Warm Greetings! I’m Dr. Marie Garlock.
I’m a group facilitator, anti-discrimination educator, and consultant for creative communication and community-building initiatives.
It is my joy to lead professional development, clinical education, and grant-based programming for stakeholders in hospitals, workplaces, schools, conferences, and public initiatives.
What do I do?
My work enlivens our shared pathways to social equity, via in-person and online professional development, continuing medical education, and initiatives for community engagement.
The leadership methods I use bring tangible results—from Forum Theater for conflict transformation, to InterPlay for group dialogue, to Popular Education for experiential learning.
At each site, I collaborate directly with client partners to design compelling content that shapes widespread, meaningful participation for more just and joyful environments.
Client partners share that these tailored methods—and my energetic, effective facilitation—help to:
(1) improve learning outcomes
(2) connect colleagues more deeply
(3) bring audiences to the next level in actually applying the practical skills they derive.
What will audiences gain?
I specialize in creating and hosting memorable, interactive learning opportunities to:
Identify and actively address implicit bias and systems of discrimination (“-isms”: racism, sexism, classism, ableism, ageism, heterosexism, + more)
Actively intervene on situations of conflict arising from harmful cultural or institutional norms in workplaces, clinical settings, and schools (“bystander intervention” trainings and “mental health support” trainings)
Practice with members of dominant groups (e.g., white people, cis-gender people, administrators, clinical providers) how to center, respect, and act on the wisdoms of most-affected groups (e.g., Black, Indigenous + People of Color, gender non-binary + transgender people, employees + students, patients + families)
Rehearse tangible plans for goals like sharing power across hierarchies, implementing listening-based leadership to transform conflict, improving inter-professional communication, committing to transformational growth on issues of equity and justice
Foster community engagement through participatory initiatives that link institutions to populations they hope to serve; my work helps guide shared visions for change with tailored research, outreach, and communication
Who do I work with?
I am delighted to collaborate statewide in N.C., nationally in the U.S., and internationally in the Global South with:
Healthcare providers in hospital systems and AHECs
Faculty, staff, and students in universities, colleges, and K-12 schools
Ethical businesses’ and creative industries’ employees
Community-based, nonprofit, and grassroots movements
Recent Partners:
Anti-Discrimination and Mental Health Facilitation — Professional facilitator with Theater Delta
Duke University Neurosciences and Duke School of Nursing (DUSON)
Robert Wood Johnson (RWJ) Foundation Clinical Scholars, and dozens more
Structural Competency + Area Health Education Centers — Keynotes and interactive trainings on commission
Charlotte AHEC and Levine Cancer Center’s Treating Health Inequities with New Knowledge
Greensboro AHEC and Cone Health’s Focusing on Social Determinants of Health
Mountain AHEC and UNC Cancer Network’s Coping with Cancer, and more
Community Engagement Initiatives and Institutional Partnerships — Direction of research partnerships, design + leadership for festivals, workshops, + capacity building events on commission
ArtPlace America’s The Lilies Project: Addressing Coal Ash through Arts + Parks, see Fired Up for the Cove or Celebrating Courage or DEQ Testimonies or US Commission on Civil Rights Testimonies, about local histories + rural organizing for racial, health, + environmental justice; which build on:
Programs I co-led with institutional partners like the Malawi Center for Human Rights and Rehabilitation on burns + trauma, or University of Nairobi and UNC-CH on MNC titanium mining + internal displacement
Initiatives like the Triangle Dance Festival for AIDS that Dr. Baba Chuck Davis + I co-founded
The nonprofit work I do falls under the umbrella of It Is In You Initiatives, with 501c3 sponsorship for select projects.
What events can you book?
Testimonials + overviews of learning outcomes are available!
Existing formats you can book me for:
2.5—3 hour workshops on anti-discrimination + bystander intervention skills — Forum Theater, 30-100 participants guided in small groups, with Theater Delta, e.g.,
“Addressing Power Dynamics + Implicit Bias”
“Solutions for Critical Issues in Equity + Design”
And more, tailored for clinical educators, faculty, students, employee groups
1.5—2 hour workshops on mental health support + bystander intervention skills — with 30-300 participants guided in duos + the large group, on commission or with Theater Delta, e.g.,
Research-based Interactive Theater with Theater Delta “Don’t Worry, I’m Fine” or “Health Equity: Living, Surviving, or Thriving?”
New commissions with multi-methods skills-building and tailored training activities
1 hour workshop series (3-6x per site), with culminating 1—1.5 hour keynote on clinical education and Structural Competency — Mixed methods, 100-300 participants, on commission, e.g.,
“Structural Competency: Applying Theory to Clinical Practice”
“Getting the Whole Picture: Mental Health Support for Healthcare Providers”
“Flipping Cancer: Patient Advocacy for Health Justice”
“Collateral Damage: Environmental Health Knowledge in Clinical Practice”
“Healthcare Storytelling: InterPlay Support Methods for Clinician and Patient Dialogue”
Contact me anytime. I’m in Durham, NC. I love to travel.
I’m also a skilled online facilitator who keeps things interesting and dynamic!
As a quick bit of background: I have a PhD in Communication from UNC Chapel Hill (2019). My research and professional experience over the past 15 years have focused on healthcare, environmental stewardship, civil rights, and racial justice, in areas of cultural communication, anti-oppression education, creative arts-based and place-making initiatives, and applied institutional-community partnerships.
To date: It’s an honor to have reached more than 10,000 live audience members with the content I facilitate and design, in 8 countries and 25 U.S. states. I’ve served more than 2,000 participants in clinical education settings, 4,000 in workplaces and community settings, and 4,000 in educational settings. I’ve also taught in universities for 8 years, creating a dozen unique courses and leading for groups sized 15-250 in Departments of Communication and African, African American, and Diaspora Studies. I’ve been commissioned to lead 20+ artist-scholar residencies at colleges and universities across the U.S. and internationally, and have experience leading learners in Study Abroad and Service Learning contexts.
In sum: It seems I was born to gather people! I love guiding audiences in practices to learn from one another, honor each others’ contributions, and to re-imagine and activate their shared capacities to bring about positive change.