Stories as Medicine: Identity-Based Harm and Healing through Storytelling with Jose Rosario

What this episode covers

Renae Johnson (they/them) sits down with Jose Rosario (he/him) of Phoenix Empowered for a powerful conversation about identity, storytelling, and mental health as pathways to collective healing. Jose shares his lived experience as a queer Latino man with a disability and how storytelling has become both a personal and political act—one that resists erasure, challenges identity-based harm, and creates space for radical healing. Together, they explore how hate-based trauma and systemic oppression show up in the body and mind, why representation in mental health is necessary but not enough, and how community care and cultural practices can foster real empowerment. This conversation names anxiety not as a personal flaw, but as a rational response to ongoing threats, and invites listeners to engage in community, storytelling, and advocacy as acts of resistance and care. Through the lens of Phoenix Empowered, Renae and Jose remind us that healing doesn’t happen in isolation—it happens when we are seen, heard, and held in community.TakeawaysStorytelling is a powerful tool for healing.Identity-based harm includes various forms of violence, not just physical.Representation in mental health is crucial but not sufficient.Community support is essential for healing and empowerment.Radical healing involves understanding systemic oppression.Cultural practices play a significant role in healing.Anxiety can be a response to systemic threats.Engagement in community can be a form of resistance.Phoenix Empowered aims to amplify marginalized voices. Mentioned in this Episode: Jose’s Ted TalkQueer Moment of Joy Guest 1: Harley He/They @bb.musicstudioGuest 2: Shauna She/Her @palsbarlaGuest Bio : José Rosario is a mental health activist, researcher, and clinician and founder of The Phoenix Empowered, a nonprofit that helps organizations develop culturally-informed mental and social health protocols. José’s lived experience as a gay, Latino person who uses a wheelchair has informed both his clinical practice and his consulting work with organizations such as Home Depot, DoorDash, Shell and Johnson & Johnson. José has spoken at TEDx, Washington State University, University of California Irvine, Arizona State University, ATOP MeaningfulWorld United Nations Affiliate Org, and the National Association of Councils for Developmental Disabilities, among many others. He has served as an American Psychological Association (APA) Interdisciplinary Minority Fellow and is an active member of the APA’s Division of Trauma Psychology Policy and Anti-Oppression Committees. He also serves on the Community Advisory Board for the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office and the Congressional Advisory Board for former Congressman James Langevin. He has been honored with the Chris Martin Humanitarian Award and the Victoria Lederberg Award for Excellence in Psychology. Host Bio: Renae Johnson, LPCC, ATR-BC (they/them) is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, Board-Certified Art Therapist, and the Founder of Open Space Therapy Collective, a group practice offering affirming, social justice-driven mental health care for the LGBTQ+ & QTPOC community. With clinical expertise in complex trauma, identity development, and creative expression, Renae blends therapeutic depth with a commitment to equity and inclusion.Renae produces community wellness events like Queerly Connected and is a founding member of the LA Queer Coalition, creating spaces where queer and trans people can gather, heal, organize, and celebrate. As a speaker, consultant, and activist, Renae is passionate about building systems of care that honor the full humanity of queer and trans individuals—and equipping healthcare and wellness providers with the tools to do the same.To find more from us visit:Website: https://www.openspacetherapycollective.comInstagram: @openspacetherapycollective TikTok: @openspacetherapy Apple Podcasts: @mytherapistisoutYouTube: @openspacetherapycollective

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