As a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner and mental health advocate, Sorhaya Zamor explores the hidden emotional toll of leadership on women. She empowers high-achieving women to protect their mental health, redefine resilience, and lead with strength, balance, and authenticity without sacrificing their well-being in the process of caring for others.
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Influential Woman · Healthcare / Mental Health / Health & Wellness Writing
Sorhaya Zamor, MSN
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner | Mental Health Coach | Health & Wellness Writer | Author | Speaker | Editorial Board Member| Associate Editor, The Nurses Magazine LLC
Orlando, FL 32803
1Article published
1Award received
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What grounded me was honoring my healing instead of rushing my growth. Small pauses, prayer, and presence became my anchors through uncertainty.
Sorhaya Zamor, MSN · In Her Own Words
In Conversation
Sorhaya Zamor for Bold. Brilliant. Unstoppable.
Read the transcript
Sorhaya Zamor, MSN: Speaker: Sorhaya Zamor, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner | Mental Health CoachWhat does being an Influential Woman mean to you?Sorhaya Zamor: Hi, everyone. My name is Soraya Zamwa. I'm a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. I'm an author, speaker, advocate, and coach. To be an influential woman isn't about being the loudest voice in the room or having the most followers. It's about impact. It's a woman who walks into a space and shifts it with her presence, integrity, and her authenticity. Influence is built in the quiet, consistent moment, choosing courage over comfort as you continue to speak truth, even when it feels inconvenient. And you keep showing up fully even on the most difficult days. As an influential woman, I understand that my power doesn't come from perfection. It truly comes from alignment. I know who I am and what I stand for, and I move with intention. I uplift others, not because I have to, but because I know there is room for all of us to rise, and it is that time. Influence is less about visibility. And more about responsibility. It's how you make people feel. It's the doors you open. It's the example you set when no one is watching. That's, that's what influential woman means.What's one piece of advice you would give to younger women chasing their dreams?Sorhaya Zamor: I would like to thank the influential women community for giving me the opportunity to talk to the younger generation. As for advice to younger women chasing their dreams, don't wait to feel ready. Don't wait. You will go into your calling, not be for it. There will be moments of doubt. There will be moments of fear. Those are part of the process. No signs to stop. Learn to choice your voice early, even if it's shake. Protect your mental health as much as, as much as you are protecting your goals, because Bernard Wood can quietly steal your passion if you're not paying attention. Stay consistent. And even when it feels like nothing is happening. I've learned myself that most breakthroughs are building seasons that feel invisible. And most important, define success for yourself, not by timelines, not by social media, not by pressure, but what brings you peace, purpose, and fulfillment. I trust in you, and I know you don't have to become someone else to succeed. You become more of who you already are, and today is the day. Thank you and French room, thank you for anyone who is listening. It was an honor for me to be here today. Thank you, bye. Until next time.
Full transcript available
Her Story
About Sorhaya
Sorhaya Zamor is the Founder of Sorhaya Health Writing Services LLC, Sorhaya Writes a wellness writer, editor, coach, speaker, and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with over ten years of clinical experience spanning case management, education, and nursing leadership. She combines her clinical background with her passion for mental health advocacy and storytelling to inspire healing, resilience, and personal growth in healthcare professionals and beyond.
A dynamic speaker and educator, Sorhaya’s work centers on the intersection of faith, wellness, and evidence-based practice, empowering others to embrace reflection, rest, and resilience as essential elements of professional and personal success. Her published works — The Science of Stress: Understanding, Coping, and Thriving and Finding Calm: A Mindfulness Guide for Beginners along with several guided mental health journals, have supported countless individuals on their journeys toward emotional balance and mental clarity.
Her writing has been featured in Recovery.com, Cambridge Biotherapies, Bradenton Magazine, Living with Chronic Faith, and Today’s Nurse Magazine. She currently serves as an editor for The Nurses Magazine, where she curates’ articles that elevate nursing voices and promote emotional wellness in the profession.
Sorhaya also hosts a weekly LinkedIn Live series on Mental Health, exploring the connections between trauma, recovery, and renewal. As a Doctor of Nursing Practice candidate, her academic research focuses on integrating wellness and safety into daily nursing practice helping nurses and healthcare professionals thrive through mindfulness, resilience, and reflective care.
