Radical Self-Care for Helpers, Healers, and Changemakers

Nicole Steward translates her gifts to the book we have all been waiting for. It’s a rare gem when you come across a book that helps you feel deeply seen amid the throes of burnout. Every page is written with undeniable compassion and points to the systemic structures that keep us in cycles of overwhelm. Instead of offering a checklist of quick tips, Steward instead is a close companion, holding up the mirror and allowing us to finally see the truth and return home to ourselves with deep care. A true recalibration for the spirit. You won’t be the same when you finish this book.–Zahabiyah Yamasaki, MEd, RYT, trauma-informed educator, consultant, and author of Trauma-Informed Yoga for Survivors of Sexual AssaultAn incredibly useful resource for those who have committed their lives and professions to helping and healing others, especially those furthest from justice. Recognizing the immense importance of helping and healing others, individually and collectively, Nicole Steward highlights the need for self-care among those doing this important work and outlines skills and tools to make this a reality. Each chapter culminates with a list of cultural and ancestral practices readers may consider for their self-care. This book is a gem of a resource brimming with practical tools and ideas.–Parvin Ahmadi, school superintendent and president of the Association of California Administrators, 2023-2024Steward draws from her years of experience as a social worker to lay the foundation for her book on radical self-care. She introduces the reader to the [defines] of radical self-care, discusses historical and societal influences around it, and shares her personal journey with examples from her own lived experiences and self-reflections. Her book serves as an instruction on how and why to embark on a journey of deep and meaningful self-reflection, and provides the reader with the next steps and tools in achieving more impactful and workable self-care practices. This book emphasizes the important balance of taking care of self–and why and how we can do so–as we continue to care for and serve others within our professional capacities.–Michelle A. Jorden, MD, practicing forensic pathologist and neuropathologist

Nicole Steward, MSW, is a social worker, homeless and foster youth liaison, former CASA and foster parent, certified yoga instructor, and trauma-informed sound healer with a focus on public education and social justice. She lives in San Jose, California.