TSM Episode 24: From CEO of a NY Mental Hospital to Author of the Scriptural Guide to Overcoming 7 Mental Ailments
Welcome to Episode 24 of Triggers and Spiritual Medicine podcast with host, Laura Bonetzky-Joseph. Join us for an enlightening episode on the topic of one woman’s incredible journey “From CEO of a NY Mental Hospital to Author of the Scriptural Guide to Overcoming 7 Mental Ailments” with the incredibly powerful, Precious (Yakira-Eden) Stepney.
Precious is a native New Yorker who always dreamed to be an advocate. She saw herself as someone whose clients could relate to and identify with while also serving as a model. At the time she did not realize how much of a role model she could play.
She talks about how she started out her career in the juvenile justice system working with at risk youth which allowed her to do some statistical analysis and quality management in a psychiatric hospital. She then went on to work in corrections to forensic psychiatric hospital. Over 20 plus years, she rose up to become the CEO of a major state funded mental hospital in New York as a younger melanin dominant woman.
Then C0VlD began and that changed everything. She realized how important it was to BE more authentic and to give of herself more. She retired from her position at the hospital at the age of 44 and the steps that led her to write her book began. This is her story.
Precious shares 3 actionable steps listeners can do today.
Topics of conversation include:
- her life path as an advocate
- how her accomplishments surpassed her childhood dream
- working in juvenile detention to corrections
- desire to ensure the clients were receiving quality care.
- challenges and root issues at-risk youth faced.
- empowering leadership to see the WHOLE person which was unheard of 20 years ago
- dynamics of systemic challenges
- remedies shared as an advocate.
- how to make a safe and healthy connections
- working in a forensic psychiatric hospital
- why running a hospital a certain way and how it translates to quality patient care.
- how she prioritized her mental health, and the defining moments that led to her to resign as CEO
- limitations she experienced due to her superiors.
- how she created a healing space within her office at the hospital complete with essential oils diffusers and a selenite wand on her desk and its impact on staff.
- how she infused wellness into the space with staff and union leadership
- the big defining employment and union contract negotiating moment that impacted the staff.
- religion vs scripture vs spirituality
- blending her experience in mental health with yoga and scripture to help process stuff in the body.
- the process of her book writing by NOT identifying with any formalized religion by examining a story and a process that crosses ancient cultures through time
- soul energy
- yoga
- finding spiritual medicine in a text that has been misused.
- the vibration of words and the power of storytelling
- the infection and trigger that FEAR creates, the cycles, the doubt & how to shift that.
ABOUT PRECIOUS (Yakira-Eden) STEPNEY
Precious (Yakira-Eden) Stepney is an active mother of two, an enthusiastic member of ANU Life Global Ministries, a facilitator of the Alpha Woman Now experience on YouTube, a True Health Live podcast co-host, and founder of Sacred Lotus Blossom rites of passage program. She’s spent the past 20+ years of her professional career as a mental health administrator and recently stepped away from the role of Chief Executive Officer of a large state-operated psychiatric hospital. Throughout her career as a mental health administrator, she has worked alongside clinicians assisting those experiencing anxiety, depression, disruptive behaviors, relationship challenges, and trauma.
Yakira-Eden now functions as a healthcare consultant and leadership development advocate. As a Lean Six Sigma Blackbelt nowadays you can find her coaching and supporting clients through everyday life challenges using scripture lessons, somatic movement, meditation, Lean methodology, and personnel management techniques to empower the overcomer within.
In 2021 under the direction of ANU Life Global Ministries Chief Jegna, she was charged to use her experience and zeal for biblical studies to author Scriptural Guide to 7 Mental Ailments. She is an avid Yin Yoga and Yoga Nidra enthusiast and offers this as a service as well. Her motto is, “Righteous life-affirming holistic wellness is possible for all. As we stretch our bodies, we stretch our minds.”
To connect with Yakira-Eden please find her LinkTree and follow her onIG@AlphaWomanNow, @Yakira-Eden amd YouTube @AlphaWomanNow
To learn more about ANU Life Global Ministries visit www.Anulifeglobal.org ; IG @AnuLifeGM, YouTube @ANULife Global Ministries
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
- Yoga for Mental Health – Harvard University
- Spirituality and Mental Health – WebMD
- Ep 5: How the Burning Times of Witches Influence White Women Culture Today with Rae Carter
- Ep 22: Sexy But Psycho: How the Patriarchy Weaponizes Women’s Trauma Against Them w/ Dr. Jess Taylor
- Ep 9: Disrupting Toxic Capitalism & Hustle Culture with Brigette Soto
