Rhythms of Healing Interview – Hopelessness to Hopefulness
Music is emotional. Music is inspirational. And, music can also be very healing. With that in mind, Dr. James P. Norris, Ph.D [Dr. J] and industry veteran Dana Mason have thankfully teamed up to formulate Rhythms Of Healing, an innovative, not to mention very necessary, unique program that channels all of these different types of elements; Hip-Hop culture, meditation and wellness practices, into an overall transformative experience.
Dr. James Norris Ph.D is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor who has over 20 years experience working with at-risk populations. He was raised by a single Mother in the Los Angeles area, where gangs, violence, drugs, and adversity loomed large. A student-athlete, he excelled academically and athletically, ranking among the Top 10 High School football players in California. He earned a full athletic football scholarship to Western Illinois University, where he pursued a BA in Liberal Arts. He went on to sign a professional contract with the Arena Football League. After deciding to transition into a different career, he was working as a Corrections Officer and bearing witness to the struggles of incarcerated minorities. That inspired him to pursue a master’s degree in clinical psychology from Seattle University. As a practitioner, he discovered most of the traditional counseling approaches lacked the cultural nuances and relevance to connect with People of Color. This drove his decision to pursue a Doctoral degree in Counselor Education and Supervision. Today, Dr. James Norris is a licensed mental health counselor, an Assistant Professor at the University of the Cumberlands, and the founder of “ithemba,” which provides tools to help people become better equipped to face life’s challenges and shift from a state of hopelessness to hopefulness.
Dana Mason is a Wellness Practitioner / Sound Healer and an accomplished veteran in both the music entertainment industry and the realm of holistic healing. With a career spanning three decades, Dana’s journey has been marked by astute leadership, adept management, innovative solutions and creative finesse. From collaborating with rap pioneers Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, Tupac, and Master P., Dana’s also worked with legendary artists ranging from Tina Turner, The Smashing Pumpkins, and Lenny Kravitz to David Bowie. Continuing her trailblazing path, Dana co-launched the urban division of JCOR Entertainment through Interscope Records with Slum Village, Tech N9ne, 8Ball & MJG. Her journey eventually led her to Hidden Beach Recordings where she excelled in creating and executing marketing and promotions plans for Grammy Award winners Jill Scott, Bebe Winans and many more. Throughout her illustrious career, Dana’s passion for personal growth and holistic well-being steadily grew. Drawing on her spiritual studies and empathy-driven nature, she was called to a new path as a skilled healer, advisor, and holistic practitioner. Earning numerous certifications in various healing techniques, she crafted a unique approach that blends counseling, sound healing, and intuitive guidance to facilitate transformative journeys for her clients. Her journey from the music entertainment industry to light worker has been influenced by the profound power of music and its role in her personal transformation.
We caught up with the duo to formerly introduce Rhythms of Healing. Dive into our Rhythms Of Healing interview below…
Parlé Mag: Firstly, how did the two of you come together in order to develop this unique program?
Dr. J: We first met about a year ago and we met through a mutual friend. We discussed the work we were doing individually and we thought they would fit well together. After several meetings we thought it would be cool to develop a program that encompassed both work [Music, Wellness, Mental Health, and Healing]. From that point on, we began the process of developing Rhythms of Healing.
Dana: To be exact, we met on August 11th; Hip Hop’s 50th Birthday! I was speaking on a panel in South Central L.A. as part of the Hip-Hop celebration happening throughout the city. The poetic timing of it all makes me smile!
Parlé Mag: What exactly prompted your decision to even launch Rhythms of Healing?
Dana: The original program was created by Dr. J, as he saw a need to create a mental health program that spoke culturally to the BIPOC demographic. When he and I decided to collaborate, it was just as important to me to share holistic healing tools to our community that otherwise wouldn’t have access to. It’s also important for me and for Dr. J to show up as qualified, credentialed representatives in a space that is typically reserved for our white counterparts. De-stigmatizing mental health, and providing services and tools to an under-served and under-represented community is our “why.”
