Assisting Leaders in Building Trauma-Informed Workplaces, Campuses & Communities

A think-and-do tank focused on cutting-edge trauma research, empowering leaders, innovators, and dreamers to tackle the existential crises of the day


Evidence-based training modalities to resolve collective trauma in our workplaces and on college and university campuses

What could activists and community leaders accomplish if given the tools to activate their own capacity to heal from racial trauma?


A think-and-do tank on trauma and resilience

Prepare. Operate. Recover.

We live in a world where the next crisis appears before the last one has been resolved. Battling pandemics, climate events, racial trauma, as well as social, political, and economic upheaval can leave psychological wounds that render us anxious, depressed, and traumatized.


The way out of collective existential crises has always been to look to the dreamers and innovators in our communities—those who envision possibility in the face of despair. Yet, the unprecedented levels of trauma facing these leaders limit their ability to function let alone thrive or innovate. Their resilience and capacity to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances are at an all-time low.


The Trauma Informed Resilience Institute (TIRI) will engage in cutting-edge trauma research, guiding the next generation of leaders to prepare for, operate in, and recover from traumatic events.




Evidence-based trauma training

Professional Development for a Trauma-Informed Workplace

Blackbird Trauma Training Company designs and implements trauma-informed learning journeys for working professionals, corporate leaders, educators, administrators, and students in-person and/or via an e-learning platform. Representative trainings include:


  • The Trauma-Informed Workplace: An Introduction


  • Trauma Training for Psychological “First Responders” - for educators, Title IX investigators, human resources personnel, and more


  • Interviewing Traumatized Clients / Students / Employees


  • Trauma and Transformation in the Classroom

Healing racial trauma

Supporting Social Justice Activists in Building a Never-Before-Seen World

We are only just beginning to understand how racial trauma impacts the individual in body and psyche. For social justice activists who seek to transform race-based systems of oppression in US society, healing these wounds is paramount--otherwise, the risks of burnout, depression, and worse are overwhelming.


The Harriet Project is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting activists and community leaders in healing from racial trauma. It is only from this place of liberation that one can hope to create a more just, equitable, and never-before-seen world.

Marjorie Florestal

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS


  • Visiting Professor, UC Davis Law School (2015 - 2022)


  • Visiting Professor, UC Berkeley Law School (2015)


  • Professor (with tenure), McGeorge Law School (2003 - 2013)


  • Consultant, US State Dept., USAID, African Development Bank, et al. (2001 - 2007)


  • Assistant General Counsel, President of the United States (1998 - 2000)



EDUCATION


  • Fielding Graduate University, PhD Candidate, Exp. 2024. Trauma and Transformation in the Law School Classroom (Dissertation). MA, Human Development, 2022


  • Sonoma State University, MA, Jungian Psychology, 2016. Healing Racism's Psychic Wound: A Jungian Approach (Thesis)


  • New York University, JD, School of Law, 1995


  • New York University, BA, Arts & Science, 1991

About Me

Marjorie Florestal is an educator, trauma expert, and award-winning writer who uses the power of storytelling to catalyze recovery and healing from collective trauma.


Marjorie is a PhD candidate researching trauma, resilience, and healing in graduate students. She holds advanced degrees in Jungian Psychology and human development, and she has completed specialized training in several trauma healing modalities.


A former tenured professor at University of the Pacific, Marjorie has also taught at University of California Davis and Berkeley. She began her career in the White House under the Clinton Administration, focusing on harnessing the power of international trade to promote development and peace in Africa.


An avid traveler, Marjorie has lived, traveled, and worked in such diverse environments as Cape Verde, France, Guatemala, and Haiti.



REPRESENTATIVE PUBLICATIONS


  • Trauma-Informed Law: A Primer for Lawyer Resilience and Healing (co-author/co-editor). American Bar Association Press, forthcoming (2023)




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