We were lucky to catch up with Giselle Bonilla recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Giselle, thanks for joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

I see taking risks whether big or small as moments where you are truly confident in who you are and trusting yourself wholeheartedly.

A moment where I have felt truly confident and trusted myself wholeheartedly was when I made the decision to move to Kiskeya (Dominican Republic).

These moments are not just a one-time experience. When you start to trust more in who you are, everything will become more clear and more aligned, and these moments will just become your life. You will start to live within the energy of your heart and intuition with discernment.

Three years ago I was working for a non-profit as a licensed clinical therapist, and I am very grateful for the experience it offered because it greatly contributed to my evolution as a human being and it guided me to living more within my purpose, and what this means to me is to live freely within my energy and share it with our people in a loving and intentional way. I made the decision to leave my role within the non-profit that I was working for and decided to take 6 months of rest mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. During those 6 months it was made clear to me that it was time for a change of environment, and that it was time for me to go back home to Kiskeya.

The “WHY” of moving back home was that I was being guided back to continue my personal healing mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually on the land. To continue the deeper inner healing work with the land, and make a deeper connection with who I am as a curandera (holistic healer) and connect it further to the work that I do with our people.

It has been a beautiful experience to connect more with my own rich family, experiences, knowledge, strengths, spirituality cultural ancestral wisdom.

Giselle, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I identify as Afro-Taína Arawak. I am a curandera (holistic healer) and I am also licensed in the state of Massachusetts as a clinical therapist. I have had a lot of different feelings and emotions in regard to being a licensed therapist who identifies as Afro-Taína Arawak working within a colonized system. Within that system I have guided people who were stuck in a cycle of mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical imprisonment in waking up, healing, and freeing themselves. ​I incorporate the expressive arts, polyvagal theory, DBT, CBT, ancestral-earth medicine, reiki, trauma-informed asanas, sound healing, and reflexology in the work that I do. I use holistic and trauma-informed approaches with the mind, body and soul. I work in a way that focuses on my own rich family, experiences, knowledge, strengths, spirituality, and cultural ancestral wisdom.

I am co-founder of Time Of Butterflies; I founded Time Of Butterflies to create community healing spaces and provide resources for our women who have experienced abuse and/or other traumas www.timeofbutterflies.org. I am the founder of a non-profit, Centro Bonilla in Kiskeya (the Dominican Republic), which provides resources, donations, and mental health services with a holistic approach for underserved and underrepresented communities in Kiskeya (the Dominican Republic) www.centrobonilla.com. I do everything with so much love.

I know that I was put on earth to guide, support, and be of service to our people in their healing journey when it comes to their unprocessed trauma, to connect more with themselves and their ancestral roots and become more aware of healthier ways of living on earth, which ultimately brings freedom. We often hold a lot of unprocessed trauma (personal trauma, collective trauma, and intergenerational trauma) in our bodies without realizing how much of an impact it has on our organs, interaction with our environments, relationships, and our nervous system. I am here to support our people in improving their own self-awareness, and to heal the connection between their mind, body, and soul.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

What I believe is most helpful for succeeding in the work that you do is rest. Taking the time to rest (mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually) is really important because it will allow you to show up in the work that you do from a full cup, and as your highest self.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

What has been the most effective strategy in connecting with others is by showing up as yourself and allowing others to see you and the passion you have for the work that you do.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.pure-medicine.com
• Instagram: gissiboni
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/giselle-bonilla-55505a12b/
• Other: www.timeofbutterflies.org and www.centrobonilla.com

Image Credits

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