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What does it really mean to belong when your identity doesn’t fit neatly into one box?

In this powerful and deeply human conversation, Dr. Shawna Gann and cohost, Marcel DeJonghe, chat with somatic psychotherapist, coach, and educator Raina LaGrand to explore the layered realities of mixed race identity. Together, they unpack the tension between fitting in and truly belonging, the emotional weight of code switching, and the complexity of navigating spaces that were never designed with multiracial people in mind. Raina shares her personal journey, including unexpected discoveries about her ancestry, and how those moments reshaped her understanding of identity, healing, and wholeness.

The conversation also dives into what Raina calls the “mixed race belonging wound” and how it shows up in relationships, self-worth, and the ability to take up space. From racialized trauma and complex trauma to the surprising power of community and shared language, this episode is both validating and expansive. Whether you identify as mixed race or simply feel like you exist between worlds, this conversation will leave you thinking differently about identity, connection, and what it means to feel at home in yourself.

About Raina LaGrand
Raina LaGrand is a somatic psychotherapist, coach, and educator who supports mixed race adults in healing belonging wounds and reconnecting with their innate wholeness. She offers one-on-one and group programs worldwide and maintains a psychotherapy practice in Michigan, where she specializes in complex relational trauma, chronic pain, and racial identity. Raina lives in Ypsilanti, Michigan with her dog, Willa, and enjoys cooking with friends, reading books by women of color authors, and indulging in reality TV.

Connect with Raina
Instagram: @mixedracebelonging
Podcast: Mixed Race Belonging Podcast
Website: mixedracebelonging.com
Therapy practice: roottorisesomatics.com

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Content note: This episode includes strong language and explores childhood abuse, sexual abuse, and the lasting impact of trauma on identity and self worth.

In this powerful and layered conversation, Dr. Shawna Gann and co-host, Marcel De Jonghe sit down with Tara Moore, intuitive coach, empath, energy healer, host of the Rooted & Rising podcast, and founder of Soul’d Spaces. Together, they explore what it means to deconstruct identity, release inherited stories, and rebuild from a place of deeper truth. Tara reflects on growing up mixed race, feeling caught between worlds, and spending years trying to become who others expected her to be before beginning the work of reclaiming her own voice, worth, and sense of self. This episode moves through race, belonging, trauma, motherhood, healing, and the tension between how the world sees us and how we learn to see ourselves.

But the conversation does not stop there. In a deeply honest follow up, Shawna and Marcel revisit one of the episode’s central questions: what happens when personal agency meets structural harm? Tara then responds with a vulnerable reflection rooted in her own lived experience of abuse, survival, and the decision to stop cycles of harm in her lineage. What unfolds is not a neat conclusion, but an invitation to stay with complexity, hold multiple truths, and keep asking better questions.

If this episode moves you, share it, subscribe, and send it to someone who values courageous conversations.

If this is your first time with OTC, check out EPISODE 1: START HERE for more background on the show. Don't forget to follow us on Instagram!

Interested in being a guest? Head to this link to share your story with us!

Our True Colors is powered by True Culture Coaching & Consulting. Head to our website to find out how True Culture Coaching and Consulting can support you and your organization, and subscribe to our LinkedIn Newsletter, The Culture Clinic, for more great content.

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In this episode of Our True Colors, Dr. Shawna Gann sits down with returning guest Ashnie Butler for a rich conversation about identity, belonging, and the power of asking better questions. Together with Marcel De Jonghe, they explore what happens when curiosity crosses the line into assumption, why certain questions about race and ethnicity can feel intrusive, and how mindful inquiry can help us communicate with more care, honesty, and connection. Ashnie shares how her lived experience as an Indian Trinidadian woman has shaped the way she understands identity, marginalization, and the layered realities of fitting in and standing out.

Drawing from her work as a certified professional diversity coach and creator of The Art of Mindful Inquiry, Ashnie offers a grounded framework for slowing down, noticing what is happening in the body, and asking questions from genuine curiosity instead of confirmation bias. This episode speaks directly to anyone navigating racial ambiguity, workplace tension, difficult conversations, or the everyday challenge of building authentic relationships across difference. One of the biggest takeaways is this: questions can either open a door or slam one shut. Mindful inquiry invites us to pause long enough to choose connection.

If this conversation resonated with you, subscribe, leave a rating or review, and share this episode with someone who cares about identity, communication, and building deeper human connection.

If this is your first time with OTC, check out EPISODE 1: START HERE for more background on the show. Don't forget to follow us on Instagram!

Interested in being a guest? Head to this link to share your story with us!

Our True Colors is powered by True Culture Coaching & Consulting. Head to our website to find out how True Culture Coaching and Consulting can support you and your organization, and subscribe to our LinkedIn Newsletter, The Culture Clinic, for more great content.