PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Quniana Futrell is helping people pave a path to reconciliation.
Outside of serving on the Portsmouth School Board and running a daycare, Futrell helps people mend and heal from broken relationships with their mothers.
"When you have been wounded by your mother and you have that place in you that needs to be healed," Futrell said. "You have to treat it."
Futrell said her mission is inspired by her own journey to heal the relationship she had with her mother.
"My mom and I, our relationship was so raw," Futrell said. "She was in the streets, she was a drug dealer, she was in prison and jails most of my life."
"And then, it took me to step into my own healing journey for me to discover that she is a woman outside out that title of mother, who had horrible things happen to her that she never treated and got healed from or healed through [in] any way," Futrell said. "And I'll never forget God telling me, you know, 'You have to forgive her, because she did the best she knew how to do.'"
Fueled by restoration and peace, Futrell launched programs and projects to help other people heal from family and generational wounds.
Her nonprofit Building Resilience in Communities supports children and families with an incarcerated parent or guardian.
Futrell also coaches people and groups as they confront and overcome deep-rooted family wounds through the Trauma Ain't Normal program.
A motivational speaker, Futrell has traveled as far as Uganda to present "Unleash The Champion," an inspirational talk that encourages people to rise above adversity and reach new heights in life.
"Doing this kind of heart work, that I call it, is really just all about just getting reset back to the factory settings, back to what our original state should have been the whole time," Futrell said. "Enjoying life, fulfilling our purpose, helping others, being a voice in our communities for others, and just taking a stand."
Futrell also published an anthology and produced a YouTube docuseries, both called "Why My Mom." They tell the stories of people working to fix broken bonds with their mothers.
"I took [my] bad, horrific situation and said, 'I know there has to be other people that need a voice'," Futrell said. "There's other people that's stuck in the wounds of what I call 'momma trauma'. And so, if you are stuck in that, we can help you."
Futrell said her passion is helping people reclaim their lives and create a future free from the restraints of trauma.
"To hear people say, 'I feel like I can live again now' at 40 and 50, and sometimes 60-year-olds that come to me," Futrell said. "They just feel like they got a fresh start in life after discovering that they've just been existing for all these years."
Futrell is hosting an Unleash The Champion Experience for women business owners. The event is Saturday, August 19th at The Niche Venue in Portsmouth. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.