Therapy for Black Girls

It’s no secret that the relationship between Black people and the healthcare system is a fraught one. And as medical racism continues to go unaddressed, we’re seeing more and more negative health outcomes for Black patients, including the perpetuation of harmful conspiracy theories and hesitance to seek medical help when in need. 

Joining me this week to talk about the history and statistics behind some of these outcomes is health advocate and New York Times Best Selling Author, Dr. Uché Blackstock. Dr. Blackstock is the founder and CEO of Advancing Health Equity, an organization created with the mission of partnering with healthcare organizations to dismantle racism in healthcare and to close the gap in racial health inequities. During our conversation, we discuss some of the most prevalent examples of hospital neglect experienced by Black patients, how healthcare systems can better engage with Black communities in order to engender trust, and how Black medical students can find support while studying to become physicians.

About the Podcast

The Therapy for Black Girls Podcast is a weekly conversation with Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, a licensed Psychologist in Atlanta, Georgia, about all things mental health, personal development, and all the small decisions we can make to become the best possible versions of ourselves.

Resources & Announcements

Congratulations, you’ve been accepted into the inaugural class of Therapy for Black Girls University. Whether packing for a new year on campus, thinking through your gap year, enrolling in a community college, or grabbing your stoles for graduation, TBG U is here to help you thrive at this stage of your life and beyond.

One of the most alluring parts of the college experience is Greek Life, but many people don’t know the ins and outs of sorority life. For those of you who don’t know, I am a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, so I decided to gather my fellow Divine 9 sisters for a conversation about sorority life and the impact of the Divine 9 at large. 

Joining me for this roundtable are 4 impactful college-aged women who represent each of the D9 sororities. Their names are Ryann Phillips, Valesha Rhodes, Trinity Perkins, and Tumi Adeyoju (UH-DAY-JEW). They are members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Incorporated, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Incorporated, respectively. 

In our conversation today, we dispel some common misconceptions about sorority life, bond over the joys of sisterhood, and discuss how we’ve balanced our mental wellness with our sorority responsibilities.

Where to Find Our Guests

Ryann

It is guaranteed that everyone on this Earth will eventually die, and yet, the process is made difficult with considerations such as appointing an authorized representative, leaving dependents behind, and other bureaucratic formalities that can be outright cruel to deal with when you’re already experiencing grief. Stepping in to help with these considerations are death doulas, who work to make this monumental transition as smooth as possible for both the dying and their families.

To talk with us today about what it means to be a death doula, this week we're joined by death doula and newly-published author of the memoir ‘Briefly Perfect Human,’ Alua Arthur. Alua is the founder of Going with Grace, a death doula training and end-of-life planning organization that exists to support people as they answer the question, “What must I do to be at peace with myself so that I may live presently and die gracefully?” During our conversation we discussed the training and certifications required to become a death doula, how death doulas assist both the dying and their families in making end-of-life decisions, and how dying means becoming comfortable with the idea of leaning on our community for support. 

About the Podcast

The Therapy for Black Girls Podcast is a weekly conversation with Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, a licensed Psychologist in Atlanta, Georgia, about all things mental health, personal development, and all the small decisions we can make to become the best possible versions of ourselves.

Resources & Announcements

In honor of Black Maternal Health Week we’re circling back to one of our inventory episodes that so many of you enjoyed. For our new listeners, you’re in for a treat.

This episode features Dr. Kristy Christopher-Holloway, a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) here in the state of Georgia. In our conversation Dr. Kristy and I discuss what life can look like during pregnancy, birth and in the postpartum period. Plus we explored the growing research around Black women’s experiences giving birth, how the process of giving birth can be traumatic, the difference between postpartum depression and “the baby blues”, and how Black women can be strong advocates for ourselves in medical settings.

About the Podcast

The Therapy for Black Girls Podcast is a weekly conversation with Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, a licensed Psychologist in Atlanta, Georgia, about all things mental health, personal development, and all the small decisions we can make to become the best possible versions of ourselves.

Resources & Announcements

Playing with markers, clay, and stencils is something we may recall fondly from our youth, but today dismiss as childish. Art Therapy, however, is a very legitimate and relaxing form of therapy for all ages that challenges us to think through our emotions by putting pen to paper. To tell us more, today we're joined by Chicago based artist and registered art therapist, Pierra D. Brown. Since graduating with her Master’s from the School of the Art Institute, she’s worked both in communities, schools, and hospitals to provide clinical services to people of all ages.

During our conversation, Pierra and I discuss the training needed to become an art therapist, how art therapy can be used as an alternative or in supplement with traditional talk therapy, and what art therapy can teach us about shedding our perfectionist habits.

About the Podcast

The Therapy for Black Girls Podcast is a weekly conversation with Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, a licensed Psychologist in Atlanta, Georgia, about all things mental health, personal development, and all the small decisions we can make to become the best possible versions of ourselves.

Resources & Announcements