Alice Alexandrescu is an options facilitator who helps people identify and protect their mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical boundaries. Currently, she is mentoring under Tony Blauer in his SPEAR System Elite Masterclass. She is an army veteran, holds a master of fine arts in behavioral aesthetics and is a qualified mental health associate skills trainer. In 2020, Alice was awarded third place in the National Veterans' Art Festival for her piece entitled, "888 Paper Cranes", which she gradually completed while hospitalized for PTSD. Saying, "during my treatment, crushing waves of emotions, thought, and sensation were delicately folded into each crane". Alice's work can be viewed in her Instagram where she just lays her studio and research methodology as a public living journal in video and photography.

In this episode, Alice and I discuss:

Standing up for injustice and learning the skills to back up that courage
Recognizing cycles of abuse - listening to your intuition
Non-clinical art therapy and other tools for healing

Key Takeaways:

Learning self-defense doesn't only have to be for yourself, you can use it to protect others and take action when you see injustice and abuse.
Just because the current abuse you take is lesser than the previous, doesn't mean that it's better - don't fall into the trap of abusive cycles.
Survivors of abuse often speak of a "bad feeling" that they get before the abuse happened. Learn to listen to your gut and respond to it accordingly.
Creations of art often bring about healing through self-reflection and expression of pain. Similarly, self-defense can be considered a certain kind of art in itself.

"When I start making these choices to advocate for my needs, be self-aware, identify what I need and want, be brave to communicate that, and respond to the response..." — Alice Alexandrescu

Connect with Alice Alexandrescu:

Instagram: https://Instagram.com/alicejoanirene

CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA:

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069 - INTERVIEW: Advocating for Yourself with Alice Alexandrescu