The Black Expat Experience Episode 12: Unapologetic Healing and Living a Fulfilled Life in Portugal with Diara Parker

Originally from the Mid-West, Diara Parker is a senior executive and equity consultant, passionate about elevating and centering marginalized voices and perspectives into policy and systems change.   As the COO and Chief Organizational Development Consultant for EQT By Design - a consulting firm based in the United States - Diara supports organizations and communities as they redesign, build, and implement strategic initiatives through an equity and justice-centered lens. Prior to joining the EQT By Design team, Diara worked in the nonprofit and domestic violence fields, where she experienced significant burnout.This reality invited Diara to examine her own complicated and challenging relationship to wellness and rest.    After years of reflection, therapy, and deep shadow work, Diara and her husband moved to Lisbon, Portugal - sight unseen - to embark on a new life journey centered around healing and exploration, and they havent looked back! Diara has a masters degree in Organizational Leadership and Development from the University of Colorado Boulder and a bachelor's degree in Psychology and Legal Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.    She is passionate about creating more just and equity-centered communities and systems while also creating space for her own joy and liberation.  Diara's quote to remember is, We cannot realize the world we want without our own healing and transformation - Adrienne Maree Brown  If you want to follow or connect with Diara, visit her profile on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/diaraparker/.   Thank you for taking some time to listen to this episode and for leaving  your constructive feedback. The success of our show and the promotion of mental health in underrepresented and global communities depends on your support. Please subscribe to our Youtube channel, @aspire_counselingwell, and if you are interested in receiving more relevant mental health information, visit www.aspirecounselingwell.com and subscribe to our newsletter to join our community. You can also follow us on Instagram at our new account, @blackexpatexperience and on Twitter at @blackexpatlives. Be well and remember to prioritize your mental health today!