From Valerie
I’ve carried many names across my lifetime — daughter, mother, survivor, seeker, healer, therapist. But perhaps the most enduring has been witness.
I’ve witnessed the weight that Black women bear — the burdens handed down by mothers and grandmothers, the silent grief tucked beneath laughter, the way we armor up just to move through a world that has not always loved us well.
I know this weight intimately because I’ve carried it too.
I’ve passed it down as well. I’ve seen how the unspoken pain can echo from my mother, through me, and into my own daughter. I grew up inside intergenerational wounds that stretched back long before my birth. My journey led me through darkness, but it also carried me toward light — toward therapy, spirituality, holistic wellness, and ultimately, toward my purpose.
This foundation is the culmination of that journey.
It’s my offering — to you, to our mothers and grandmothers, to our daughters, and to all who come after us.
A space for us to lay down what was never truly ours to carry, to honor the resilience in our souls, and to create a new legacy rooted in wholeness.
Valerie Harris is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Psychotherapist, and Holistic Health & Wellness Coach with over two decades of experience helping individuals heal from trauma and reclaim their lives. She specializes in guiding women — particularly Black women — through the layered impacts of intergenerational trauma, anxiety, depression, and life transitions.
Her work is rooted in the belief that healing is not just possible, but deeply transformative when approached through the mind, body, and spirit. Drawing from both clinical expertise and culturally centered practices, Valerie creates sacred spaces where women can lay down burdens, rediscover their worth, and rise into purpose and joy.
Valerie founded The Makings of You as a labor of love — a program designed to honor resilience while providing tools for self-discovery, healing, and growth. Inspired by the women in her family, especially the wisdom passed down from her grandmother Virginia “Gin,” she combines evidence-based therapy, mindfulness, and holistic wellness to help participants not only survive, but thrive.
The Meaning Behind Our Logos
1. The Black Woman with the Dandelion
This logo features the silhouette of a Black woman with a dandelion blooming from the amygdala — the part of the brain that holds our deepest alarms and memories. This powerful image represents healing at the very root of trauma.
The dandelion, often dismissed as a weed, grows through cracks in the concrete and thrives in the harshest conditions. It symbolizes resilience, transformation, and the ability to create beauty and healing from struggle. Placed at the amygdala, it speaks to our mission of teaching the nervous system that it is safe now — and that joy, love, and peace are possible.
This logo is the emblem for our workshops, programs, and merchandise — a visual promise that every participant has the strength to grow, heal, and bloom even in the most challenging environments.
2. The Three Generations, Tree, and Dandelion
The foundation’s logo depicts three generations of Black women standing together beneath a flourishing tree — a powerful symbol of our roots, resilience, and renewal.
• Three Women, Three Generations – They represent the continuum of wisdom, strength, and love passed down from grandmothers to mothers to daughters. Each carries her own story, yet they stand united, reminding us that healing is both personal and collective.
• The Tree – With its strong trunk and branching limbs, the tree symbolizes the family line — grounded in deep roots while always reaching upward. The leaves and blossoms represent growth, transformation, and the beauty that comes from nurturing ourselves and our communities.
• The Dandelion – Woven into the design, the dandelion carries the same meaning of resilience and renewal as in our branding logo. It reminds us that, no matter the hardships, we return — stronger, wiser, and ready to seed the future.
• Connection Across Time – The three women honor the past, embrace the present, and protect the future. The healing we do today ripples forward to touch generations yet to come.
This logo represents The Makings of You Foundation’s mission — creating spaces where women of all generations can heal together, honor their legacy, and step boldly into their joy, purpose, and wholeness.
