Dr. Zipporah Brown, OTR/L

Did you know that today is Black Women’s Equal Pay Day?

What are your thoughts?

These days I’m more concerned about how my life feels. 😁

In Paris making my ancestors super proud. ♥️

Currently. ✨

Grateful.

I visualized this.
I prayed for this.
I journaled about this.
I cried for this.
I believed for this.
I dreamed about this.
I worked for this.

💕

I cannot believe The National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education (NCORE) was two weeks ago!! I’m officially an NCORE’ian! 🤗

I know the TEDx event was said to be the most educational and inspirational day of the year in Portland, BUT, NCORE was the most educational and TRANSFORMATIONAL week of the year in Portland for me! ✨

This conference held so many rich and diverse perspectives and takeaways... calls to action, beyond being solely performative.

We can no longer deny/ignore race and ethnicity, we can no longer profess that we “don’t see color”...it has become very clear that the structure and systems (healthcare, education, law, etc.) of our nation were created to be inequitable.

So rather than “repair” them, we must commit to CHANGING them.

I commit to learning.
I commit to educating.
I commit to healing.
I commit to disrupting.
I commit to being apart of the change.

🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

Sometimes I don’t even have words to describe my desire publicly... a lot of times I don’t..working on that.

Other times, I only feel comfortable speaking on it in intimate conversations because energy exchange is real!

I struggle with expressing the things I’m doing in the real world on social media from time to time..it’s just so much I don’t know where to begin, whew! Working on that too 😅

But, I promise to continue striving to empower individuals and instill hope for them to take action to light their lanterns 🏮🤞🏾

My mom took me out with this one 😭

Reflect’n

🦋Just because you have a thought doesn’t mean you have to accept it
🦋 Manifest by Russ is really my jam 🎧
🦋I’m really living inside of my prayers 🥺😭🤗
🦋the anxiety is lying, you deserve it all
🦋there’s nothing wrong with believing you’re going to be successful in every aspect of your life and verbalizing it
🦋Gratitude... grateful for my journey
🦋I commit to always returning home to myself 🌷

Some people are really fighting for their lives in private. Spread love. ♥️

Let’s this post serve as confirmation that whatever you’re doing, going to do, want to do, etc...DO IT, Keep doing it, YOU GOT THIS! ✨

You never know who you’re impacting just by showing up. ✨

I’m rooting for YOU! ✨

Academia: Through the Lens of an Academic Fieldwork Coordinator

My journey in academia has been very unique, I’ve served in three different roles within.

Being an academic fieldwork coordinator was very unexpected but ultimately rewarding.

I didn’t learn much about this specific role as a student and had no mentorship going into the position. 😅

BUT, I DID THAT!!

I placed 100’s of students, mostly at the height of the pandemic and secured placements for them ensuring they graduated on track.

As a student I could barely afford to pay for my train pass, if my education would’ve been put on hold due to something like the pandemic it would’ve been heart breaking. So it was important to me that I ensured none of my students were impacted to the best of my ability.

A few people have reached out to me asking about my experience as an AFWC, so I decided to curate this post!

To my past students, was your fieldwork experience LIT?! ✨🤟🏾

This chapter of my life is titled, THRIVING 💎

Most of my life I was in survival mode. My amygdala in overdrive, constantly seeking to address the “threat”, even when the threat was perceived versus actually real.

The amygdala is best known for its role in the processing of fear. This is a great thing actually when thinking about being in a life or death situation, your amygdala sends signals to other areas of the brain in preparation for attack... however, this is detrimental when there is nothing to fear (no life or death situation), yet your brain is perceiving a threat.

The stress response can turn into distress if constantly perceiving or actually being exposed to harmful stimulus.

As an occupational therapist, I’ve been equipped with the clinical skill set to disseminate the evidence and create innovative interventions for my clients to address this very thing... getting out of survival mode and overcoming fear.

As a human, my lived experience has taught me that nothing about life is linear. So although the evidence says, “do this or that”, life will still have its challenges regardless and there will be scary situations, doubt and hardship.

BUT, there will also be many highs, accomplishments, wins, connections, rewards, etc.

Me choosing to thrive doesn’t mean I have it all figured out. It means I’ve figured out that I don’t have to have it all figured out. It’s truly freeing!

I really appreciate each and every one of you being on this journey of transformation with me. I promise to share what I learn along the way! 🦋

Have you heard of the term, “Well Sibling”?

I watched this meaningful short course (presented by: Gerry Healy Marini, OTD, MS, OT; Caelin Jaskot, BSDrOT; and Judy Parker Kent, OTD, EdS., OTR/L, FAOTA) that inspired me to reflect and make this post.

I’d love to know your thoughts too! ✨

I’ve received soooo many messages from my Insta-fam checking on me! I love y’all for that!

I moved to Oregon on March 1st and it’s been LIT! 😂

I’m thinking about going live and sharing about how I ended up in Narnia.. I mean Oregon 😆

P.S.
I’ve been working on some cool content and I can’t wait to share what I’ve been up to with y’all. ✨

Me and spent the morning participating in Dala’s Angels walk-a-thon. We walked in honor of all of the children who’ve lost their lives due to child abuse. 🤍

When I decided to pursue occupational therapy I knew I wanted to make an impact, help others to live their best lives and truly THRIVE!

I remain grateful for the opportunity to make an impact on future clinicians as well as clients in the community.🦋

What better way to kick off ?!

