Speaking & Facilitation
A selection of conferences, retreats, and wellness events where Dr. Derby-Davis has supported caregivers, healthcare professionals, and communities through mindfulness, reflection, and restorative practices.
CARE BEYOND CURE: Primary Palliative Care Conference
Wellness Facilitation | April 17–18, 2026
Renaissance Fort Lauderdale West Hotel
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
I am honored to serve as the Wellness Facilitator for the inaugural CARE BEYOND CURE: Primary Palliative Care Conference, hosted by DNPs of Color.
This two-day gathering will bring together DNPs, APRNs, RNs, educators, advocates, and palliative care leaders committed to advancing compassionate and culturally responsive care. Centered on the theme “Reimagining Primary Palliative Care Through Culture, Connection, and Collective Healing,” the conference will create space for meaningful dialogue, practical learning, and community-building among healthcare professionals dedicated to improving patient care and leadership within their communities.
As the wellness facilitator for this event, my role is to support the well-being of the caregivers who devote their lives to caring for others. Through mindfulness and restorative practices, I will help create intentional moments throughout the conference where participants can pause, reconnect with themselves, and restore balance in mind, body, and spirit.
These moments of reflection and restoration are essential for sustaining the emotional and professional demands of healthcare leadership. When caregivers are supported in caring for themselves, their capacity to care for others expands.
I look forward to sharing space with healthcare professionals who are committed to transforming care and advancing healing within the communities they serve.
Healing the Healer.
Creating space for breath, presence, and renewal.
Healing for Healers Event
Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida
February 26, 2026
I was honored to support the Healing for Healers event hosted by the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing at Florida Atlantic University. This meaningful gathering was designed to provide healthcare professionals with restorative and grounding experiences that nurture well-being, reflection, and renewal.
The theme of the event centered on creating intentional space for those who devote their lives to caring for others. Healthcare professionals often carry the emotional and physical demands of caregiving, and events such as this offer a moment to pause, reconnect, and restore balance.
During the program, I facilitated a sound healing mindfulness experience that invited participants to settle into stillness, release tension, and reconnect with a sense of inner calm. Through gentle sound and vibration, participants were guided into a state of deep relaxation and reflection, creating space for restoration of mind, body, and spirit.
I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to contribute to an event that honors the well-being of caregivers and acknowledges the importance of caring for those who care for others.
Conference Wellness Facilitation
DNPs of Color Conference 2025
Oakland, California | October 16–19, 2025
Theme: Rest and Resistance
I was honored to once again serve as the wellness facilitator for the DNPs of Color Conference. This powerful gathering brought together leaders, scholars, and practitioners committed to advancing health equity and transformative leadership in healthcare.
Throughout the conference, wellness was intentionally woven into the experience through mindfulness and grounding sessions offered to presenters and participants. These moments of pause created space for reflection, presence, and restoration within a dynamic and inspiring professional environment.
I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to support such meaningful work and to contribute to the spirit of care and community that defines this conference.
If you are planning a conference or professional gathering, Sacred Pause wellness experiences can help create moments of restoration and balance for your participants.
Learn more about the conference:
https://www.dnpsofcolor.org
DNP of Color 2025 Conference: Wellness Facilitator
DNPs of Color Virtual Community Forum
August 2025
Presentation: Rest. Release. Renew: A Heart-Centered Practice for DNPs
I was honored to facilitate a virtual session for the DNPs of Color community focused on the importance of restorative practices for nurse leaders and doctoral scholars.
This session invited participants to explore the role of rest, release, and renewal as essential practices for sustaining well-being and leadership in healthcare. In environments where nurses often carry significant emotional and professional responsibilities, creating intentional space for restoration becomes an act of care and resilience.
During the session, participants explored:
• the importance of rest, release, and renewal as restorative practices
• how the process of release can lead to emotional clarity and personal liberation
• reflective and embodied practices that can be integrated into daily life
The session concluded with a guided meditation designed to support grounding, reflection, and a return to presence.
This experience reflected the spirit of The Sacred Pause Model—creating intentional space for breath, presence, and renewal within the demanding work of healthcare leadership.
This work continues to affirm the importance of creating restorative spaces for healthcare professionals to pause, reflect, and reconnect with their purpose.
DNPs of Color Conference October 2024
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
I was honored to serve as the wellness facilitator for the DNPs of Color Conference in Philadelphia. This inspiring gathering brought together healthcare leaders and scholars committed to advancing equity and excellence in nursing and healthcare.
