CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A Coastal Bend woman originally from the island of St. Kitts in the Caribbean coaches women to overcome their past trauma.
Belkis Clarke said she experienced childhood sexual abuse when she was in primary school and was in a dark place where she attempted suicide.
Clarke said she attended a seminar for people who’ve experienced childhood sexual abuse because she was tired of feeling hurt and pain.
“Though a bad thing has happened to you, however a thing happened to you, it did not have to continue to impacting your life in negative ways, you can take control," said Clarke.
Clarke said it was in the seminar she knew she wanted to offer support for women to overcome traumatic experiences and heartbreaks.
Clarke is a personal coach and motivational speaker who offers online or in person one-on-one sessions to help identify the impact and obstacles in your life experiences due to past trauma, These come in three distinct sessions she calls heal, rise and fly.
“I go into companies and offer empowerment and facilitation and even training," Clarke said. "So that is what I bring to the space for women, I step into the chaos basically and help people to find calm and clarity whether it’s in a corporate setting or in a one-on-one setting."
Clarke's work has helped others immensely.
“When I met Belkis, she actually transferred my life," said Johann Thurton, a client who said she was in a very dark and destructive place before meeting Clarke.
“She helped me a lot and I told her it is the first time I’ve felt uh what happiness was," said Thurton.
“With women, mental health is so important regardless of the community or who you are," said client Cynthia Mack. "Because we need to have that support we need to have those life coaches and what she does is profound."
Clarke has been a motivational speaker for more than 15 years and has been in Corpus Christi since 2018. She said she wants to continue to be a light for women of all backgrounds, especially black women.
“Black women, we are supposed to be strong," Clarke said. "We are supposed to show up and we’re supposed to get things done regardless of how its impacting us regardless of how we feel."
And what does Coastal Bend black excellence mean to Clarke?
“We are here," she said. "But excellence suggests to me that its a space that opens up to allow me the opportunity to be propelled and advance into what was unique to me and to be celebrated and appreciated for it."
To sign up for a session with Belkis Clarke visit her website or Facebook.
If you would like to nominate someone for the Coastal Bend Black Excellence series you can click here.
