828-329-5133
Mountain Bravehearts
Wholehearted Living
Daring, Rising and Braving Together
The formation of Mountain Bravehearts grew out of my desire to bring the work of Brené Brown to our communities in Western North Carolina.
As a Certified Facilitator of The Daring Way™ and The Rising Strong™ curriculum, I am eager to share what I have learned about vulnerability, authenticity, self-compassion and bravery. My hope is to help others begin to engage with the world from a sense of worthiness, to overcome shame and create a renewed sense of meaning and true belonging in their lives.
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ABOUT THE DARING WAY™
The Daring Way™ is a highly experiential methodology based on the research of Dr. Brené Brown Ph.D, LMSW, a research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work. We will explore topics such as vulnerability, courage, shame, and worthiness. Participants are invited to examine the thoughts, emotions, and behaviors that are holding them back and identify the new choices and practices that will move them toward more authentic and wholehearted living. The primary focus is on developing shame resilience skills and developing daily practices that transform the way we live, love, and lead.
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ABOUT RISING STRONG™
The physics of vulnerability is simple: If we are brave enough, often enough, we will fall. Rising Strong™ is a book about what it takes to get back up and how owning our stories of struggle gives us the power to write a daring new ending. Struggle can be our greatest call to courage and the clearest path to a wholehearted life
Susan's Story
So why Brené Brown and why now?
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​It was 2009 when I first stumbled upon Brené Brown's Vulnerability TED talk. I had been up late, surfing the internet. Looking back on that night, I can see how it was a pivotal point for me. I immersed myself for about 5 hours. By the end of the night, I had watched numerous videos, read a variety of interviews and articles, and purchased Brené’s first curriculum “Connections.” I started back to work with a renewed sense of purpose and a new clarity about shame and how it undercuts our efforts to connect. Several years later I had the pleasure to meet Brené Brown and thank her personally for ‘breathing new life into my practice.” What I didn’t realize at that point is that her work had breathed new life into me.
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In 2013, after many years of developing an outpatient practice that I loved, I felt a calling to take a position that I had seen advertised at a treatment facility in middle Tennessee. This was probably the riskiest thing I had ever done. Looking back, I can now see how the core concepts of Brené’s early work inspired me to take this chance. It was there that I was given the opportunity to further my training and become a certified Daring Way facilitator. I had been starting to “live brave” and, for those who have done this, you know that there are no guarantees. Sometimes it is downright painful.
So, ironically, the work that proved to be my inspiration to take that risk also enabled me to be brave enough to, a year later, admit to myself and then to others that I wanted to come home. So in 2014 I turned around and gratefully returned to my life as I had known it in Western North Carolina. ​Since being back, I have continued to integrate shame resilience concepts in my practice but have wanted to be able to offer the curriculum as it is meant to be shared, in closed, intensive groups. It is my hope to offer the curriculum every month or 6 weeks in 2 or 3-day intensives or retreats.
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​Thank you for being part of my brave journey.
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Susan
Show up
Be Seen
Live Brave
Upcoming Events
The Daring Way™ 3 Day Intensive
Where: Park Ridge Health, Beystone Building
When:
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Friday, June 8th, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
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Saturday, June 9th, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
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Sunday, June 10th 9:00 am to 2:00 pm​
Cost: $325 covers the cost of the program, including materials.
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If you are interested in hosting an intensive Daring Way™ or Rising Strong™ event ,please contact Susan at 828-329-5133 or email mountainbravehearts@gmail.com.
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