"We are not the survival of the fittest, we are the survival of the nurtured." Louis Cozolino
Who We Are
TrUTH Educational Consulting is a partnership between two dynamic and visionary educators: Shawn Nealy-Oparah and Tovi Scruggs-Hussein. Shawn and Tovi initially connected through a mutual colleague, who envisioned the pair co-teaching a graduate class on trauma-informed leadership at Mills College—and they've been working together ever since. Both women bring passion, a finely-tuned equity lens, and a love of learning and teaching to this work. They are energized by supporting educators' understanding of trauma and engaging in trauma-informed teaching practices. Their work together is informed by their unique experience with a wide range of related capacities, including somatic abolitionism and trauma, mindfulness, equity in education, and family engagement.
Shawn Nealy-Oparah, Ed.D.
I am a trauma-informed education consultant, executive coach, and somatic abolitionist with over 20 years of experience in teaching and leadership. I partner with schools, districts, and organizations to build emotionally intelligent, human-centered learning environments that support both student success and adult well-being.
Rooted in African American wisdom traditions, culturally responsive pedagogy, and somatic practices, my work focuses on transforming individuals, groups, and systems through embodiment, social-emotional learning (SEL), and trauma-responsive leadership. I help educators and leaders move beyond compliance-based models toward practices grounded in trust, belonging, and sustainable culture change.
As a former teacher and vice principal, I provide 1:1 executive coaching and trauma-informed leadership coaching for school leaders, nonprofit leaders, and organizational teams. Through TrUTH Consulting, I offer professional development in trauma-responsive practices and applied educational neuroscience, restorative practices training, and consulting designed to strengthen school culture, improve staff retention, and support historically underserved student communities.
I am also an adjunct professor at the University of San Francisco School of Education, where I teach courses on the neuroscience of stress, emotionally intelligent leadership, and strategies for deconditioning, decolonizing, and detoxing from historical, collective, and personal trauma.
As an Integrative Wellness Coach with Wellness Journey Portal (WJP), I support individuals, groups, and organizations in reclaiming their health, deepening self-awareness, and engaging in healing practices that foster personal and collective transformation.
Across all of my work, I am guided by a deep belief in the power and quality of human connection—inviting people to see themselves and one another more fully, and to build lives, relationships, and systems rooted in dignity, care, and liberation.
Tovi Scruggs-Hussein, M.Ed.
Affectionately deemed “Goddess-at-Work,” I support leaders in embracing what I term “professional spirituality” – the vision, skills, practices that enhance your work and leadership. Professional Spirituality is anchored in spiritually conscious and research-based leadership development that results in your self-mastery, healing, and skillfulness.
It is leadership development that integrates emotional intelligence competencies (Adult SEL), equity & inclusion, and resilience-building. This allows you to lead from a place of wholeness and empowerment - what I call your “BEingness.” Your BEingness is your embodiment; it’s the driving force of your leadership creativity and presence.
It’s the “feeling tone” of how your leadership is experienced (the felt-sense of the heart) by others. When you lead from your BEingness, you lead with your #1 superpower. And you get results and improved outcomes for those you serve and lead.
The blessing is that in my more than 25 years as being a leader of equity and inclusion, I have cultivated both the emotional/relational competencies and the technical skills to support, coach, and develop them in others. In my workshops, dialogue is always compassionate and direct - that is why participants get results.
This is work I am deeply committed to and have done enough of my own inner-work to be able to meet this work with the grace and compassion that is needed to grow others in this critical aspect of our leadership development.