We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Shawnti Refuge a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Shawnti, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

The biggest risk I ever took was betting on my healing, and walking away from everything that no longer served me, even when I didn’t know who I’d be without it.

Back in 2018, I had a complete mental breakdown. I was functioning on autopilot, showing up for everyone but myself, and silently battling severe depression and anxiety. When my therapist first suggested journaling as a tool for healing, I honestly thought it was silly. I was a grown woman trying to hold my life together, not write “Dear Diary.” But I took the risk anyway. I made the choice to face myself on paper, all the pain, the guilt, the people-pleasing, the survival habits, and it changed everything.

That one act of courage led me to rebuild my life from the inside out. I left a toxic marriage, started my business Shawnti Refuge Journals, became a Master Certified Mental Health Coach, and began helping others do the same through guided journaling.

The risk was choosing myself. Choosing to heal out loud, even when it was messy and uncomfortable. And it paid off in purpose. That risk taught me that peace and authenticity are worth every ounce of fear it takes to get there.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Shawnti Refuge, and I’m an Award-Winning Master Certified Mental Health Coach, author, speaker, and the founder of Shawnti Refuge Journals, a mental wellness brand built around one powerful belief: healing doesn’t have to be silent.

My journey into this work didn’t start in a classroom or boardroom. It started in the middle of a breakdown. In 2018, I was diagnosed with severe depression and anxiety after years of being “the strong one” for everyone else. I was exhausted, emotionally disconnected, and completely lost in my own life. Instead of taking antidepressants, I chose to take a pen. Journaling became my lifeline. I started writing my pain, my questions, my truth, and over time, I started writing my way back to myself.

That personal healing process birthed a purpose. I turned my journal pages into resources for others who were struggling to find their voice, their peace, and their sense of self again. Today, I provide guided journals, courses, support groups, and coaching programs that help people unpack emotional wounds, set boundaries, and build healthier relationships, with themselves and others.

Through Shawnti Refuge Journals, my mission is to make mental wellness accessible, relatable, and culturally relevant, especially for the Black community, where conversations around mental health are often avoided. What sets me apart is the way I blend emotional honesty, cultural awareness, and real-life application into everything I create. I don’t just teach journaling; I guide people through transformation with compassion, accountability, and a little bit of that “dry ass truth” I’m known for.

I’ve had the honor of speaking at major mental health conferences, leading healing workshops across the country, and creating programs like Mothering in the Dark and Falling for My Damn Self, which help people reconnect with their worth and identity after trauma, grief, or loss.

What I’m most proud of is that my brand was built from survival, but it grew through service. Every journal, event, and course I create is rooted in the same mission: to remind people that they are not broken. They’re just being called to heal.

At the heart of it all, I want people to know this: you can rebuild your life from rock bottom, one page at a time.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

One of the moments that is truly testing my resilience is my pending divorce. I had been with my partner for almost 17 years, and when it ended, I felt like the air had been knocked out of me. On paper, I was still showing up, coaching clients, hosting workshops, being “strong”. But inside, I was numb. I couldn’t cry, couldn’t think straight, and honestly, didn’t know who I was without that relationship.

It wasn’t just the end of a marriage. It was the unraveling of an identity I had built around being everything for everyone else. This season forced me to sit still and face parts of myself I had ignored for years. I started journaling again, not from a place of inspiration, but survival. Every page became a safe space to fall apart without judgment.

What came from that pain was clarity. I realized that resilience isn’t about bouncing back fast. It’s about being honest with where you are and choosing to move anyway. That chapter inspired me to create The Audacity of a Healing Woman, a program that helps others reclaim their power after emotional trauma.

My resilience wasn’t born from perfection. It was born from getting up, messy and tear-stained, and saying, “I’m still here. And that’s enough for today.”

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

What helped me build my reputation in the mental wellness space wasn’t fancy marketing or a big team. It was authenticity. From the beginning, I made a commitment to show up real, raw, and relatable. I don’t hide behind titles or pretend healing is pretty. I talk about the messy middle, the breakdowns, and the days when faith and fear were fighting for the front seat.

People connect to that. They see themselves in my story. I think that’s what sets me apart. I don’t just teach mental wellness, I live it. Every journal, every workshop, every post comes from lived experience and deep empathy for people who are trying to heal and hold it together at the same time.

Consistency has also played a huge part. I’ve shown up for years, online, on stage, and in community spaces. Teaching how guided journaling can be a practical tool for emotional healing. Over time, that consistency built trust. And that trust built my reputation.

At the end of the day, my audience knows this: when Shawnti Refuge speaks, it’s coming from truth, not trends. My brand isn’t just about products. It’s about people, purpose, and the promise that healing is possible, no matter where you start.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://SHawntiRefugeJournals.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/shawntirefugejournals
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/shawntirefuge
• Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/shawntirefuge
• Youtube: https://youtube,com/@shawntirefugejournals
• Other: https://thequietaskeptpodcast.buzzsprout.com

Image Credits

B2Ful Photography