I didn’t leave my job because I was unqualified.

I didn’t leave because I couldn’t handle the work.

They began managing me out. Because I followed policy and chose to telework during the height of COVID-19. I left because of workplace trauma.

Let that sit for a moment.

During one of the most terrifying global events of our lifetime, when the world was collectively holding its breath, I made a decision to prioritize my health and safety. And ended up suffering workplace trauma.

And still, the professional backlash came and silently. The subtle pressure via email. Then all the one-on-ones solely to persuade me to ignore health professionals and just “phase” myself back into the office. 

I could feel it, the quiet campaign to push me out. Until it wasn’t so quiet.

This wasn’t new.

I’d been here before.

Years earlier, I survived workplace trauma so severe that it pushed me into survival mode. Specifically the freeze response of anxiety. And I stayed frozen because of the trauma…for 15 years.

Fifteen years of smiling while silently panicking. 

Of excelling professionally while my nervous system remained stuck in hypervigilance. 

Fifteen years of wondering, “Is it me?” while enduring microaggressions, dismissiveness, and outright sabotage.

✨ But this time was different.

Instead of shrinking back, I started documenting everything. I stood up for myself. I worked with professionals. I refused to get stuck again in workplace trauma.

And seven months later, I made the most radical decision of my career: I walked away.

I left a secure six-figure salary and stepped fully into entrepreneurship. Not just for me, but for the women like me who are still stuck in silence.

---

The Anxiety Freeze from Response from Workplace Trauma is Real. And It’s Costly

Many high-achieving Black women are unknowingly living in the freeze stage of workplace trauma. You’re not lazy. You’re not unmotivated. You’re not indecisive.

You’re frozen.

You’ve been gaslit by your environment, ignored in meetings, and bullied into submission.

So instead of fleeing or fighting, you freeze. You do just enough to stay under the radar. You bury your dreams. You call it “security,” but deep down, it’s survival.

But sis, survival is not the same as peace. And silence is not the same as healing.

---

Healing from Workplace Trauma Starts in Safe Spaces 🧘🏾‍♀️✨

That’s why I created Unbreak My Soul Safe Spaces, a 2-hour virtual healing circle exclusively for Black women who are ready to exhale.

This is not therapy. This isn’t another “networking event.”

This is soul care. A healing circle for Black women. Facilitated by a certified Unbreak My Soul Safe Space facilitator.

In our Safe Space, we don’t ask you to explain your pain. We just see you. We don’t tell you to toughen up. We hold space for you to soften. We don’t ask for receipts. We believe you.

And because healing deserves intention, each group is limited to just 10 participants. So every voice can be heard, and no one gets lost in the crowd.

If you’ve been holding it all together for everyone else…

If you’ve been performing while breaking on the inside…

If you’ve been waiting for permission to put yourself first—

This is your sign.

🔗 Click the button to Register for the next Unbreak My Soul Safe Space here:

Let this be your first step toward healing. 

Let this be the moment you begin to unfreeze. You deserve that much and more. 🤎🧘🏾‍♀️

---

I’m a certified executive coach and an ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC) for Twanna Carter Professional & Personal Coaching, LLC. I flubbed my first career transition from the military so badly, it took me the next 10+ years to build my confidence and  recover. I know what it feels like to struggle with imposter syndrome and uncertainty about my leadership skills in the workplace. It’s why I am dedicated to empowering Black women. Helping them navigate career challenges and uncertainty by providing them with the tools and strategies they need to be successful. Schedule a V.I.P. Roadmap session today.

Read my latest blogs…

• 
  Why Emotional Intelligence Is the Most Powerful Leadership Asset Black Women Have
  Key Points •       Emotional intelligence is not a soft skill. For Black women executives, it is one of the most sophisticated… Read more: Why Emotional Intelligence Is the Most Powerful Leadership Asset Black Women Have
• 
  You’re Doing Director Level Work. Here’s How to Claim the Title.
  Key Points •       You may be leading at the director level without the title, authority, or compensation to match, and this… Read more: You’re Doing Director Level Work. Here’s How to Claim the Title.
• 
  The Hidden Cost of Emotional Labor for Black Women Executives at Work (And How to Stop Paying It)
  Key Points •       The invisible tax is the unacknowledged. The emotional labor for Black women executives occurs when we manage others’… Read more: The Hidden Cost of Emotional Labor for Black Women Executives at Work (And How to Stop Paying It)
• 
  Grounded vs. Performative Confidence for Black Women Leaders
  By Dr. Twanna Carter | Executive Presence Coaching for Black Women She rehearses the meeting the night before. Not the content, that she knows… Read more: Grounded vs. Performative Confidence for Black Women Leaders