In addition to her clinical and academic work, Sorhaya is a health content strategist specializing in SEO-driven medical writing. Her articles, including “Must-Know Facts About Mental Health in Teens,” “Schizophrenia and Potentially Preventable Hospitalizations,” and “Drug Addiction in Teens: A Hopeless Cry,” make complex health topics accessible and engaging to both professionals and the general public.
Through her speaking, writing, and mentoring, Sorhaya continues to champion a message of healing through balance reminding others that sustainable success begins with a pause, not a push.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Sorhaya
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my commitment to creating a voice and safe space for mental health, particularly within the African American community. Recognizing the lack of support for mental illness, I have dedicated myself to providing accessible resources and a space where people can openly check in on their mental well-being.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
I believe in serving with excellence. People may change, but staying true to who I am and consistently showing up with dedication has always guided my professional journey.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would encourage young women to be courageous and confident. Education is an essential part of the journey, and it’s important to be bold, embrace your voice, and understand that others are waiting for your perspective and contributions.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the most pressing challenges in my field is managing mental exhaustion while maintaining compassionate care and effective support for others.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Faith, respect, and honesty are central to both my personal and professional life. I am always seeking ways to serve others meaningfully and with integrity.
Her Content Hub
Articles by Sorhaya
“Why High-Achieving Women Are Silently Burning Out And What Strong Leaders Must Do to Protect Their Mental Health.”
A Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner’s perspective on leadership, resilience, and why protecting mental wellness is essential for sustainable success.
For generations, women have been celebrated for their strength. We are called resilient, capable, nurturing, and dependable. We are often the ones others turn to in moments of uncertainty, crisis, and emotional need. We lead families, organizations, and communities. We carry visions. We carry responsibility. We carry others.
But rarely do we talk about what it costs to carry so much.
As a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, founder of Sorhaya Writes and Sorhaya Health Writing Services LLC, and mental health advocate, I have had the privilege of sitting with countless women in their most honest moments.
Women who are accomplished.
Women who are respected.
Women who are leading.
And yet, beneath their leadership, many are quietly exhausted.
Not because they are weak.
But because they have been strong for too long without space to be human.
This is the conversation we must begin having more openly. Because women’s mental health is not separate from leadership—it is central to it.
The Invisible Expectations Placed on Women
From an early age, many women are conditioned to be caregivers.
To anticipate needs.
To keep the peace.
To perform well.
To endure.
To adapt.
As women grow into leadership roles, these expectations do not disappear—they expand.
Women leaders are often expected to be:
- Emotionally available but not emotional
- Strong but not intimidating
- Confident yet agreeable
- Productive without appearing overwhelmed
This constant balancing act creates an invisible psychological load.
Many women become experts at functioning while depleted.
They continue showing up.
They continue performing.
They continue leading.
Even when, internally, they feel stretched beyond capacity.
In clinical practice, I often remind women of something they have rarely been given permission to consider:
Functioning is not the same as thriving.
You can be highly capable and still deeply tired.
You can be successful and still silently struggling.
You can be strong and still need support.
These truths do not weaken leadership. They humanize it.
Leadership Does Not Make You Immune to Mental Health Struggles
One of the most harmful myths surrounding leadership is the belief that strong leaders are unaffected by emotional strain.
In reality, leadership often increases emotional responsibility.
Women in leadership frequently carry:
- Decision fatigue
- Emotional labor
- Compassion fatigue
- Chronic stress
- Internalized pressure to maintain composure
Over time, this can contribute to anxiety, burnout, depression, and emotional exhaustion.
Not because women are incapable.
But because they are carrying sustained pressure without sustainable recovery.
In healthcare, I experienced this personally:
Long hours.
High emotional demand.
The responsibility of caring for others while quietly neglecting my own emotional needs.
There is a moment many women reach when they realize they have been surviving instead of living.
And that realization can be both painful and transformative.
Because awareness is where healing begins.
Resilience Is Not About Enduring Everything
Resilience is often misunderstood.
It is frequently defined as the ability to push through hardship.
But true resilience is not endless endurance.
True resilience is the ability to respond to stress without losing yourself in the process.
It is the ability to pause.
To recognize your limits.
To honor your humanity.
To recover.
Resilience includes rest.
Resilience includes boundaries.
Resilience includes saying no.
Resilience includes asking for help.
Women have been taught to view rest as something earned after exhaustion.
But rest is not a reward.
It is a requirement.
Without rest, resilience eventually collapses into burnout.
Without boundaries, strength eventually becomes depletion.
Without emotional support, leadership becomes isolation.
Protecting your mental health is not stepping away from leadership.
