Therapy for Black Girls
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.
Episodes
You may remember hearing from Dora Kamau and Devi Brown on the show, and we’re bringing back some beautiful end-of-year warmth and wisdom to help usher you into 2026 with ease. Consider this an invitation to slow down, breathe a little deeper, and gently close out the chapter of this year. Whether you’re listening on a walk, during your morning routine, or winding down at night, we hope these reflections inspire a renew...
For so many, the holiday season can bring about feelings of depression, complicated family dynamics, grief, or the quiet ache of being alone when joy feels mandatory. In this solo episode, I’m talking about why loneliness can feel heavier this time of year, the many reasons we may find ourselves alone, and how to care for ourselves through a season that can be emotionally demanding.
About the Podcast
The Therapy for Black Gir...
Content Warning: There are mentions of racial violence in this episode. If you have sensitivities around this subject, I urge you to take breaks as needed, or step away if it becomes too difficult.
In 2023, the murder of Ajike “AJ” Owens shook the country–another Black mother taken too soon in a moment of senseless and unnecessary violence. In the years since, AJ’s story as told on Netflix’s ‘The...
For this conversation we're joined by singer-songwriter and actress Kiana Ledé for a deeply honest and heartfelt conversation about her journey with bipolar disorder, how she’s learned to navigate her diagnosis with compassion, and the ways therapy, boundaries, and connection have supported her along the way. Kiana and I also explored the emotional world of her deluxe album, Cut the Ties, and the themes of self-lo...
It’s that time of year again where we reflect on all of the astrological insights we got heading into 2025 as well as get a sneak peak of what to look forward to in 2026. Our favorite Astrologer, Mecca Woods is back with her annual astrological report. From transits to retrogrades to major planetary shifts, she’s here to unpack it all.
About the Podcast
The Therapy for Black Girls Podcast is a weekly conversation ...
It’s that time again. Today I’m kicking back with our wonderful producer team as we reflect on 2025–what we learned, what we’re leaving behind, and dive into what it looks like to balance rest during the holiday season. As the year comes to a close, I encourage you to check in with your own circle to reflect on your year. What moments stuck with you? What was your biggest lesson? How much did you actua...
The holidays can be beautiful, stressful, joyful, and overwhelming—sometimes all at once. As we step into this season, I wanted to revisit a conversation that so many of you have told me was helpful in years past.
In this throwback episode, I'm talking about the holiday blues. I break down what it actually is, why it happens, and how to tell the difference between holiday blues and major depression. Most importantly, I'm walk...
As we head into the holidays, many of us will encounter old memories and create new ones. You may spend time recounting stories from your childhood, learning a new line dance, or even taking orders in the kitchen on how to make a family recipe. Memory-keeping has long been a practice for humans across the globe, but for Black people, those traditions look different. And in the age of technology, the way memories are created, stored...
This week on the Therapy for Black Girls podcast, we’re wrapping up the Sibling Sit-Down limited series with a heartfelt and nostalgic conversation featuring Sarah Amos and Reverend Shawn Amos. We explored the depth of their sibling bond, how their shared history shaped their identities, and the ways they’ve supported one another through both grief and growth. The conversation also touches on themes of healing, cre...
Welcome back to another episode of our sibling sit-down series. I hope you’ve been enjoying it so far. We’ve answered sibling questions, broken down various sibling dynamics, so it’s only right that we sit down to chat with some actual siblings.
This week, we're excited to welcome Skylar Marshai and Sunlyn Chiraya, a sister duo finding new ways to learn and love each other. We discuss the evolution of their relati...
Welcome back to the second episode of our “Sibling Sit-Down” series, where we’re exploring sibling relationships and all the factors that shape the emotional dynamics created between them. Today, we're joined by Támara Hill, licensed clinical child and family therapist who has built an online platform by making mental health information accessible to the masses. We’re getting into questions like...
This week, we're kicking off a new mini-series here on the podcast that we're calling The Sibling Sit Down. Over the next couple of weeks, we will be digging into the bonds that have formed us and shaped us, the relationships that challenge us, and everything in between. We have found that the relationship with our siblings is often very formative — some of the most formative relationships we will have in our lives.
We ...
This week we’re celebrating two iconic albums that have shaped the sound and soul of a generation, Erykah Badu’s Mama’s Gun and Jill Scott’s Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1, both turning 25 this year. Joining us for this nostalgic and soul-filled conversation is Taryn Finley, journalist and founder of the Unbothered platform. During this conversation, we explore how these albums captured the essen...
Seeing the world as a solo traveler pushes you to show up in a way only you can, as your most authentic self. And while the experience can be daunting, it welcomes opportunities for self-exploration and discovery. To be pushed out of your comfort zone in a place that’s not your home is a gift filled with moments that are sure to sharpen and evolve your mental health.
In new and unfamiliar environments, you’re forc...
Today, we’re diving into a topic that’s transforming how we understand public health education in this country: childhood trauma and its lifelong impact on the brain and body. For decades, adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, like abuse, neglect, or exposure to violence, were often seen as just social or emotional issues. But research has revealed the science of something much deeper: these experiences can rewire a c...
This season, we’re excited to bring you something brand new for TBGU. I’m so thrilled to introduce you to the inaugural TBGU Advisory Council. You’ll get to meet Jya, Fatima, and Mikayla, three brilliant young people who will be helping us shape the TBGU experience this year. We’ll hear about what excites them, the topics they’re passionate about, and how they hope to build meaningful conversations tha...
