We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Mbong Henry. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Mbong below.
Mbong, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
I have learned the art of mastering tenacious resilience, which is the ability to get knocked down and spring back up again.
The secret for my developing tenacious resilience is accepting life’s challenges of racism, uncomfortable situations, and a whole host of other undesirable things as my teachers.
Growing up as a first generation American daughter of African immigrants and one of the only people of color in my school,
I was told to go back to where I came from, I was made fun of for my name, and I was told in order to fit in I needed to deny who I am.
As one might imagine, that was hard for a child to go through because like everyone else- I just wanted to fit in.
The truth is, the fact that I exist is the American dream for some, a nightmare for others, but I now know overcoming those challenges and adversities has made me who I am today.
Over the years, my ability to withstand challenges has grown as it does when you lean into discomfort and reflect with gratitude on the amazing opportunities, people I have crossed paths with, and who I have become in the process.
At the end of the day, I have learned that my opinion of me matters the most when it comes achieving any internal goals or any external successes.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My career of 14 years as a physical therapist has brought incredible opportunities to serve adults of all ages healing from various injuries in multiple states and around the world including international volunteering opportunities.
I started Radiance when I was pregnant with my 3rd baby in the pandemic, I had a dream to create a space to fill in a gap in supporting women where our busy traditional healthcare system often falls short. Too many women have been led to believe that there is nothing to be done about having a positive birth experience and enjoying your motherhood experience as you heal from birth.
At Radiance, I blend my skills and expertise as a pelvic floor and obstetric physical therapist with my background in sports and strength training to support women through a lifetime of health, wellness, and athleticism.
I am proud to support women who want to be proactive about preparing for a positive and empowered birth experience. In the Empowered and Healthy Pregnancy Program at Radiance, women have an opportunity to work with me to be empowered on the changes that occur in your body during pregnancy as well as prepare for the physical and mental demands of labor so you can go from feeling fearful of pain and uncertainty to instead tapping into calm and power as you count down the days until you welcome your baby into your heart and arms.
My clients also receive support for confidently returning to their sport like running or CrossFit (or whatever they are interested in) without fear of injury as well as having fun keeping up with their older kids while not losing themselves to the overwhelming demands of motherhood and societal pressures.
In 2024, I will be expanding my reach in holistic Womens care as a Integrative Women’s Health Coach, stay tuned!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
3 skills that have been impactful on my journey are 1) Curiosity- its important to keep asking questions and challenging what is considered ‘normal’, I’ve also have a love for learning so where I didn’t know something I was proactive to find a teacher, take a course, and learn more, 2) Compassion- Remember everyone is doing the best they can and there is no such thing as perfect 3) Confidence – this is something that gets better with practice – keep practicing!
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
The women I help at Radiance have unbridled belief in themselves and aren’t looking to be fixed. They are curious about their bodies and already know alot through their own challenging medical journeys (for better or for worse). They want a provider who will not only empower them with understanding their bodies, but also illuminate the steps of long lasting healing, and provide support plus accountability to achieve their goals- and of course, have fun along the way!
Contact Info:
- Website:www.RadiancePT.com
- Instagram: www.instragam.com/mbonghenry.dpt
Image Credits
Sanglui Azang-Njaah, Mark Henry, Mbong Henry
