“CenterJoyPWR® lays foundation for a practice that needs to be actively incorporated into one’s life. When we realize and truly believe in our own value and power, then we must do all we can to actively be in relationship with ourselves in order to become our best selves. CenterJoyPWR® recognizes the systemic problems that racialized beings experience in our world, but uses that analysis as a point of departure to help us self-actualize and engage in an ongoing process to heal.”
G.T. Reyes, Ph.D. | Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership
“I have been smiling more. I feel more open and curious. I am also having an easier time addressing rather than reacting to situations where I feel micro and macro aggressions...I feel like I have more energy, more curiosity, more joie de vivre. It has allowed me to accept and cultivate some abundance in my life. I am making more space for my passions and have had some outlet for my creativity.”
Chris Almerido Gunn | Senior Advisor on Environmental and Energy Justice, U.S. Dept. of Energy
“Before this program, I was lethargic and my cup was running on empty, so my family and friends quickly noticed that my cup was being filled during this program. Session after session, I began to speak with more optimism...Janet Stickmon is a fantastic instructor and I am so thankful that I enrolled in the CenterJoyPWR® program. She is an expert in this field and knows how to meet participants where they are even in a digital space.”
Christopher Bonner | Chaplain
“I recommend Janet Stickmon’s CenterJoyPWR® program. This program helps create a deep connection to oneself and also the community of individuals who participate in the program. I personally have gained a better understanding of myself and the moments I face every day as a person of color holding space about race. Janet shared instrumental knowledge, activities, and led exercises that caused us all to reflect deeper on who we are, and to take action for what life we envision for ourselves.”
Farzana Nayani | DEI Practitioner
“As I entered the program, I was feeling exhausted from what felt like fighting with ghosts. The program helped me understand and define these ghosts, making them explicit (so to speak) and also gave me the tools to redirect the energy I was spending fighting and towards building gratitude and abundance. It feels as if I developed new muscles that I can continue strengthening.”
Claudia Escobar, Ph.D. | Research Fellow
“I am finding more joy in my life and trying to separate work from play more. Janet did a wonderful job creating a safe space for a community of women of color in academia. Participating in CenterJoyPWR® was more than worth it. It has enabled me to accept abundance in my personal and professional life!”
Joyce Javier, MD
“Being in a group setting enhanced my self-growth in many ways because I was not navigating the challenges of learning to center joy on my own, but now alongside a group of inspiring and resilient professionals that courageously shared their wisdom, fears, and fortitude with me. These gifts allowed me to garner strength in continuing to move forward in my journey...I understood the science behind why my self-care routines were leading me to apathy. The self-reflection activities Janet guided us through help me be able to identify the changes I needed to incorporate in my life to re-center joy in a time of so much loss, hardship, and sadness.”
Ambar Hernandez Negrete | Ph.D. Candidate in Educational Policy