Podcast
Therapy for Black Girls
Hosted by iHeartPodcasts and Joy Harden Bradford, Ph.D. · EN
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 version of ourselves.
76episodes
Episodes
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I Have Some Thoughts Minisode | Serena & Venus Return to Wimbledon, Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross, and Lil Nas X's Return
3d ago00:15:56Summary readyWelcome back to our minisode series, "I Have Some Thoughts." These short episodes are designed to contextualize the pop culture moments we're currently paying attention to through a mental health lens. Pop culture isn't just fun to chat about, it can reveal important information about how we relate, cope, and understand ourselves. Join us each Friday to hear Dr. Joy share her thoughts about the happenings of the week. This week, we're chatting about Serena & Venus' return to Wimbledon, season 2 of Tracee Ellis Ross' Solo Traveling, and Lil Nas X's return from rehab. Resources Listen to Session 435: Breaking Down Sibling Dynamics Listen to How Traveling Alone Can Spark Self-Discovery Listen to Session 176: Exploring Bipolar Disorders Stay Connected Wanna chat more about the pop culture hot topics of the week? Join us inside our Patreon community. Is there a topic you'd like covered on the podcast? Submit it at therapyforblackgirls.com/mailbox. If you're looking for a therapist in your area, check out the directory at https://www.therapyforblackgirls.com/directory. Make sure to follow us on social media: Instagram: @therapyforblackgirls Threads: @therapyforblackgirls Our Production Team Executive Producers: Dennison Bradford & Gabrielle Collins Director of Podcast & Digital Content: Ellice Ellis Producer: Ndeye Thioubou Production Assistant: Bria MosleySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
SummarySession 469: The Problem with Pretty
5d ago00:48:24Summary readyWhen Dr. Allycin Powell-Hicks wanted to write her dissertation on Black women and beauty, her graduate program told her the topic wasn't serious. Her research went on to reveal something the field didn't expect: Black women reported a stronger sense of control over their bodies than white women, and the more connected a Black woman felt to her culture, the stronger that sense of control became. More than a decade later, that "unserious" research has become The Problem with Pretty (Hachette), a book about how beauty standards get wired into the brain — and how to get free of them. Dr. Joy sits down with Dr. Ally — psychofuturist, beauty and perception expert, and founder of Doux Consulting — to unpack what's happening to self-image in the social media era. They cover the looksmaxxing phenomenon pulling in Gen Z, how "Instagram face" is flattening the diversity of faces we see, why the confidence boost after a cosmetic procedure tends to fade within months, and the difference between beauty and glamour. Dr. Ally also shares her own story, from scrubbing her skin with Comet as a kid to falling in love with her complexion at an HBCU, and makes the case for beauty as ritual, resistance, and a tool for self-definition rather than a performance for everyone else. Resources & Announcements Want to reflect on this conversation in community? Join us inside our Patreon community where we’re unpacking this episode together. You can now catch episodes of the Therapy for Black Girls podcast on YouTube. Be sure to subscribe to get new episodes every week. Did you know you can leave us a voice note with your questions for the podcast? If you have a question you'd like some feedback on, topics you'd like to hear covered, or want to suggest movies or books for us to review, drop us a message at memo.fm/therapyforblackgirls and let us know what’s on your mind. We just might share it on the podcast. Grab your copy of Sisterhood Heals. Where to Find Our Guest Instagram Website TikTok Grab your copy of The Problem with Pretty Stay Connected Is there a topic you'd like covered on the podcast? Submit it at therapyforblackgirls.com/mailbox. If you're looking for a therapist in your area, check out the directory at https://www.therapyforblackgirls.com/directory. Grab your copy of our guided affirmation and other TBG Merch at therapyforblackgirls.com/shop. The hashtag for the podcast is #TBGinSession. Make sure to follow us on social media: Instagram: @therapyforblackgirls Facebook: @therapyforblackgirls Our Production Team Executive Producers: Dennison Bradford & Gabrielle Collins Director of Podcast & Digital Content: Ellice Ellis Producers: Tyree Rush & Ndeye Thioubou Production Assistant: Bria MosleySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
SummaryI Have Some Thoughts Minisode | NY Knicks, Michelle Obama, & Zahara Jolie