It is sustaining it.
The Cost of Silence
Many women suffer in silence because they believe they are supposed to have it all together.
They fear that acknowledging emotional strain will be perceived as weakness.
They worry it will diminish their credibility.
They believe they must protect the image of being capable at all times.
So they continue performing wellness instead of experiencing it.
But silence has consequences.
Unspoken stress accumulates.
Unacknowledged emotional pain deepens.
Unaddressed burnout intensifies.
Mental health rarely deteriorates suddenly.
It erodes quietly.
Often behind professional success.
Often behind smiles.
Often behind achievement.
This is why creating space for honest conversations about women’s mental health is essential—not just in private, but in leadership.
Because when women leaders speak openly about mental health, they create permission for others to do the same.
They transform culture.
They redefine strength.
Redefining What Strong Leadership Looks Like
Strong leadership is not emotional suppression.
Strong leadership is emotional awareness.
Strong leadership includes:
- Self-awareness
- Emotional regulation
- Boundaries
- Rest
- Reflection
- Support
The most effective leaders are not those who ignore their humanity.
They are those who honor it.
When women protect their mental health, they lead with greater clarity.
They make more grounded decisions.
They experience less emotional reactivity.
They sustain their energy.
They lead from wholeness rather than depletion.
Mental wellness is not separate from leadership effectiveness.
It is foundational to it.
Healing Is Not a Luxury. It Is Leadership.
My work through Sorhaya Writes was born from a deep recognition of how many women were silently struggling while continuing to serve others.
Women who needed space.
Women who needed language.
Women who needed permission to pause.
Mental health support is not about fixing broken women.
It is about supporting strong women who have carried too much for too long.
Healing is not a sign that something is wrong with you.
Healing is a sign that you are honoring yourself.
Healing allows women to:
- Reconnect with their identity beyond their roles
- Restore emotional energy
- Strengthen confidence
- Lead with authenticity
- Experience life beyond survival
When women heal, they do not become weaker.
They become more fully themselves.
You Are Allowed to Be Both Strong and Supported
One of the most important truths I share with women is this:
You do not have to choose between being strong and being supported.
You are allowed to be both.
You are allowed to be a leader and still have moments of uncertainty.
You are allowed to care for others and still care for yourself.
You are allowed to succeed and still rest.
You are allowed to be resilient and still heal.
Strength does not mean you never struggle.
Strength means you allow yourself to recover.
Strength means you refuse to abandon yourself in the process of achieving everything else.
The Future of Women’s Leadership Must Include Mental Wellness
We cannot continue to celebrate women’s achievements while ignoring the emotional cost required to sustain them.
Women’s mental health must become part of leadership conversations.
Not as an afterthought.
But as a priority.
Because leadership is not just about performance.
It is about sustainability.
It is about longevity.
It is about wholeness.
When women are mentally well, they do not just survive leadership.
They transform it.
They lead with clarity.
They lead with presence.
They lead with authenticity.
They lead with strength rooted not in exhaustion, but in balance.
A Final Word to Every Woman Carrying More Than She Shows
If you are tired, it does not mean you are failing.
If you need rest, it does not mean you are weak.
If you need support, it does not mean you are incapable.
It means you are human.
Your mental health matters.
Not just because of who you help.
But because of who you are.
You deserve the same care you so freely give to others.
You deserve space to breathe.
You deserve space to heal.
And most importantly, you deserve to lead a life that feels as whole on the inside as it appears on the outside.
With compassion and conviction,
Sorhaya Zamor, DNP(c), PMHNP
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner | Founder, Sorhaya Writes and Sorhaya Health Writing Services LLC | Mental Health Advocate | Author | Speaker | Editor
Author Bio
Sorhaya Zamor, DNP(c), PMHNP, is a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, mental health advocate, author, speaker, editor, and founder of Sorhaya Writes and Sorhaya Health Writing Services LLC. With a clinical background in psychiatric care and a passion for storytelling, she uses her voice to educate, inspire, and advocate for women’s mental wellness, leadership resilience, and emotional sustainability.
Sorhaya is the author of multiple mental health books and journals and a published writer featured in national and regional publications. Her work focuses on breaking the stigma surrounding mental health, particularly among high-achieving women and healthcare professionals. Through her writing, speaking, and clinical work, she empowers women to protect their mental health while pursuing meaningful leadership and purpose.
Her mission is simple but urgent: to remind women that they do not have to sacrifice their well-being to be strong.
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