Dismantling Systems of Oppression. Member Spotlight: Rochanne “Shellie” Honarvar
Rochanne “Shellie” Honarvar (formerly Shellie Vincent) is a content expert in the neurobiology of trauma and trauma-informed care. She has dedicated her career to community building and conflict mediation through education, science, and history. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Shellie settled in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania after completing her undergraduate degree at Duquesne University, where she studied Sociology with a concentration in Social Policy and Justice. Furthering her academic career, Shellie received her Master of Social Work from the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work in 2010 with a concentration in community organizing, despite her primary emphasis on clinical work during this time.
At the moment Shellie is finishing up her doctorate degree in Social Welfare at Case Western Reserve University’s School of Applied Social Science in Cleveland, Ohio. She also works currently as a therapist specializing in trauma and the neurobiology of trauma, trauma-informed care, and trauma healing initiatives. Shellie formerly co-founded Peace of Time Wellness, an integrative trauma-healing mind/body space. Shellie had stepped back from clinical work upon entering her doctoral program to focus more on training, lecturing, and academia, while simultaneously conducting research on dismantling some of the oppressive structures that are encountered today.
Shellie’s Journey with MBBI
Shellie is no stranger to Mediators Beyond Borders International. Shellie interned with MBBI in 2009-2010 when the organization was less widespread, at the office in Morningside, Pittsburgh. During her internship, she contributed to the Liberian initiative, as well as providing some editing work for the Columbia and Zimbabwe initiatives. Shellie continued working for MBBI in and out over the past decade, mostly in collaboration with the South Sudan team. Her background in trauma-informed care allowed her to assist in creating a trauma-informed peace curriculum, which led her to becoming a consultant for the organization.
Curiosity and the Power of Self
From a young age, Shellie had always hoped to work internationally. Or, in some capacity, to integrate international networks into her research and to expand her transmission of knowledge to others across the globe. Curiosity has been a major driving force for Shellie in getting her to this point professionally. She explains the burning desire, almost rooted in that familiar sense of “teenage rebellion”, that she felt as a young student to work and connect with others across borders. Her unanswered questions concerning why oppressive systems persist pushed her towards studying sociology, eventually opening doors to her interest in social work and social policy. Shellie explains how addressing such systemic questions can be cumbersome for many individuals, forcing them to challenge long-held norms.
“I came to a realization during my undergraduate experience that the only thing you can really do is to control yourself and the decisions you choose from there and how you operate in this world.”
Shellie strived to make an impact on others in the world. In recognizing the power of her autonomy and the influence of her conscious decisions, Shellie decided to pursue advanced degrees focusing on social justice, dismantling systems of oppression, peacebuilding, and community mediation.
Lecturing: Transcending Borders Through Speech
Despite never living internationally, Shellie utilizes her work to transcend borders and appeal to a plethora of different communities. Delivering her work mostly through lecturing, Shellie attends various international conferences and visits different universities abroad to share her research. Shellie’s lectures typically focus on her research in the neurobiology of trauma. However, depending on her audiences and environments, Shellie adapts her topics to address historical oppression or ongoing generational trauma. These discussions include topics on the integration of neuroscience into social work and mental health, as well as social welfare policy, and understanding the implications of societal and political structures on neurobiology. The delivery of her work is challenging at times, she explains, but profoundly rewarding. Shellie mentioned various times how grateful she is to be in her current position, and that the meaningful work she does today is something that she had always dreamed of. Seeing others connect is immensely fulfilling to Shellie: “There’s just this moment where folks begin to align and attune and that is the most amazing thing to watch.”
The Complex Interplay of Neuroscience and Indigenous Knowledge
Shellie is drawn to indigenous communities and has a strong interest in exploring and understanding the process of dismantling patriarchal, heteronormative approaches to knowledge. It is unfortunate, Shellie explains, how many of the ways in which indigenous folk have used healing and community for centuries have historically, up until the point of being backed scientifically by neuroscience only recently, been seen as “less-than” or ignorant. Modern scientific justification for ancient practices can be harmful or invalidating to some indigenous people, considering how a large majority of this knowledge and these practices have been valued for ages. Such complexities and historical depth make for a difficult situation to grapple with. When asked if the use of neuroscience has a profound impact on the communities with whom she works, Shellie said yes, explaining how it is a means of normalization for some folks as well as how it helps shift narratives to underscore the systemic roots of harm rather than blaming individuals.
Breaking Down Dueling Perspectives
One of the greatest challenges in mediation for Shellie is managing the diversity and breadth of perspectives held by individuals in conflict, depending on the type of mediation. Her clinical practice primarily involves mediating among staff members, while her work with MBBI focuses on training others to navigate and understand the roots of conflict as well as the impact of trauma. It is vital to understand that there is always more instability embedded within conflict than what is presented on the surface. Thus, another major challenge concerns the complexities of a conflict-heavy situation. In mediating folks with different perspectives, you are also presented with the challenge of confronting their varying means of emotional regulation, especially in instances involving cross-cultural work.
“One of the hardest parts of mediation is knowing that the structures that we will face, broadly, are going to continue disrupting and contributing to some kind of unstable peace or conflict, somewhere, just because of the way that our world operates.”
Despite these challenges, Shellie finds hope in mediation: “One of the most amazing things is that you truly see humanity. You see everybody coming together, embracing their humanity with one another, especially once you get to the point in mediation where you uncover common ground and shared perspectives between initially dueling forces.”
Shifting Agendas and Hope for Policy Change
Looking forward, Shellie aims to integrate more research into her work, particularly concerning indigenous knowledge systems and their historical erasure. She seeks to address critical questions, such as “Why did we need neuroscience to actually validate practices that communities knew worked long ago?” By shifting her research agenda into this framework, Shellie aims to highlight the fact that our structures perpetuate ongoing conflict and oppression, thereby inciting suffering. Furthermore, Shellie believes much of our current social policy is antiquated and is in dire need of progression. Ultimately, she hopes her research will influence US foreign policy and foster lasting change.
The Value of Humility
When asked to share advice for future mediators, Shellie turned to self-awareness. The act of being self-aware, Shellie explains, is to actively reflect on how your actions could impact other people unintentionally due to ingrained norms and privileges: “You were socialized into some type of normalcy and privilege that other people may not have been.” Viewing your peers or colleagues as mirrors of your own behavior is also incredibly valuable, especially when you come to understand how your own behavior may be contributing to present harm.
Furthermore, there is a humility in recognizing the fact that we cannot comprehend others’ lived experiences, and that our knowledge applications are limited. “I need to be able to be open and humble enough to ask how to use the knowledge that I have to move towards a larger goal.” Everyone has very different lived experiences, and thus very different foundational frameworks structuring how they operate in this world.
We Are Products of Our Own Environments
To foster meaningful change, it’s crucial to recognize that we are shaped by the environments we inhabit and the interactions we experience. While biology plays a role in who we are, it is deeply influenced by these external factors. As Shellie highlights, “without stepping back and beginning to understand who we are in our environment and how it shaped us, we can inadvertently perpetuate things that are ultimately harmful or perpetuate the structures that we want to eradicate.” For those engaged in mediation or conflict resolution, this self-awareness becomes vital. By understanding ourselves within the context of our environment, we gain the ability to empathize with others and perceive them through the lens of their unique contexts. This process, as Shellie notes, is key to “shifting the structures and the paradigm of the world that we’ve existed in.”
Article by Sarah Stenovec, MBBI Writer