Somewhere growing. 🌱🍃🌿

Your imagination frames your life. 🖼

Repeat: “I choose to believe in sudden miracles and unexpected blessings.” ✨

Be who you need(ed). 🫂

I love this for us ♥️

What an honor to be honored ♥️

Shoutout to .inc.stlying for highlighting black women that are being the change! I’m so grateful to have connected with you and look forward to what’s to come friend. ♥️🫂🥰👑

Repost:

Day 3/28: Today’s roses go to Rooting for YOU✨]] 🌹🌹 who has dedicated her entire career to
ROOT FOR YOU!!! 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽

Dr. Zipporah Brown is the Founder of Brownz Wellness Collective where she focuses on being the change for her community by helping others overcome barriers and live life to the fullest 🤩
✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿 🌹🌹🌹🌹

We thank you Rooting for YOU✨]] SO MUCH!! For your contribution towards our community, YOU ARE APPRECIATED AND NEEDED! 😩😩😩

Follow Rooting for YOU✨]] for health and wellness tips and click link in bio to learn more

We are so blessed 🙏🏽to feel the reassurance of your beaming rays ☀️☺️🥰

Today, this week, this month, this year AND BEYOND.

Take what you need 🌷🫂🦋✨

😅

It’s giving 😅... But, I’m going to respectfully sit this here & get back to studying for this exam. 👀

I’d love to chat more about it with you tomorrow evening during my ig live ✨

Drop any questions in the comments or my dm friend, I got you!

Affirm: I will be my multifaceted authentic self. 💎

I will lean into the fullness of all that is possible for me. 🌷✨

💭Sheesh.

When I went live the other day I shared a few things I’ve never shared (go watch NOW friend!), one of those things being that my office is in my parents garage. 😅

This is something I was previously embarrassed about, but I had to release the shackles of caring about what others thought. It was taking me far out of my zone as it related to creativity and my actual message.📝

When I received this message I cracked up. To think I was stressed and embarrassed about the perfect aesthetic, when what’s been important all along is the message and community being built.

God has such a sense of humor! 😂

Moral of the story, go for it. 🌷

It’s about to get real successful around here friends 🤗🌷🙏🏾💎🦋

Which tip was most helpful?

Have questions about the content? Drop them in the comments or dm me, I got you 🌷

After all, we deserve to live out life to the fullest... Let’s get into it!

Peace,
-Dr. Zipporah Brown, PPOTD, OTR/L, CNS

Grateful 🦋

Idk about you but Monday was Monday’ing okay!!!

But anyway...

Here are 5 evidence based that I’ve found to be game changers! 💎

Not sure what a is? All good, swipe to slide 2, I got you 😇

Which do you plan to try out? Let me know in the comments friend ✨

The category is intentional growth 🦋

Ima be cute doeeeee 🤣🤣🤣

What y’all doing for New Years Eve?!

I promise to be who I needed when I was younger 🌷

I promise to show gratitude to my elders and ancestors through my life’s work 🌷

I promise to do as much as I can to leave my community more beautiful and beneficial than I inherited it 🌷

My friend (who is a genius) sent me this screenshot a few weeks ago and simply said he was proud of me.

I was floored that he even had this and remembered that I posted this as a goal.

Literally since early 2020, I’ve been booked to facilitate several in person and virtual workshops speaking about stress and anxiety!!!! 😭

Crazy thing is, around the time he sent this, I was reflecting on future goals.

I had to take a moment and thank God for my current accomplishments and remind myself that I am capable of accomplishing my wildest dreams... because at one point, my wildest dream was getting paid to speak about health and wellness topics... NOW LOOK! 😇

But here’s the thing, YOU CAN TOO! 🦋

My name is Dr. Zipporah Brown, I am an occupational therapist, assistant professor and business owner. Basically, I’m a change agent in various contexts. 💎

Clinically, I’ve practiced mainly in nontraditional holistic settings, serving marginalized populations. My focus has been on program development and research, establishing occupational therapy services in settings that previously did not have OT, while also collecting data to show the benefits.

For example, I worked in skid row, supporting women who were formerly homeless to establish and restore their roles in the community.

In academia, I’ve served and continue to serve in various roles, curating fieldwork opportunities for graduate students, developing holistic curriculum focused on justice, cultural humility and effective communication, as well as advocating for and creating holistic admission processes.

I started my business in order to support individuals and communities in healthy behavior change in order to overcome barriers and live life to the fullest. I facilitate workshops, run groups and provide 1:1 services focused on client centered lifestyle balance.

I’ve presented locally, nationally and internationally on strategies to increase inclusivity in OT/OTA academic programs as well as addressing wellness for people of color.

All that to say...

I promise to continue walking in my purpose and being apart of the change I seek to see. 💎

Brownz Wellness Collective, established August 2020 💎

I promise to continue building my business and showing others what I know so that we can collectively profit and thrive. 💎

I’m leaving this behavior in 2021 okay! 😅

What are you leaving behind in 2021 friend?!

“If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.” -Booker T. Washington

I promise to continue contributing to the change I seek to see✨

I promise to change the game for those with and after me ✨

I promise to engage in collective initiatives that are in alignment with the progression of un(der)served folks ✨

I promise to be respectful, responsible, mindful and solution oriented ✨

students that turn into family ♥️

is a 6 week course focused on addressing procrastination through behavior change. I provide evidence based information and resources along with tangible tools for lifestyle change. 🦋

I’m thinking about running the course back for another round. I need your help though, should it be live for 6 weeks or recorded and self paced? Let me know in the comments, I’m trying to see something ✨