MILWAUKEE — Passions are merging as one licensed professional counselor in Milwaukee provides healing through poetry.
Cedric Hoard told TMJ4’s Sydni Eure he was a spoken word artist before he became a therapist. After seven years of hard work, he can also call himself a published author.
His newly released book, Anchored in Light: Poems and Reflections from the Therapy Office, is his way of reminding people they are not alone. He said his mission is to help people reflect on their lives and find ways to connect with others through a different lens.
“We live in a society where it's so easy to cancel people for their what’s, for their behaviors,” said Cedric Hoard, author of Anchored in Light. “The things that we see on the outside."
Hoard said the title is meant to be a double entendre, offering readers a double meaning.
“Anchors can refer to the heaviness, the burdens that we sometimes carry in our lives,” explained Hoard. “But anchors can also represent stability; they can also represent something that grounds us. Light can represent buoyancy, the freedom, the lifting of these burdens, but light can also represent something that exposes the dark or hidden areas of our life.”
Hoard said as a writer and therapist, he truly believes that behind every symptom, there is a deeper story; behind every reaction, there is a deeper reason; and behind every what, there is a deeper why.
“What I really want readers to get through this book is looking at people not through the lens of condemnation or judgment, but looking at people through the lens of curiosity,” said Hoard.
It’s why Hoard said he works to treat stories and not just symptoms alone. He encouraged everyone to trust the process.
“Sometimes it is just good and healthy to be able to sit and have someone help you navigate some of the challenges that we face,” said Hoard.
Hoard celebrated the release of his new book Friday night with a sold-out book signing and panel discussion.
Watch: Milwaukee therapist blends healing and poetry in new book
The book is available now and can be found at major online retailers or on Hoard's website.
Hoard shared that as you read, you may find the experience unique, and you may even see yourself through the lens of other people's challenges outlined in the book. He continued by saying how intentional he was about making sure readers knew they were not alone.
“Every poem and every reflection is inspired by a real-life client that I’ve had the opportunity to work with over the years,” said Hoard. “So I’m essentially being a voice to some of these challenges that people face.”
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