Compassionate Navigation, LLC

Compassionate Navigation, LLC I am a board-certified patient advocate and health communication professor. This is YOUR body, YOUR health.

Through personalized consulting services and comprehensive organizational-level training, I strive to equip clients with the tools, strategies, and skills necessary to navigate sensitive topics, resolve conflicts, and cultivate meaningful relationships. I received my PhD in 2012, and since then, I have been dedicated to researching and teaching various areas of health communication. My teaching ar

eas include Interpersonal Communication, Culture, Health, and Media Representation. Besides teaching, I am deeply committed to helping neurodiverse people and those of the LBGTQIA+ communities get the care they need. My passion is helping people navigate difficult conversations so they feel heard and seen, especially when it comes to their health. YOU have a voice, and I am here to help you amplify that voice.

We are thrilled to share that Dr. Mary Kiura and Dr. Malynnda Stewart will be traveling to Cape Town, South Africa, this...
06/01/2026

We are thrilled to share that Dr. Mary Kiura and Dr. Malynnda Stewart will be traveling to Cape Town, South Africa, this week to present the BRIDGE Framework at the International Communication Association (ICA) Conference.

The International Communication Association is one of the world's leading organizations dedicated to advancing communication research and practice. To have the opportunity to share our work on this international stage is both an honor and a privilege.

The BRIDGE Framework was developed to help people navigate difficult conversations with greater psychological safety, collaboration, and understanding. What began as a practical communication tool has grown into a framework that is now contributing to conversations about communication, conflict, and connection around the world.

We are excited to join communication scholars and practitioners from across the globe to exchange ideas, learn from one another, and contribute to the growing conversation about how we build stronger relationships, organizations, and communities through communication.

Thank you to everyone who has supported this work and believed in the vision behind it.

Communication is Prevention.

Accountability isn't about being perfect. It's about being responsible. Most people genuinely want to be accountable. Th...
05/28/2026

Accountability isn't about being perfect. It's about being responsible.

Most people genuinely want to be accountable. They are not trying to dodge responsibility or even hurt people further. They just don't have a model for what accountability actually looks or sounds like. So, they default to one of two patterns — collapsing into shame or deflecting with a non-apology apology.

What people may not realize is that both patterns are about the same thing—managing shame that prioritizes the apologizer's experience over the person who was harmed.

Real accountability does something completely different. It stays with the other person.

In this episode of The Communication Compass, hear Malynnda Stewart, PhD, BCPA, share the difference between apology and repair, and walk through a four-part repair framework you can use the next time you need to make something right.

You can listen here: https://conta.cc/4wUqmHp.

You're in a group setting, and someone uses humor to say something that otherwise wouldn't be acceptable if said directl...
05/21/2026

You're in a group setting, and someone uses humor to say something that otherwise wouldn't be acceptable if said directly, ending with a punchline that makes fun of someone's identity.

Then you hear "just kidding" as a form of protection, so the person doesn't have to be held accountable for the "joke" they just shared. If you joined in on the laughter, you also participated in the harm, even if it wasn't your intention.

Humor is one of the most powerful communication tools we have. It builds connection, defuses tension and creates intimacy; however, humor can be used to exclude people and cause real damage. It reveals what we really think and exposes our biases, blind spots, assumptions about what matters and who doesn't.

In this episode of The Communication Compass, I talk about what happens when humor crosses the line from connection to harm and why "I was just joking" doesn't make the impact any less real.

You can listen here: https://conta.cc/49Ux5qL

Have you ever been told that certain symptoms you're experiencing, like painful periods, heavy bleeding and extreme fati...
05/20/2026

Have you ever been told that certain symptoms you're experiencing, like painful periods, heavy bleeding and extreme fatigue, are just part of being a woman?

Too often, women are taught to normalize experiences that deserve attention, action and care.

That's why Compassionate Navigation is hosting "That's Not Normal!": Reclaiming Women's Health Conversations.

Join Dr. Sarah Symonds LeBlanc on May 12 at 12 pm EST for a real conversation and a space to feel seen, heard and empowered when it comes to your health.

Reserve your seat today: https://conta.cc/4dna017.

As a woman, you shouldn't have to suffer in silence.But too many women have been told that painful periods, extreme fati...
05/19/2026

As a woman, you shouldn't have to suffer in silence.

But too many women have been told that painful periods, extreme fatigue, and heavy bleeding are just part of life. What they are experiencing is normal. That they simply have to live with it.

It is not normal, and you don't have to live with it.

Join Dr. Sarah Symonds LeBlanc on May 21 at 12 pm EST for That's Not Normal, an evidence-informed discussion about the symptoms and experiences women are too often dismissed for having. A real conversation where you will feel seen, validated, and empowered to advocate for yourself.

Register here: https://conta.cc/4dna017.

"Common" and "normal" are not always the same thing. If you're tired of being dismissed when it comes to symptoms like p...
05/18/2026

"Common" and "normal" are not always the same thing.

If you're tired of being dismissed when it comes to symptoms like painful periods, extreme fatigue and heavy bleeding, you're not alone, and you deserve better.

Join Dr. Sarah Symonds LeBlanc for "That's Not Normal!": Reclaiming Women's Health Conversations on May 21 at 12 pm EST.

Learn how to advocate powerfully for yourself and the women in your life.

You can reserve your free seat here: https://conta.cc/4dna017

There is something that happens when you are finally in a room with people who understand.You do not have to explain why...
05/17/2026

There is something that happens when you are finally in a room with people who understand.

You do not have to explain why you are still grieving. You do not have to minimize it or apologize for it or pretend you are fine. You can just be where you are with people who have been there too.

That is what The Virtual Grief Café is built around. Not advice. Not fixing. Just open conversation, genuine connection, and the quiet relief of not being the only one.

Whether you have recently lost someone or have been carrying your grief quietly for a long time, you are welcome here.

Because grief is not something you move on from. It is something you learn to carry with people who understand how heavy it is.

Join us on May 18 at 6 pm EST. Scan the QR code to register.

Grief does not always announce itself. Sometimes it has been sitting with you quietly for a long time, waiting for somew...
05/16/2026

Grief does not always announce itself. Sometimes it has been sitting with you quietly for a long time, waiting for somewhere to go.

The Virtual Grief Café is a safe, compassionate space for real conversations around grief and loss. No pressure, no expectations, and no need to pretend everything is okay.

Just people who understand.

Join us on May 18 at 6 pm EST. You can register here: https://conta.cc/42wlJoX.

Have you ever left a doctor's appointment feeling dismissed after being told that your pain and symptoms were just "norm...
05/15/2026

Have you ever left a doctor's appointment feeling dismissed after being told that your pain and symptoms were just "normal"?

You're not alone, and you're not overreacting.

Join Dr. Sarah Symonds LeBlanc on May 21 at 12 pm EST for an honest, empowering conversation about the symptoms and experiences women are too often told to just live with.

Registration is free. Save your seat today! https://conta.cc/4dna017

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