Meet Danielle R. Williams
Why am I challenging the PhD experience through mindfulness for women all over the world? Here’s my story.
I grew up taking care of my chronically ill father and lost him to congestive heart failure when I was just 12 years old. While spending copious amounts of time in the hospital, I always wondered why the doctors couldn’t find the root of his illness. I wanted to understand this at the biological level and it is the main reason I began my scientific research journey.
I was required to grow up very quickly, as my mom was a single mom taking care of 2 children. I ignored my childhood trauma for a very long time. However, in college I took a Buddhist psychology course that exposed me to mindfulness and meditation. It was here that I began my mindfulness journey and healing.
As time passed and my path in academic research muddied, I hadn’t practiced mindfulness in years. During my post bac I was diagnosed with severe anxiety and clinical depression. I suffered from constant migraines, blackouts, anxiety attacks, and suicidal dreams. I leaned on therapy and those early mindfulness teachings to heal my mental health.
