Today we’d like to introduce you to Mallory Center.
Hi Mallory, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
A significant moment in my life happened in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic. Got a random call from my friend/school partner Rodney he had a dream/vision of me becoming a public figure talking about mental health. I honestly didn’t know where that came from and didn’t have any intentions of doing anything like that. I was about to graduate from Huston Tillison with my Bachelor’s degree in psychology originally wanted to work in human resources and focus on organizational development.
I have a passion for helping people grow in their personal and professional lives. I saw a lot of unfortunate things happen in the work world and I wanted to step in and develop a more diverse and productive work culture and teach employees authentic ways of setting themselves up for success and also taking care of their mental health. And thennnnnnnnnnn corona hit and we were all on lockdown and moms had to become teachers. I had a 12-year-old in sixth grade at the time and it was a shocker adapting to all of the quick changes in our lifestyle. I never saw anything like that coming and it took a lot of getting used to.
Going to school to finish my degree, working from home, and being a teacher has been one of the biggest challenges of my life so far. My mental health was declining and so were my sons. It got so bad I was angry at the teachers for not providing the proper help and lack of communication. My son was failing and I felt they were providing too much work and trying to teach like college kids. It was all new and adjusting to the new lifestyle while being confined to our homes took a toll on our mental health then one day it clicked and I started to feel bad about calling and being upset with the teachers.
I realized that they are dealing with a lot more than I was with my one kid. They had to adjust their entire teaching style while dealing with some of the same issues I was having. Teachers had 15 students or more and they had to continue to work overtime to make sure they are teaching kids the best way they know how to. I apologized to the teacher and it helped me develop ideas on how to help kids and teachers. Mental health and life skills aren’t taught properly in the school districts and once the world opens back up and things get back to normal a lot of the kid’s mental health was going to struggle due to lack of help and resources during the 2 years of the pandemic.
So I decided to put together a developmental program focusing on social-emotional learning and essential life skills to help set them up for success while also helping them overcome any mental health issues they may start having. It’s been about 3 years since Morphing Minds has been up and going and I have had the opportunity to work with some PHENOMENAL people and programs. I am currently a Mental Health first aider for teens and adults, I have worked with and done speaking engagements for the Minority Psychology Network based in California, I was a part of the 2023 Hip-Hop Fin fest and worked with programs in New York Pocketschange, hip hop education center and Budget and Brunch.
Working with the Hip-Hop Finfest I was introduced to Here for Good Texas and was also introduced to Spondulics Tv now I am a content creator for them and I host a show called Its Morphing Time with Mallory I can’t forget about my HR roots, I still have a passion for it and I donate my time as the Director of Events for the Association of Talent Development In Austin Texas. Wheeew a lot has happened and I’m sure left a few things off but that’s how it started and how it’s going
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It started rough because I wasn’t sure what I was doing and didn’t have it planned out in a way that was fitting for my program. Had to restructure, hire a business coach and ask for help for my collaborative business partners.
They were a HUGE help in helping me lay my foundation for Morphing Minds. I’ve been very lucky and blessed since things have been working phenomenally well.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I am an adolescent Health and Wellbeing coach and Parent wellness coach and I empower and help teenagers overcome adversity and achieve goals they never thought they’d be able to do. We create unique and safe spaces for crucial conversations where students, parents, and educators have the opportunity to understand the value and benefits of talking about mental health and student well-being.
Together, we look at ways we can change our thinking patterns and behavior/mental health challenges as opportunities to learn and grow. We help develop an understanding of our relationship with the mind, new ways of thinking and talking about personal issues, and the skills to take action and advocate for ourselves and others.
What makes Morphing Minds unique is that we teach how to manage their emotions, minds, and brains with an in-depth course on the brain and how it works for them. We go over brain type, personality, and other personal things that could affect their ways of thinking. Each student has a unique development plan and while working on their personal development we will work on developing some transferable skills to update their resume for professional development.
We also teach them how to have a voice and advocate for real-life issues teenagers are facing in the world. Since we are project-based we will have a role play in different life scenarios and create unique challenges for topics discussed in the program such as mental health, sexual education, life skills, and digital literacy to make sure they comprehend the information that has been taught and so they can also help others who may be facing some of the same challenges. We Morph Minds and stress the importance of falling forward and turning pain into POWER!
I LOVE WHAT I DO and I make sure I wear it loud and PROUD. When I am Morphing Minds you will always see me in Sunflowers. Sunflowers give me the superpowers to Morph Minds.
Morphing Minds is a social-emotional developmental program that helps develop and strengthen the developmental growth opportunities in young people and helps them avoid harmful behaviors and develops the competencies, confidence, values, and social connectedness they need to transition positively to becoming an adult. Morphing Minds helps develop the proper social skills to develop friendships, positive support systems, and intimate relationships. We want them to understand the dynamics of healthy and unhealthy relationships and have the necessary skills to deal with conflicts and comfortable situations that may occur.
Morphing Minds’ developmental goals are to help and strengthen mental stability and develop self-efficacy which is a belief in their capacity to succeed by providing opportunities to learn and practice life skills in real-life settings. We encourage and guide teens through a process of self-discovery; encouraging teens to not only cast a vision for who they want to be but equip them with the tools, strategies, and techniques to build their future and sustain change.
Teenagers and young adults who are more prepared for adulthood feel comfortable with their bodies, know how to take care of themselves, have a sense of identity, are emotionally healthy, and understand the consequences of risky behaviors. They are also more comfortable and open to talking with their parents, caregivers, or other adults they trust about the challenges in their lives, including mental and sexual health, identity, and any other challenges they may face in today’s world.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
To remind myself to always be human and deal with the emotions that come with being human especially when life happens. To get out of my head and focus on what’s important.
Use my struggles and strengths to help others grow and let them know it’s ok to be different and not mentally strong all the time.
Contact Info:
- Website: MorphingMinds.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/mallory_morphingminds?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==
