We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Cassandra LeClair and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. LeClair, what is the most important factor behind your success?
Authenticity.

Showing up as yourself is hard work. We hear the word floating around as though it is something we should all know how to do with ease. However, communicating from a place of your personal power and standing in your beliefs can be difficult. We have to unlearn many of our ways of doing and work to understand what makes us feel seen, heard, and valued.

It’s my calling to help people understand their communication patterns
and get clear on how they’re showing up so they can take aligned
action that reflects who they are across contexts and situations.

For decades, I’ve used my training, education, and expertise
to guide thousands of students toward a deeper
understanding of themselves to help them create more connected
relationships.

Through my personal journey, I’ve used the concepts of
interpersonal awareness to achieve ease and alignment
in my life. I am dedicated to working on and
transforming myself so that I embody all that I teach.

Because of the growth, I’ve witnessed with my students, clients,
and in my own life, I want to empower more people to
become emotionally healthy, develop closer
relationships, and feel whole.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My career does not look like I expected. A few years into my tenure track position, I became very ill and was diagnosed with lupus. I went on disability for several years and did not think I would ever return to full time work. During that time, I lost my sense of purpose and questioned my identity. I had to work hard to understand what was valuable to me about my job and discover ways to feel that connection outside of the classroom. In the years following my illness, I was able to return to the classroom with an understanding that my main desire was to help people. I continued to expand in that purpose. I wrote a book about my journey of healing childhood trauma and gave a TEDx talk encouraging others to be open about their lived experiences.

I now give keynote speeches and conduct trainings to help businesses, community organizations, and individuals enhance their connections through improved interpersonal communication. I facilitate workshops about improving communication, learning empathy, and processing feelings. We talk about setting boundaries, avoiding burnout, and discovering your interpersonal needs. Understanding what self-care looks like from looking at different components of socio-emotional wellness and working to explore ways to reframe experiences that are not in our control can help us all feel more in alignment when uncertainty is all around.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The Center for Civil and Human Rights greatly impacted me, and I visit any chance I get. It is important to seek to listen and learn from our history and the lived experiences of others.

The Atlanta Botanical Garden is a beautiful way to escape and get lost in nature in the middle of the city.

Check out a concert of a sporting event! There are several top-name performers and artists that come to town on a regular basis.

I love the Beltline for exploring the city. You can get a sense of different neighborhoods and get some exercise in…bring water and sunscreen!

The High Museum of Art is full of wonderful exhibits and is a great way to beat the heat in the summer!

Atlanta History Center. You can get rich insight and a deeper understanding of the city’s place in history and learn more about famous leaders.

The zoo, aquarium, and world of Coke are also great when traveling with children. I love to pop over to CNN too!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The students I have taught over the years deserve a ton of recognition and gratitude. Their willingness to dig in and do the work is inspiring and gives me hope for the future. I am challenged every day to seek new material to continue to teach them and help them grow. At the same time, I am doing that work with them and transforming for myself.

My children, Alexandra and Kellen, are my main motivation to grow personally and professionally. I want to continue to better myself to model healthy relationship development and encourage them to create healthy patterns.

Website: www.cassandraleclair.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drcassandraleclair/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drcassandraleclair/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drcassandraleclair

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcngUrEFQM49nWYc21Y-g9g

Image Credits
Katie Rae Preston Lisa Williams Evan Kay Sacred Thomas

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