Meet Karen Conyers | Mental Health Coach and Worship Dancer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Karen Conyers and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Karen, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I began counseling after the passing of my 8 year old daughter, McKaylan, in 2017. At that time, I was already a member of a grief group on FB. My counselor, Sarah, told me that she saw a ministry in me to help mothers who have lost their children. At first I brushed it off in my mind. On June 8, 2020, in the height of the pandemic, I sat at my kitchen table and decided to start my grief group. But first I needed a name. I remembered that in my intake session, Sarah told me that child loss is a journey. Hence the name This Is Our Journey. At first I was going to make it a group for Christian mothers but then I said to myself that there are mothers out there who needed the support and are not Christian. I then decided to reach out in different FB groups that I was a part of informing them about my group and inviting them to join. I explained that the group is a private group and that everything that is shared within the group would stay within the group. Oddly enough when I advertised my group, there were friends of mine who joined that I had no idea that lost a child. Currently, I am looking into making the group a nonprofit so that I can be able to help parents with financial situations that may arise.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I began working in the school system in August 2017.  I am currently a lab proctor at Hope Academy Alternative School.  I enjoy my job and I enjoy the relationships that I have built with my students.  When they are about to return to their regular school settings, I always tell you, “I’ll miss you but don’t come back!”  I always strive to be that teacher who is down to earth and easy to talk to but at the same time standing firm in the classroom.  Some students at my previous school even referred to me as “the school auntie” and there is a current student that calls me “ma.”    This is my first year ever having high school, but so far, I am enjoying it.

To prepare for my dance assignments, I pray first and foremost and ask God if this is the assignment that He wants me to take. Not saying that if He tells me no then that means that church or service is not of God. Sometimes certain things aren’t for you at that particular time. After I get the ok, I begin to decide what song to minister and I often find a Bible verse or verses to go along with the song and meditate on them. Sometimes I am led to fast but I always consecrate before I minister a song. After all, I will be spreading the gospel of Christ but through movement.

In my dance ministry, I have learned that warfare can sometimes be great. There was an instance where a few hours before I had to dance, I came home with my sons and found that our home, along with one of my husband’s vehicles, was vandalized. After this incident, should I go dance? Should I not? I spoke with my husband and he said, “Whatever you want to do.” So I went forth and God blessed. I felt as if a weight was lifted off of me when I danced and waved my flags in victory. There was another instance where a few hours before I was to dance at an important assignment (dancing for a group of bereaved parents), I got a inbox on FB which was not very pleasant to read. I had to do some heavy praying until that burden was lifted. I went forth with joy, power and authority.

Currently, I am a teacher with the Prophetic Shift Prophetic Dance Program under the leadership of Apostle Joy L. Anton. It is a three leveled program on zoom that teaches biblical foundation of dance, prophecy, etc. I would still like to do even more with my ministry if the Lord allows.

As far as my grief group, I’ve wanted to do more in order to help the parents in my group. Yes I post daily and sometimes do videos and do the monthly prayer but still yet I want to do more. I had been hearing about so many people going into life coaching. There were even people that I knew that were life coaches unbeknownst to me. So I decided to look into life coaching classes, feeling that this was something that I was felt led to do. Finally I found out about Light University (can’t remember how I found out about it) and their mental health certification program. I looked into it, paid for the course, and now I am a board certified mental health coach. I have been volunteering with Gloo, which is an online platform ministry where you are connected with people in your state who needs to talk. Ultimately, I would like to start a mental health ministry called McKaylan’s Butterfly, after my deceased daughter, to help people in not just child loss.

In my child loss journey and in starting my grief group, it has allowed me to meet different parents in different stages of their journeys: some experiencing a fresh loss, some experiencing grieving a loss that happened years ago, etc. It has also allowed me to see the ugly side of grief: people shunning them after their loss or people saying ugly things to them in hopes of them “getting over it.”

I want the world to know that my dance ministry and my grief ministry is helping me to heal from my loss, see clearer, help others, and grow stronger.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Let me shoutout my bestie, Jovita. If she came to visit the area, honestly, I would honestly take her to the neighboring county because there isn’t much going on my area.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

Shoutout to my family who supports me in my grief group and my dance ministry.  I thank them for the encouragement to continue in my grief group and I thank them for allowing me to go out and minister in dance.  

Instagram: glorycarrier75

Facebook: Karen Conyers

Youtube: Glory Carrier