Throughout the conference, I provided mindfulness and grounding sessions for presenters and participants, creating intentional moments of pause before presentations and key sessions. Integrating wellness into the conference experience helped support presence, clarity, and balance during a dynamic and meaningful event.
I am deeply grateful that Zahariyah Body Mind and Spirit was able to contribute to such a powerful gathering.
If you are planning a conference or professional event, Sacred Pause wellness experiences can help create restorative moments that support the well-being of your presenters and participants.
DNP of Color October 2024 Conference: Wellness Facilitator
DNP of Color October 2024 Conference
Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) Region III Conference
Orlando, Florida | June 17, 2024
I was honored to participate as a panel speaker at the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) Region III Conference, an important gathering of labor leaders and advocates committed to advancing economic justice and equity within the labor movement.
The panel brought together healthcare professionals to address priority health and wellness concerns affecting workers and their communities. Alongside my colleagues Dr. Diane John, PhD, FNP, and Nicole Eversly-Hall, MSN, APN-C, we explored key topics including anxiety, depression, insomnia, and strategies for supporting mental well-being.
My presentation focused on practical approaches to supporting mental health and cultivating emotional well-being, offering participants reflective practices and tools that can help individuals navigate stress and maintain balance in demanding professional environments.
The Coalition of Black Trade Unionists includes prominent leaders and members from organizations such as the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), who continue to advocate for racial equality and economic justice within the labor movement.
I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to conversations that support the well-being of individuals and communities who play such a vital role in strengthening our society.
Creating spaces to reflect on well-being and mental health is essential for sustaining both individual and community resilience.
DNPs of Color Conference October 2023
Washington, D.C.
I was honored to serve as the wellness facilitator for the DNPs of Color Conference in Washington, D.C. This inspiring gathering brought together healthcare leaders, scholars, and practitioners dedicated to advancing excellence and equity in nursing and healthcare.
Throughout the conference, I provided mindfulness and grounding sessions for presenters and participants, creating intentional moments of pause before presentations and key sessions. These practices helped support focus, presence, and well-being throughout the conference experience.
I am grateful that Zahariyah Body Mind and Spirit was able to contribute to such a meaningful event.
If you are planning a conference or professional gathering, Sacred Pause wellness experiences can help create restorative moments that support the well-being of your presenters and participants.
Virtual Wellness Retreat for Tigray (HPN4)
May 29–30, 2021
I was honored to participate as a speaker and wellness facilitator in a virtual wellness retreat hosted by Health Professionals Network for Tigray (HPN4). The retreat was organized to support mental wellness and healing during a time of profound crisis and conflict affecting the people of Tigray, Ethiopia.
During the retreat, I presented “Healing Body, Mind, and Spirit: Releasing Trauma,” a session focused on holistic approaches to restoring emotional and spiritual balance during times of collective trauma.
In addition to the presentation, I facilitated two sound healing sessions designed to create restorative space for participants to pause, release tension, and reconnect with a sense of inner calm and grounding.
This gathering brought together healthcare professionals and community members from across the diaspora who are committed to supporting healing, resilience, and well-being during times of hardship.
I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to contribute to a global conversation about healing and the importance of creating spaces for restoration and compassionate care.
Self-Care Saturday
A beautiful morning of brunch by the water with dear friends. Moments like these remind us that self-care is not selfish—it is necessary. Taking time to pause, laugh, and reconnect with the people who nourish our spirit is part of sustaining our well-being.
I am honored to celebrate and introduce Dr. Asty Merus, who successfully defended her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree.
Her project, “The Impact of Sickle Cell Anemia Patients Using Mindfulness as an Adjunct for Pain Management,”explored the powerful role that mindfulness practices can play in supporting patients living with chronic pain.
It was a privilege to be part of her journey. As her mindfulness facilitator, I guided Dr. Merus through a six-week mindfulness training experience where she developed a deeper awareness of mindfulness practices and their impact on personal well-being. She thoughtfully incorporated several of these practices into the intervention component of her DNP project.
Her findings demonstrated that mindfulness-based practices were effective in helping reduce patients’ pain levels, highlighting the value of integrating holistic approaches into patient care.
I would also like to recognize Dr. Teresa Gore, who provided outstanding mentorship as faculty and project chair throughout this process.
Please join me in welcoming Dr. Asty Merus into the academy of scholars. Her work reflects the growing importance of integrating mindfulness and compassionate care into healthcare practice.
Moments like these remind me of the power of mindfulness and the importance of creating space for presence, healing, and renewal in healthcare.
Dr. Derby-Davis.
