EDUCATOR | WRITER | STORYTELLER

Audre Lorde wrote, “When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid” (Sister Outsider, 1984; 2012). I believe in using my power for the betterment of society. As such, my work as an educator is aligned to effect change and advocate for the causes I care about — Whether it is on the subject of systemic medical trauma, harmful workplace dynamics, pathways for mental wellness, or understanding personality development and preferences (i.e., MBTI©). I am committed to the transformational process of teaching and learning. As an educator, writer, and storyteller, I am compelled to take every opportunity and every topic as an intentional part of the journey towards liberation through learning.

MY RESEARCH

I started writing at a young age. I wrote dramatic love stories for my friends, eloquent speeches for school clubs and organizations, compelling letters for fundraisers, and lots and lots of papers for my many degrees. Today, I use my writing to share the stories we need to heal ourselves. My research focuses on storytelling as a praxis for healing and identity development. As a Haitian American Black woman, I have learned the importance of maintaining cultural identity and connections. My research on collective meaning-making and self-construction through storytelling centers Black women’s wellness, emphasizing the significance of call-and-response in storytelling as an embodied methodological praxis for healing. “Stories,” according to Edwidge Danticat (2019), “whether within the family of folktales, or just spirituality and rituals, are so important to survival, to continuity... We’re connected by our stories.” Through storytelling, I merge scientific research, ancestral knowledge, and creative (non)fiction in a practice of call-and-response to facilitate deconstruction, reconstruction, and healing from structural trauma.

MY WORK

As a life-long learner, I am always in the pursuit of knowledge and just as eager to share that knowledge with others. I earned a B.S. in Organizational Management in 2007, an M.S. in Counseling Psychology in 2010, and completed a Ph.D. in Higher Education in 2025. I also hold a license as a Mental Health Counselor; a certification as a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion professional; and I am a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator © Certified Practitioner. As a scholar/practitioner, I educate inside and outside of the classroom — as a college instructor, workshop facilitator, personal coach, speaker/storyteller, writer, and researcher — using all of my acquired skills and specialized training to make every moment a learning opportunity.

If you are interested in working with me or would like to learn more about what I do, please schedule a free consultation HERE.

You can see some of my published work here:

Pierre, D. (2021). Presumed Incompetent II: Race, class power, and resistance of women in academia. Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development: Vol. 20: No. 20, Article 6.

Pierre, D. (January 27, 2021). Vindicate me, O Lord: A prayer of lament. The Witness. Retrieved: https://thewitnessbcc.com/vindicate-me-o-lord-a-prayer-of-lament/

You can also check out my personal blog, danneunscripted.