1w ago00:16:23Summary readyWelcome back to our minisode series, "I Have Some Thoughts." These short episodes are designed to contextualize the pop culture moments we're currently paying attention to through a mental health lens. Pop culture isn't just fun to chat about, it can reveal important information about how we relate, cope, and understand ourselves. Join us each Friday to hear Dr. Joy share her thoughts about the happenings of the week. This week, we're chatting about the NY Knicks winning the NBA Championship, a UFC Fighter making disparaging remarks about Michelle Obama, and Zahara Jolie changing her last name. Resources Listen to Session 462: Going No Contact Stay Connected Wanna chat more about the pop culture hot topics of the week? Join us inside our Patreon community. Is there a topic you'd like covered on the podcast? Submit it at therapyforblackgirls.com/mailbox. If you're looking for a therapist in your area, check out the directory at https://www.therapyforblackgirls.com/directory. Make sure to follow us on social media: Instagram: @therapyforblackgirls Threads: @therapyforblackgirls Our Production Team Executive Producers: Dennison Bradford & Gabrielle Collins Director of Podcast & Digital Content: Ellice Ellis Producer: Ndeye Thioubou Production Assistant: Bria MosleySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
SummarySession 468: The Albums That Raised Us
2w ago01:00:04Summary readyIn honor of Black Music Month, Dr. Joy sits down with two women who experienced twenty years of Black music from opposite sides of the industry. Shanti Das spent over 25 years as a marketing executive at labels like LaFace and Universal Motown, working with artists from OutKast to Prince, before founding the mental health nonprofit Silence the Shame. Ivie Ani came of age alongside the music itself — a Bronx-raised teenager replaying The Beyoncé Experience on YouTube who grew into an award-winning journalist covering music and culture for The New York Times, Pitchfork, Okayplayer, and beyond. Together they trace the road from new music Tuesdays and 106 & Park to streaming, playlist culture, and fan communities millions deep. They revisit the albums that defined two eras — B'Day, In My Mind, Lemonade, Anti — and consider why 2016 feels like the last time we all listened together. The conversation turns to what emotional transparency costs Black women artists, how Rihanna became the blueprint for a new kind of superstar, and why the future of Black music may be taking shape in Lagos and Johannesburg as much as Atlanta and New York. 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 Want to reflect on this conversation in community? Join us inside our Patreon community where we’re unpacking this episode together. You can now catch episodes of the Therapy for Black Girls podcast on YouTube. Be sure to subscribe to get new episodes every week. Did you know you can leave us a voice note with your questions for the podcast? If you have a question you'd like some feedback on, topics you'd like to hear covered, or want to suggest movies or books for us to review, drop us a message at memo.fm/therapyforblackgirls and let us know what’s on your mind. We just might share it on the podcast. Grab your copy of Sisterhood Heals. Where to Find Our Guests Shanti Das Website: https://shantidas.biz Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shantidas404/ Silence the Shame: https://silencetheshame.com | @silencetheshame on Instagram and TikTok Ivie Ani Website: https://www.ivieani.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ivie.ani/ Substack: https://infulleffect.substack.com Stay Connected Is there a topic you'd like covered on the podcast? Submit it at therapyforblackgirls.com/mailbox. If you're looking for a therapist in your area, check out the directory at https://www.therapyforblackgirls.com/directory. Grab your copy of our guided affirmation and other TBG Merch at therapyforblackgirls.com/shop. The hashtag for the podcast is #TBGinSession. Make sure to follow us on social media: Instagram: @therapyforblackgirls Facebook: @therapyforblackgirls Our Production Team Executive Producers: Dennison Bradford & Gabrielle Collins Director of Podcast & Digital Content: Ellice Ellis Producers: Tyree Rush & Ndeye Thioubou Production Assistant: Bria MosleySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
SummaryI Have Some Thoughts Minisode | Scary Movie 6, Latto's Postpartum, & Russell Wilson's Retirement
2w ago00:15:09Summary readyWelcome back to our minisode series, "I Have Some Thoughts." These short episodes are designed to contextualize the pop culture moments we're currently paying attention to through a mental health lens. Pop culture isn't just fun to chat about, it can reveal important information about how we relate, cope, and understand ourselves. Join us each Friday to hear Dr. Joy share her thoughts about the happenings of the week. This week, we're chatting about Scary Movie 6, Latto's postpartum concerns, and Russell Wilson's retirement. Stay Connected Wanna chat more about the pop culture hot topics of the week? Join us inside our Patreon community. Is there a topic you'd like covered on the podcast? Submit it at therapyforblackgirls.com/mailbox. If you're looking for a therapist in your area, check out the directory at https://www.therapyforblackgirls.com/directory. Make sure to follow us on social media: Instagram: @therapyforblackgirls Threads: @therapyforblackgirls Our Production Team Executive Producers: Dennison Bradford & Gabrielle Collins Director of Podcast & Digital Content: Ellice Ellis Producer: Ndeye Thioubou Production Assistant: Bria MosleySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
