Cocoa Butter and Communion

Chioko Grevious

Addressing generational trauma is essential to healing but accessing the wounds that need to be healed can be emotionally draining work. Psychotherapist Chioko Grevious communes with her village as they delve into the beauty, love and complexities of Black families, generational joy and trauma and their Black experiences. Each episode contains powerful and thought provoking conversations that can bring tears but will be a source of humor, love, connection and understanding. You will gain insight into, not only yourself but your own village, your family and the community surrounding you.

  1. Mar 11

    Grounded in Culture: A Conversation with Aneriz Barbosa Medina

    Hey Village! First things first, this spring I am welcoming the FIRST EVER Soul Story Journal Practice Co-Hort, and I want YOU to be a part of it. For more information, please visit:  https://www.groundedrootscollective.com/soulstorycollective  In this episode, I am chatting with Aneriz Barbosa Medina about being a first-generation student, navigating the intersections as a Puerto Rican and Afro-Caribbean woman in academic spaces, identity, community, and the importance of getting herself all the way together with her grounding practices. We discuss her role as a Santera and the importance of respecting spiritual practices in mental health fields.  In addition to being a Santera, Aneriz is a clinician and Ph.D. student in Humanistic Clinical Psychology, specializing in complex trauma and the healing process. As a first-generation doctoral scholar, her work is deeply rooted in her Puerto Rican and Afro-Caribbean heritage, which inspires both her research and her clinical approach. She is currently completing her dissertation exploring Afro-Caribbean spirituality and its role in healing, identity, and resilience, while also navigating the field of psychology. She is passionate about culture, spirituality, trauma recovery, and community empowerment. Aneriz is committed to creating spaces where ancestral wisdom and modern psychology meet. Her mission is to honor her roots, uplift her community, and serve as a meaningful representation of Caribbean strength, healing, and possibility.  Follow the show on IG @groundedrootscollective

    1h 41m
  2. Feb 23

    A Journey in Storytelling through Representation: A Conversation with JaNay Brown-Wood

    Heeyyy Village! In this episode, I am talking to the award-winning, best-selling children's book author, Dr. JaNay Brown-Wood. In this episode, we talk about her journey as an author; her insights on storytelling, navigating the publishing world as a Black author, and the importance of representation in literature. Y'all, her book has been placed upon a banned list. JaNay and I also chat about the importance of being grown individuals and about finding joy in play and silliness (she sings a little something from School House Rock, while I sing the Tootsie Roll jingle). JaNay is hosting the all-day Black Family Collective event this Saturday, February 28, 2026, at A Seat at the Table Books in Elk Grove, CA. Dr. JaNay Brown-Wood is an award-winning and New York Times Best-Selling children’s author, speaker, poet, educator, scholar, and a former professor of Early Childhood Education and Child Development. Her first children’s book Imani’s Moon won the NAESP Children’s Book of the Year Award and was featured on Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show, and her second book Grandma’s Tiny House: A Counting Story! won the CELI Read Aloud Book Award. JaNay has over thirty books published, including the popular Where in the Garden picture book series, the Harriet Tubman and Simone Biles Little Golden Book Biographies, the Scholastic Love Puppies chapter book series, and the highly praised picture books Jam, Too (an NCTE Notable Poetry Book for 2025) and This Hair Belongs (A Kids’ Indie Next Pick). JaNay is also featured in several educational web videos, including Cooking with JaNay and Jammies with JaNay. Learn more about JaNay on her website www.janaybrownwood.com. Check out her IG @janaybrownwood  Reserve your spot for the event at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/black-family-collective-morning-activities-tickets-1982320194063?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

