a daily meditation (guided may be easier to start you off) routine, write a daily gratitude list, check-ins with friends, or tune into uplifting and informative podcasts, such as Brené Brown – Unlocking Us, Super Soul Conversations and Happiness Abound. Also, consider checking in with a mental health professional or join a therapy group for additional support.

Physical Fitness:
Some people don’t feel safe returning to the gym or other public group fitness facilities. While working out at home may feel limiting and less motivating, you have options. It’s important to switch up your workout routine, which is why MYX offers such a wide variety of classes at all levels You could also try group fitness with your friends via video conferencing. And there’s always walking and running. Try out a few new fitness activities. You may find something that you like enough to make a habit. Create a schedule that you can adhere to and adjust if it is not working for you. Enlist friends and or colleagues as accountability “buddies,” a win-win for both of you.

Social Fitness:
Consistently scheduling time socially with friends and even colleagues can be difficult. After a long day of video calls and pandemic schooling, you may have little energy for socializing. Try reaching out to friends to ask if they would be willing to take turns planning virtual or socially distant activities. These activities could include cooking together, cocktails, coffee chats, art projects - whatever you may find as a relaxing activity. You can also create something similar with work colleagues to stay in touch and to discuss topics other than work. Take turns planning.

Parenting Fitness:
Parenting full-time while working and managing a household can at times feel like you are at your wits end. Take breaks. Reading to and with your children can be calming to the nervous system. Enlist trusted friends or family to take time with your children outside playing games, assisting with homework or teaching them something new, like flower arranging, baking or finger painting. These activities can also be done via video conferencing, so friends and family members at a distance don’t miss all the fun. Create a schedule so that the children will have something to look forward to and get excited about, and plan breaks for yourself. These are strange times, but they are only as trying as you make them. We all have the capability to discover workarounds – new strategies that best serve us. It takes a little creativity and the realization that to meet the changes that are thrusted upon us, we need to make changes to the way we think and approach our challenges. But you can do that. Sure, it may not be comfortable for you at first, but you’ve already built and created a successful life prior to these times and you already have the wherewithal to come up with new strategies… you just have to want to and believe in yourself. You can do it.

Staying Healthy at Home It's important for the entire family.