SummarySession 467: Eating While Black
3w ago00:48:37Summary readyIf you listened to last week’s episode, we explored soul food as a living tradition. We talked about how it continues to evolve, and how we’ve used it as a tool of expression across generations.This week, we’re continuing that conversation by looking at soul food from a wider scope. I’m happy to be joined by one of the leading voices in Black food studies, Dr. Psyche A. Williams-Forson. She is an award-winning scholar and cultural historian whose work explores the connections between food, race, gender, and culture. She’s the author of ‘Eating While Black: Food Shaming and Race in America’ and ‘Building Houses out of Chicken Legs,’ where she invites us to look beyond just the food we’re consuming and ask deeper questions about who gets to define what we eat, and what those definitions say about us and our shared experiences. In this conversation she helps us understand the many ways that food can serve as a lens into cultural memory and how Black communities have created meaning and identity through what we cook and share. Resources & Announcements Want to reflect on this conversation in community? Join us inside our Patreon community where we’re unpacking this episode together. You can now catch episodes of the Therapy for Black Girls podcast on YouTube. Be sure to subscribe to get new episodes every week. Did you know you can leave us a voice note with your questions for the podcast? If you have a question you'd like some feedback on, topics you'd like to hear covered, or want to suggest movies or books for us to review, drop us a message at memo.fm/therapyforblackgirls and let us know what’s on your mind. We just might share it on the podcast. Grab your copy of Sisterhood Heals. Where to Find Our Guest Instagram Website Stay Connected Is there a topic you'd like covered on the podcast? Submit it at therapyforblackgirls.com/mailbox. If you're looking for a therapist in your area, check out the directory at https://www.therapyforblackgirls.com/directory. Grab your copy of our guided affirmation and other TBG Merch at therapyforblackgirls.com/shop. The hashtag for the podcast is #TBGinSession. Make sure to follow us on social media: Instagram: @therapyforblackgirls Facebook: @therapyforblackgirls Our Production Team Executive Producers: Dennison Bradford & Gabrielle Collins Director of Podcast & Digital Content: Ellice Ellis Producers: Tyree Rush & Ndeye Thioubou Production Assistant: Bria MosleySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
SummaryI Have Some Thoughts Minisode | Jay-Z at the Roots Picnic, Love Island Contestant Kicked Out, MIA sues Kid Cudi
3w ago00:14:46Summary readyWelcome back to our minisode series, "I Have Some Thoughts." These short episodes are designed to contextualize the pop culture moments we're currently paying attention to through a mental health lens. Pop culture isn't just fun to chat about, it can reveal important information about how we relate, cope, and understand ourselves. Join us each Friday to hear Dr. Joy share her thoughts about the happenings of the week. This week, we're chatting about Jay-Z at the Roots Picnic, a Love Island contestant being kicked out before the season airs, and MIA suing Kid Cudi. Stay Connected Wanna chat more about the pop culture hot topics of the week? Join us inside our Patreon community. Is there a topic you'd like covered on the podcast? Submit it at therapyforblackgirls.com/mailbox. If you're looking for a therapist in your area, check out the directory at https://www.therapyforblackgirls.com/directory. Make sure to follow us on social media: Instagram: @therapyforblackgirls Threads: @therapyforblackgirls Our Production Team Executive Producers: Dennison Bradford & Gabrielle Collins Director of Podcast & Digital Content: Ellice Ellis Producer: Ndeye Thioubou Production Assistant: Bria MosleySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
SummarySession 466: Reclaiming Soul Food
4w ago00:50:07Summary readyWhen you think about the Black American experience, soul food is interwoven throughout its fabric. It carries stories and traditions across generations, and marks memories shared with people you love. And through the years, its definition has evolved and even been misunderstood by those who don’t understand its significance. Today, we’re unpacking all of that with Sierra Reece. Sierra is a culinary creator and entrepreneur focused on Black American foodways, soul food, and African diaspora cuisine. We talked about what soul food really means, how she balances tradition with experimentation, and why food can be such a powerful tool for preserving culture and identity. 