    1h 19m
  3. 11/14/2025

    The Costa Rica Reunion Tour with Carrie DuBose, Royal Williams & Aaliyah Jones

    Village! I wrote a guided journal, The Soul Story Journal: A Guide to Unbinding the Spirit. For more information, please add your email to my subscription list https://www.groundedrootscollective.com/subscribe . On a future episode, I will share more about the book's journey and how you can have one in YOUR hands! In this episode, I am reuniting with my favorite humid homies from my transformative trip to Costa Rica. We share fun facts, travel experiences, the healing power of being surrounded by elders, and the profound connections formed among one another, highlighting the importance of community and healing. And, of course, we explore themes of liberation, but also the challenges of transitioning back to reality after a profound experience.  Here are today's guests:  Carrie DuBose, MA, is a therapist in St. Paul, Minnesota. She works primarily with individuals and couples from the global majority, with a special emphasis on those identifying as Black and/or multiracial. Her lens is person-centered, decolonizing, systemic, and often includes a somatic and internal family systems approach. Royal Williams started her company, Yup! She Travels, a company that curates cultural experiences for Black women. Driven by her enriching experiences abroad and her educational background, Royal founded Yup! We Travel has the mission to provide meaningful, culturally immersive experiences and internships in Colombia for university students. Royal's own experiences studying and interning abroad during college profoundly shaped her worldview, and she is passionate about offering similar opportunities to help others grow and thrive. After seven years as an English and Spanish teacher between Colombia and the US, Royal decided to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a Psychologist and received a Master's degree from Pepperdine University. She currently works in Dr. Shelly Harrell's research lab. In this lab, she discovered Liberation Psychology. Royal is interested in the well-being of Black women after they leave the US and would like to conduct research on this topic. She plans on pursuing a doctoral degree in Psychology. Follow Royal on IG @yupshetravels Aaliyah Jones is a second-year doctoral student in Clinical Psychology, passionate about the intersections of mental health, physical activity, and holistic wellness. Her work emphasizes integrating mindfulness, movement-based therapies, and somatic experiencing into traditional psychotherapy to help individuals develop self-awareness, enhance emotional regulation, and foster overall well-being.   Follow the show and my private practice, @groundedrootstherapycollective, on Instagram, and I'm also on Facebook. Like, subscribe, and comment wherever you get your podcasts!

    1h 22m
  4. 09/18/2025

    The Power of Our Roots with Lakiba Pittman

    In this engaging conversation, I chat with my elder, Lakiba Pittman, to explore themes of identity, ancestry, and personal growth. We discuss our family ties and the importance of maintaining connections with family and ancestors. Luckily for us, Lakiba shares her journey of self-discovery through spirituality and the Black consciousness movement. Lakiba and I explore the intersections of spirituality, creativity, and the role of elders in the community, and define what unique qualities a true elder should have.   Lakiba Pittman is a professor, poet, energy healer, and community artist whose work bridges creativity, mindfulness, and social impact. She is a Senior Instructor with Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research & Education (CCARE) and facilitates healing-centered programs with Healing Together. She also leads workshops for Stanford Healthy Living, Rick Hanson’s Weekly Meditation Series, the Compassion Institute, and LifeMoves. Lakiba is a trained facilitator in Mindful Self-Compassion, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), and trauma-informed healing practices. Her path was shaped during the Bay Area’s Black Consciousness era, when she became part of the vibrant Nairobi community of East Palo Alto. She began her professional career at Hewlett-Packard/Agilent Technologies in senior roles focused on diversity strategy, leadership development, and global talent management, later founding a consulting practice that helps organizations cultivate inclusive cultures and compassionate leadership. Lakiba now teaches Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging in the Workplace, Cultural Expressions in Media, and Race & Racism at Menlo College, Golden Gate University, and Notre Dame de Namur University. She is completing a doctorate in Transformative Studies at the California Institute of Integral Studies, where her research examines music and spirituality as catalysts for healing and transformation. Her work is grounded in mindfulness, trauma-informed pedagogy, and embodied social justice. Her book Breadcrumbs from the Soul and her installations in the Black Woman Is God art series celebrate resilience, imagination, and the power of art to transform. Stepping into her role as an elder, Lakiba’s greatest purpose is to share the wisdom of her journey so that the healing she cultivates nourishes those she teaches and supports—and ripples outward to bless her ancestors and future generations. Connect with her on all social platforms or at www.lakibapittman.com.  Follow Cocoa Butter and Communion on IG @groundedrootscollective

    1h 27m
5
out of 5
13 Ratings

About

Addressing generational trauma is essential to healing but accessing the wounds that need to be healed can be emotionally draining work. Psychotherapist Chioko Grevious communes with her village as they delve into the beauty, love and complexities of Black families, generational joy and trauma and their Black experiences. Each episode contains powerful and thought provoking conversations that can bring tears but will be a source of humor, love, connection and understanding. You will gain insight into, not only yourself but your own village, your family and the community surrounding you.