Parlé Mag: What are the company’s mission and vision statements?
Mission: Rhythms of Healing is an innovative program designed to harmonize the elements of Hip-Hop culture, meditation, and wellness practices into a transformative healing experience.
Vision: This unique program looks at mental health and wellness through the universal language of music and the introspective art of meditation, fostering a holistic approach to well-being and personal growth.
Parlé Mag: What is it that actually sets Rhythms of Healing apart from maybe other similar entities, or do you all feel that this is the only movement of this magnitude serving this specific community?
Dana: One of the key factors that sets our program apart from others is the research and data that we are collecting from our sessions. It is our intention to document our client’s journey into wellness and utilize our findings as quantitative research in order to initiate change in academia in how mental health services are practiced in communities of color.
Dr. J: In addition, we believe that Hip Hop isn’t just an intervention that can help individuals mentally and emotionally, but it is a healing property within itself. Many programs use it as an intervention or ways to connect with communities of color, we are using it for healing and transformation.
Parlé Mag: What are some of the key elements that are focused on or looked upon when selecting or targeting potential clientele?
Dana: Each 13-week intensive cohort is dedicated to a specific demographic. We decided the best clinical practice was to keep group therapy sessions intimate, which is why we have 13 openings per cohort. Our 1st cohort is dedicated to serving BIPOC men 18+. Our curriculum will change only in the type of attendees.
Dr. J: Also, it is important for us to select or target individuals that are in place or ready to engage in the process of change and / or healing. We are not looking to force individuals to engage in this deep internal work, so through some of our pre-session questions we can determine if individuals are ready for the intensive work.
Parlé Mag: Rhythms of Healing is comprised of two different programs, one being The Community C.A.R.E. initiative (Connectedness, Acknowledgement, Resilience and Emergence) — Talk to me a lil bit about both divisions…
Dana: The Community C.A.R.E. initiative is based on another proven program created by Dr. J a few years ago. We thought of using this model “remixed” with a bit of the programming from the Rhythms of Healing curriculum to offer this as a free mental health workshop for the community. It’s open to the public 18+.
Dr. J: The Community C.A.R.E. birthed out my C.A.R.E. model, which is hopelessness to hopefulness. This model provides the essential tools to help people become a proprietary approach to counseling and wellness in a therapeutic setting, focused on a transformation from better equipped to face life’s challenges by relying on a self-directed process to achieve inner strength and tranquility.
Parlé Mag: That said, what are your future plans and goals throughout the remainder of 2024, and beyond?
Dana: We want to continue to be of service by offering free workshops in the community by partnering with BIPOC owned wellness spaces. We are looking forward to collaborating with music streaming services to really focus on the healing power of Hip-Hop music. Step by step, doing the work, documenting the results with the intention of publishing our research to change the narrative in psychology, counseling, and social work in academia.
Dr. J: Also, we plan to bring Rhythms of Healing to BIPOC students at Los Angeles Valley College and present at a national conference on the work we are doing around Hip-Hop and healing.
Parlé Mag: Looking ahead, say five or maybe even ten years from now, where do you all see Rhythms Of Healing?
Dr. J: Within the next five years I see Rhythms of Healing sponsored by either Apple Music, YouTube, or Amazon Music to offer our program on community and corporate levels. Also, in five years we will have our own local team to run our program along with doing other community and healing work as well. Lastly, with all the research we are doing, we plan on having an online version of the Rhythms of Healing program and training course to train other practitioners or community members to provide our program to their communities as well.
Parlé Mag: Any “closing” thoughts for our readers?
Dr. J: Rhythms of Healing is a program that we would engage in ourselves and have engaged in. Therefore, we are not offering something we wouldn’t do ourselves. We are the community and the community is us.
Dana: Thank you for your time and platform to share what we are doing!
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