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 Want to reflect on this conversation in community? Join us inside our Patreon community where we’re unpacking this episode together. You can now catch episodes of the Therapy for Black Girls podcast on YouTube. Be sure to subscribe to get new episodes every week. Did you know you can leave us a voice note with your questions for the podcast? If you have a question you'd like some feedback on, topics you'd like to hear covered, or want to suggest movies or books for us to review, drop us a message at memo.fm/therapyforblackgirls and let us know what’s on your mind. We just might share it on the podcast. Grab your copy of Sisterhood Heals. Where to Find Our Guest Instagram Substack Stay Connected Is there a topic you'd like covered on the podcast? Submit it at therapyforblackgirls.com/mailbox. If you're looking for a therapist in your area, check out the directory at https://www.therapyforblackgirls.com/directory. Grab your copy of our guided affirmation and other TBG Merch at therapyforblackgirls.com/shop. The hashtag for the podcast is #TBGinSession. Make sure to follow us on social media: Instagram: @therapyforblackgirls Facebook: @therapyforblackgirls Our Production Team Executive Producers: Dennison Bradford & Gabrielle Collins Director of Podcast & Digital Content: Ellice Ellis Producers: Tyree Rush & Ndeye Thioubou Production Assistant: Bria MosleySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
SummaryI Have Some Thoughts Minisode | Love Island Star Gets Married, Boosie Continues to Have No Sense, Yung Miami's Thoughts on Marriage
May 2900:17:19Summary readyWelcome back to our minisode series, "I Have Some Thoughts." These short episodes are designed to contextualize the pop culture moments we're currently paying attention to through a mental health lens. Pop culture isn't just fun to chat about, it can reveal important information about how we relate, cope, and understand ourselves. Join us each Friday to hear Dr. Joy share her thoughts about the happenings of the week. This week, we're chatting about Love Island's Jalen Brown's recent wedding, Boosie's continued displays of homophobia, and Young Miami's recent thoughts on marriage. Stay Connected Wanna chat more about the pop culture hot topics of the week? Join us inside our Patreon community. Is there a topic you'd like covered on the podcast? Submit it at therapyforblackgirls.com/mailbox. If you're looking for a therapist in your area, check out the directory at https://www.therapyforblackgirls.com/directory. Make sure to follow us on social media: Instagram: @therapyforblackgirls Threads: @therapyforblackgirls Our Production Team Executive Producers: Dennison Bradford & Gabrielle Collins Director of Podcast & Digital Content: Ellice Ellis Producer: Ndeye Thioubou Production Assistant: Bria Mosley See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
SummarySession 465: Toni Bravo On Beauty, Boundaries, & Balance
May 2700:42:32Summary readyWhat does it look like to build a creative career online without completely losing yourself in the process? Today I’m joined by creator and beauty influencer Toni Bravo for a conversation about creativity, visibility, rest, and the evolving relationship many of us have with work in the age of social media. During our conversation, Toni shares what it’s been like navigating visibility online, how she protects her mental health while working in such a public-facing industry, and why rest has become such an important part of her creative process. We also discuss representation in the beauty industry, the importance of darker-skinned creators being able to take up space online, and how Toni has learned to trust herself creatively as her career continues to grow. She also opens up about burnout, boundaries with social media, mindfulness practices, and the realities of building a career where work and play can sometimes feel impossible to separate. 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 Want to reflect on this conversation in community? Join us inside our Patreon community where we’re unpacking this episode together. You can now catch episodes of the Therapy for Black Girls podcast on YouTube. Be sure to subscribe to get new episodes every week. Did you know you can leave us a voice note with your questions for the podcast? If you have a question you'd like some feedback on, topics you'd like to hear covered, or want to suggest movies or books for us to review, drop us a message at memo.fm/therapyforblackgirls and let us know what’s on your mind. We just might share it on the podcast. Grab your copy of Sisterhood Heals. Where to Find Our Guest Instagram TikTok YouTube Stay Connected Is there a topic you'd like covered on the podcast? Submit it at therapyforblackgirls.com/mailbox. If you're looking for a therapist in your area, check out the directory at https://www.therapyforblackgirls.com/directory. Grab your copy of our guided affirmation and other TBG Merch at therapyforblackgirls.com/shop. The hashtag for the podcast is #TBGinSession. Make sure to follow us on social media: Instagram: @therapyforblackgirls Facebook: @therapyforblackgirls Our Production Team Executive Producers: Dennison Bradford & Gabrielle Collins Director of Podcast & Digital Content: Ellice Ellis Producers: Tyree Rush & Ndeye Thioubou Production Assistant: Bria MosleySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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