May 29, 2025
I didnât leave my job because I was unqualified.
I didnât leave because I couldnât 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 âphaseâ myself back into the office.Â
I could feel it, the quiet campaign to push me out. Until it wasnât so quiet.
This wasnât 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 traumaâŚfor 15 years.
Fifteen years of smiling while silently panicking.
Of excelling professionally while my nervous system remained stuck in hypervigilance.
Fifteen years of wondering, âIs it me?â 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 Itâs Costly
Many high-achieving Black women are unknowingly living in the freeze stage of workplace trauma. Youâre not lazy. Youâre not unmotivated. Youâre not indecisive.
Youâre frozen.
Youâve 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 âsecurity,â but deep down, itâs 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 đ§đžââď¸â¨
Thatâs 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 isnât another ânetworking event.â
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 donât ask you to explain your pain. We just see you. We donât tell you to toughen up. We hold space for you to soften. We donât 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 youâve been holding it all together for everyone elseâŚ
If youâve been performing while breaking on the insideâŚ
If youâve been waiting for permission to put yourself firstâ
This is your sign.
đ 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. đ¤đ§đžââď¸


Photo by Renee Wilhite
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…
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