We were lucky to catch up with Dr. Stacey Diane Arañez Litam recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Dr. Stacey Diane Arañez, thanks for joining us today. What’s the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?
People often ask about my experience with writing my book, “Patterns that Remain.” They wonder whether I arrived to some powerful insights, excavated deeply complex emotions, or repaired strained relationships. Though many of those moment did occur, the kindest thing anyone has ever done for me came after the book was written. In the process of planning my book tour, the Filipino American and Asian American community came together to extend the most incredible support. Each book tour stop was planned, facilitated, and executed by the Filipino American and Asian American communities. Many of these folks had only just met me a few months prior. I continue to hold a deep gratitude for the kindness shown by our community today.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am a national award winning associate professor of counselor education, Forbes health advisor, keynote speaker, racial equity strategist, clinical sexologist, and licensed professional clinical mental health counselor with over a decade of experience. I was named one of Crains Cleveland’s 40 under 40 in 2023 and I am passionate about helping organizations build communities of care. As a graduate level educator, mental health professional, and researcher, I am uniquely positioned to provide compassionate, engaging, culturally responsive, and evidence based content for diverse clients who want to drive real, sustainable change with their teams. My debut book, Patterns that Remain: A Guide to Healing for Asian Children of Immigrants was published in January 2025 and combines history, storytelling, and research to help readers heal generational trauma patterns and strengthen relationships.
I entered this industry because I didn’t see any other Asian American women doing this work, and I understand the power of representation. Many approaches to leadership are grounded in Western, individualistic approaches that may not resonate with Black, Indigenous, Latine, Asian, and multiethnic individuals. I am proud to bring these collectivist and culturally aligned perspectives into my work in ways that meaningfully resonate with leaders, teams, and organizations.
I provide coaching for leaders who want to amplify existing strengths while learning to let go of behaviors that no longer serve them. I provide keynotes and plenary speeches for professional events and facilitate workshops for academic institutions, companies, professional sports teams, Fortune 100 and 500 companies, and other organizations on topics related to unlearning bias, engaging in difficult dialogues, burnout prevention, promoting mental health, understanding how attachment styles impact workplace behavior, and creating trauma-informed workplace cultures.
I help clients solve a variety of problems. As a leadership, wellness, and identity coach, I help individuals understand how unhelpful patterns keep them from achieving their best selves. These patterns may be grounded in culture, family expectations, internal dialogues, and generational trauma. I also empower women leaders to thrive, especially those who are both leaders and parents. My coaching style combines therapeutic modalities, culturally responsive approaches, and evidence based practices to help people become their best selves and achieve their personal, professional, and relationship goals.
What sets me apart from other workshop facilitators and speakers is my ability to drive sustainable change and impact through storytelling, humor, and genuine engagement. I am most proud of my facilitation style; my ability to cultivate trust, garner engagement, and infuse humor throughout my workshops is a feature that my professional partners continue to value. The companies with whom I partner continue to work with me and encourage others to explore my services. Through word of mouth alone, I have worked with over 250 academic institutions, companies, organizations, professional sports teams, and global nonprofits.
The main thing I want potential clients and followers to know about my work is that difficult topics, like overcoming generational trauma, unlearning bias, uncolonizing mental health, liberating sexuality and pleasure, mitigating burnout, and more can be engaging and fun. It’s never too late to unlearn unhelpful patterns and unlock our real, authentic selves!
Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?
The most helpful quality for succeeding in my field is letting go of scarcity mindsets and embracing abundance mentalities. As a speaker, coach, and workshop facilitator, it’s easy to worry that the next contract will be our last. It’s important to remember that each of us bring unique qualities to the table and that the right partners will be excited to recognize, witness, and amplify our messages.
How do you keep your team’s morale high?
Managing a team and maintaining high morale requires a sense of belonging. When team members feel seen, understood, and valued, they are more likely to be engaged, creative, and effective. Leaders can help promote a sense of belonging by understanding their team members’ “why” and working to individually support their goals. Leaders may also benefit from understanding trauma wise approaches to communication, team management, and feedback by recognizing their team members’ attachment styles.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.staceylitam.com
- Instagram: @drstaceyalitam
- Linkedin: staceydianealitam
