Testimonials

Katrina Villavicencio

Artist, Designer, Tribal Arts Practitioner, & Founder of Trinacenci Creative Studio

Stefanie was one of the incredibly talented and inspiring facilitators at my 2023 Re:Power Women of Color Leadership Cohort. She facilitated meditations, yoga stretches, sound baths, and music to open and close each session. As the curriculum came with many difficult discussions and heavy topics—Stefanie brought a joy, empathy, and softness that was extremely needed.

Each of her sessions were very thoughtfully planned and aligned with the topic of the day. She not only brought centering practices into the otherwise very academic environment, she also brought nature and art into our virtual spaces by holding sessions through a trail or by a creek, and by playing instruments and singing. She was always finding new ways to bring peace and serenity into the 4-month program, and I always looked forward to what form of healing she would bring to the next session.

In addition to her creativity and sensitivity, Stefanie also brought business savvy and expertise in her field. She taught us how to maintain self-peace and self-worth in the pursuit of career success, and often shared additional resources if we wanted to dive deeper into the topic at hand. As an aspiring entrepreneur myself, I was always inspired by her lessons about how to be a woman of color business owner—how to show up for the world as your authentic self and build your business based on holistic practices that you value.

I’m thankful for the time to get to know Stefanie, and I look forward to what she will continue to build in the future. I highly recommend her for any endeavors working towards women empowerment and liberation.

Hanncel Sanchez

MiA - Mujeres in Action Founder & CEO of Vision En Poder

Having Stefanie as my coach has been one of the best gifts I've had in a while. Stefanie has a way to bring a fresh perspective to life, our relationships and our calling. Her anti-oppression approach is liberating and reaffirming, especially as a first-gen Latina in this season of my life, where I'm going through so many changes. She's been very supportive in my journey to reclaim my identity, helping me redefine how I want to relate to my work, my calling, my ministry, and my family. I've never had a session with Stefanie where I didn't feel seen, validated, challenged, determined and inspired. Our coaching sessions is a sacred space where I can be vulnerable and strong, while equipping myself to continue to break cycles of oppression in my life.

Lina Ortega

Organizer/Co-Executive Director of Este Poder

Although I met Stephanie as a healing justice coach in a nonprofit organizational space, her teachings have stayed with me throughout my everyday life. Initially, I was skeptical and resistant to her methods, but through this process, I was able to realize where my hesitations were coming from and how they were manifesting in my work and the environment I was creating within our organization. I was overworking and placing too much pressure on myself as I stepped into what was once a new role for me. Because of Stephanie's genuine support, care, and investment, spaces were created for us to step back and reflect on where healing justice practices were lacking within ourselves and our organization, and understand why this was happening. It was an opportunity to really lean into the discomfort of facing some hard truths we had embodied, stemming from the deeply oppressive systems that have existed throughout history. I did not want to continue the oppressive cycles of capitalism and racism that I had internalized, which were showing up in my life as overworking to achieve an unattainable sense of productivity satisfaction. I wanted to approach organizing in a more sustainable way that centers on my well-being and the well-being of my community. The breathing practices, morning yoga, healing justice coaching sessions, and intentional check-ins have had a lasting impact on my approach to healing justice in my organizing and my role as Co-Executive Director..