We learn more about wellness trends in this op-ed by Dr. Cosha Joseph—licensed therapist, life coach, and founder of Her Soul The Experience, a transformative wellness movement rooted in emotional healing, faith, and feminine power.
The global wellness movement has grown into a $5 trillion industry, spanning everything from fitness trackers to personalized nutrition. Yet despite this abundance of tools and resources, many women report feeling more fragmented than whole. Even with so many options, I see women searching for grounding, seeking not just physical health, but a return to balance, identity, and purpose.
This challenge is especially pronounced for women of color, who face unique cultural, systemic, and generational barriers when it comes to accessing and sustaining wellness practices. According to the American Psychological Association’s Stress in America 2024 report, Black women report some of the highest levels of stress in the U.S., yet are less likely to access mental health services (APA, 2024). Addressing this gap requires more than another app, supplement, or short-lived trend. It requires spaces that restore the soul as much as the body.
It is within this context that I created HerSoul: The Experience, a two-day gathering designed for women to reconnect with their identity, restore their spirit, and reclaim their voice. This event highlights a new model of wellness, one that is deeply communal, intentionally reflective, and rooted in lived experience.
For anyone wanting to explore this journey even before attending the event, I share reflections, insights, and practical guidance for women seeking wholeness on social media. You can connect with me on Instagram @DrCoshaJoseph to stay inspired and informed about HerSoul and other soul-centered wellness initiatives.
Why Traditional Wellness Models Fall Short
Many popular approaches to wellness emphasize optimization, faster workouts, cleaner eating, sharper productivity. While these methods have their benefits, I notice they often overlook the inner narratives and emotional burdens that quietly undermine well-being. A woman may leave a yoga class feeling physically refreshed but still carry unspoken grief, anxiety, or self-doubt that no pose can release.
Research supports the need for a more integrative lens. Studies on trauma and somatic therapy, such as Bessel van der Kolk’s work in The Body Keeps the Score, illustrate how unprocessed emotional pain manifests in the body, shaping everything from immune response to chronic illness. This shows me that wellness cannot be separated from identity, memory, and healing.
At HerSoul, I create spaces for women to explore and release their baggage, both literal and symbolic. One activation invites participants to write down limiting beliefs or burdens and drop them into a “Bag Drop” station, symbolizing release. This simple act mirrors evidence-based practices like journaling and exposure therapy, which have been shown to reduce anxiety and stress (Tipre et al., 2022).
When women acknowledge and release what weighs them down, they step into a more authentic form of healing. I share guidance and reflective practices online, so women can continue this work daily, even before attending HerSoul. Wellness, in my approach, is about reclaiming wholeness, integrating body, mind, and spirit.
The Power of Communal Healing
Individual self-care is important, but community-based healing is transformative. Across cultures, rituals of gathering, whether in circles, ceremonies, or worship, have historically provided the foundation for resilience. Research confirms this: collective experiences can lower stress markers, boost oxytocin, the bonding hormone, and improve long-term well-being (Acoba et al., 2024, Osofsky et al., 2022).
During HerSoul: The Experience, this principle is central. Women not only hear from keynote speakers and panels, but also engage in group exercises designed to foster connection. From reflective journaling shared aloud to intentional networking prompts, I see how healing happens faster together than alone.
What makes this approach unique is its focus on representation and relatability. Too often, wellness spaces are dominated by images and practices that exclude the cultural context of Black and Brown women. By centering diverse voices and experiences, I help expand the possibilities of what wellness can look like, and empower women to thrive authentically.
At its heart, HerSoul is about wholeness, community, and liberation. While individual tools matter, true restoration often requires the presence of others who understand, uplift, and walk beside you in the healing journey.
Toward a Future of Soul-Centered Wellness
As the wellness movement evolves, the question I ask is not “What’s next to optimize?” but “What does wholeness look like?” For women who gather at HerSoul, success is not measured by steps counted or calories tracked. It is measured by leaving the space with more clarity, confidence, and community than they had before.
This approach has implications far beyond one event. It signals a broader shift in wellness culture, one where mental health, cultural identity, and emotional resilience are placed on equal footing with nutrition and fitness. Research shows that discrimination and chronic stress disproportionately impact Black women’s health outcomes (NWLC, 2023, Williams et al., 2018). Corporate wellness programs, healthcare systems, and even tech startups can learn from this shift by designing interventions that are empathetic, not just efficient.
The wellness industry’s future lies in moving from products to people, from trends to transformation. As one attendee reflected after the inaugural HerSoul gathering, “I came for inspiration, but I left with restoration.” That is the kind of measurable impact that data alone cannot capture, but women’s lives demand.
HerSoul: The Experience Chicago Edition, happening October 24, 25, 2025, will bring this vision to life in an immersive, two-day breakthrough for women ready to heal, connect, and reclaim their wholeness. You can connect with me on Instagram @DrCoshaJoseph, visit the official HerSoul: The Experience website for updates, resources, and community engagement.
When women reclaim their wholeness, they do not just transform their own lives, they transform families, communities, and the future of wellness itself.
References & Resources
- American Psychological Association. (2024). Stress in America 2024: A Nation in Political Turmoil
- Tipre, M. et al. (2022). Race-Related Stress Among Black Women, PMC
- Acoba, E.F. et al. (2024). Social support and mental health: the mediating role of perceived stress, Frontiers in Psychology
- Osofsky, H. et al. (2022). Mechanisms of recovery: Community perceptions of change following repeated disasters, Frontiers in Psychology
- National Women’s Law Center (NWLC). (2023). Polling Shows That Black Women Agree Discrimination and Other Stressors Impact Their Health
- Williams, D.R. et al. (2018). Stress and the Mental Health of Populations of Color, PMC