Group travel can create incredible memories and deeper friendships, but it also exposes relationship dynamics that usually stay hidden. When you're sharing rooms and splitting costs, those little friendship quirks get magnified. The indecisive friend becomes a bigger challenge when deciding dinner plans. Budget conversations can't be avoided anymore.
Here's the thing: when done thoughtfully, group travel can actually strengthen you...
This week we’re diving into a conversation about personality disorders with psychiatrist Dr. Tracey Marks. Dr. Marks breaks down what personality disorders are, how they differ from other mental health conditions, and some of the common misconceptions people have about them. We also talk about how personality disorders can impact relationships, what treatment can look like, and ways to show compassion for yourself or a loved ...
In this episode, Dr. Joy explores the cultural and societal messaging that tells Black women they must constantly prove their worth through productivity and self-sacrifice. She shares how travel, particularly solo travel, can be a radical act of self-care and joy. This episode is a reminder that rest is not something to be earned—it is a right. Whether you're planning your next trip or simply need a moment to breathe, this co...
This week we’re joined by cultural icons Erika Alexander and Kim Coles, two of the stars of the beloved 90s sitcom Living Single. Now co-hosts of the Re-Living Single podcast, Erika and Kim are taking a walk down memory lane, revisiting the episodes that made us laugh, cry, and feel seen.
During this conversation, they share what it’s been like to reconnect with their characters and each other, unpacking the highs and l...
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The Burden is a documentary series that takes listeners into the hidden places where justice is done (and undone). It dives deep into the lives of heroes and villains. And it focuses a spotlight on those who triumph even when the odds are against them. Season 5 - The Burden: Death & Deceit in Alliance On April Fools Day 1999, 26-year-old Yvonne Layne was found murdered in her Alliance, Ohio home. David Thorne, her ex-boyfriend and father of one of her children, was instantly a suspect. Another young man admitted to the murder, and David breathed a sigh of relief, until the confessed murderer fingered David; “He paid me to do it.” David was sentenced to life without parole. Two decades later, Pulitzer winner and podcast host, Maggie Freleng (Bone Valley Season 3: Graves County, Wrongful Conviction, Suave) launched a “live” investigation into David's conviction alongside Jason Baldwin (himself wrongfully convicted as a member of the West Memphis Three). Maggie had come to believe that the entire investigation of David was botched by the tiny local police department, or worse, covered up the real killer. Was Maggie correct? Was David’s claim of innocence credible? In Death and Deceit in Alliance, Maggie recounts the case that launched her career, and ultimately, “broke” her.” The results will shock the listener and reduce Maggie to tears and self-doubt. This is not your typical wrongful conviction story. In fact, it turns the genre on its head. It asks the question: What if our champions are foolish? Season 4 - The Burden: Get the Money and Run “Trying to murder my father, this was the thing that put me on the path.” That’s Joe Loya and that path was bank robbery. Bank, bank, bank, bank, bank. In season 4 of The Burden: Get the Money and Run, we hear from Joe who was once the most prolific bank robber in Southern California, and beyond. He used disguises, body doubles, proxies. He leaped over counters, grabbed the money and ran. Even as the FBI was closing in. It was a showdown between a daring bank robber, and a patient FBI agent. Joe was no ordinary bank robber. He was bright, articulate, charismatic, and driven by a dark rage that he summoned up at will. In seven episodes, Joe tells all: the what, the how… and the why. Including why he tried to murder his father. Season 3 - The Burden: Avenger Miriam Lewin is one of Argentina’s leading journalists today. At 19 years old, she was kidnapped off the streets of Buenos Aires for her political activism and thrown into a concentration camp. Thousands of her fellow inmates were executed, tossed alive from a cargo plane into the ocean. Miriam, along with a handful of others, will survive the camp. Then as a journalist, she will wage a decades long campaign to bring her tormentors to justice. Avenger is about one woman’s triumphant battle against unbelievable odds to survive torture, claim justice for the crimes done against her and others like her, and change the future of her country. Season 2 - The Burden: Empire on Blood Empire on Blood is set in the Bronx, NY, in the early 90s, when two young drug dealers ruled an intersection known as “The Corner on Blood.” The boss, Calvin Buari, lived large. He and a protege swore they would build an empire on blood. Then the relationship frayed and the protege accused Calvin of a double homicide which he claimed he didn’t do. But did he? Award-winning journalist Steve Fishman spent seven years to answer that question. This is the story of one man’s last chance to overturn his life sentence. He may prevail, but someone’s gotta pay. The Burden: Empire on Blood is the director’s cut of the true crime classic which reached #1 on the charts when it was first released half a dozen years ago. Season 1 - The Burden In the 1990s, Detective Louis N. Scarcella was legendary. In a city overrun by violent crime, he cracked the toughest cases and put away the worst criminals. “The Hulk” was his nickname. Then the story changed. Scarcella ran into a group of convicted murderers who all say they are innocent. They turned themselves into jailhouse-lawyers and in prison founded a lway firm. When they realized Scarcella helped put many of them away, they set their sights on taking him down. And with the help of a NY Times reporter they have a chance. For years, Scarcella insisted he did nothing wrong. But that’s all he’d say. Until we tracked Scarcella to a sauna in a Russian bathhouse, where he started to talk..and talk and talk. “The guilty have gone free,” he whispered. And then agreed to take us into the belly of the beast. Welcome to The Burden.
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