Therapy for Black Girls

Oct 21, 2026 · 38m

Cree Summer has played Freddie Brooks since 1988, and in Netflix's A Different World sequel, Freddie is back at Hillman as a professor. This week, Dr. Joy talks with Cree and Kennedi Reece, the Howard musical theater student Debbie Allen discovered and cast as Hazel, about what Freddie and Hazel share and what it took to bring a beloved show back for a new generation. Cree revisits filming the original "No Means No" episode at a time when date rape was just getting a name, and Kennedi talks about playing Hazel's friendship with Amir as a queer Christian herself. They also discuss the sisterhood that has lasted more than 30 years among the original cast, the dorm life that bonded the new one, and why Black girls deserve to be a little messy on screen. A Different World is now streaming on Netflix. 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. Connect with Dr. Joy on Instagram.    Where to Find Our Guests IG: Cree Summer IG: Kennedi Reece     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 Producer: Ndeye Thioubou  Production Assistant: Bria MosleySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 16, 2026 · 19m

Welcome 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 Chris Rock's regret over not paying for a friend's lawyer, Zendaya not standing to greet the First Lady of France, and Druski's new skit about child stars.  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.

Oct 14, 2026 · 34m

This week Dr. Joy talks with Kerry Washington about her new Netflix thriller Animals, where she plays Abigail, a therapist and mother who believes her son has been abducted. They get into how fear shapes our decisions, what Kerry has learned from individual, group, couples and family therapy, and how her family worked through the secret at the center of her memoir, Thicker Than Water. Kerry also shares why she's drawn to messy characters and how she lets them go when the cameras stop. Animals is now streaming on Netflix. 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. Connect with Dr. Joy on Instagram.    Where to Find Our Guest Watch Animals on Netflix Instagram Listen to Street You Grew Up On Get her memoir, Thicker Than Water   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 Producer: Ndeye Thioubou  Production Assistant: Bria MosleySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 9, 2026 · 23m

Welcome 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 expectations for Savannah James to pay for friends' travel, what the Cornell sexual assault case reveals about groupthink, and Da'Vinchi's comments about independence in childhood. 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.

Oct 7, 2026 · 46m

Your menstrual cycle is about so much more than your period. This week, Dr. Joy talks with Dr. Charis Chambers, aka The Period Doctor, about PMS, PMDD, hormones, period tracking, and understanding what’s actually happening in your body throughout the month. They also discuss how to advocate for yourself when something doesn’t feel right and why there’s no such thing as a “normal” period that looks the same for everyone. 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. Connect with Dr. Joy on Instagram.    Where to Find Our Guest LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/charis-chambers-md-36b63121a/  IG: www.instagram.com/theperioddoctor  Get her book, ‘The Period & Puberty Parenting Revolution   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 Producer: Ndeye Thioubou  Production Assistant: Bria MosleySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 2, 2026 · 23m

Welcome 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 exclusion of Black winners in this year's VMA's, the Migos AI trend going too far, Kirk Franklin & Glorilla's new song, and the reboot of A Different World.  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.

Sep 30, 2026 · 49m

"You'll change your mind." "Who's going to take care of you when you're older?" Black women who say they don't want children hear some version of this constantly, and the decision often gets treated as a betrayal of family and community. Today we're joined by licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Lana Holmes to talk about why a personal choice draws so much outside commentary. Dr. Lana and I chatted about the difference between being child free and being childless, how the legacy of chattel slavery and domestic work still shapes what's expected of Black women's bodies, what dating looks like when you know kids aren't part of your plan, and the missing supports (childcare, perinatal care, safety) that have more people questioning whether parenthood is for them. She also shares what being child free has made room for in her own life. In this episode: Why "I don't want kids" gets heard as a personal attack, and how cisheteropatriarchy and misogynoir feed that reaction What gets lost when we collapse child free and childless into one category The strong Black woman and mammy archetypes, and the expectation that Black women will mother at work and in community whether or not they have children Vetting partners while dating, plus a script for telling mom and the aunties What to weigh if you're still deciding, starting with your gut response and moving into the support you can count on 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. Connect with Dr. Joy on Instagram.    Where to Find Our Guest Website: https://www.inclusivetherapywellness.com/lana   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 Producer: Ndeye Thioubou  Production Assistant: Bria MosleySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 25, 2026 · 24m

Welcome 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 Tisha Campbell's recent AuDHD diagnosis, Nikole Hannah-Jones' decision about schooling for her daughter, and whether bringing iced coffee to an interview is unprofessional. 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.

Sep 23, 2026 · 14m

This week we're back with another Ask Dr. Joy episode and today all of your questions are about the unspoken gaps in how many of us were raised to think about love.  Dr. Joy discusses getting back into dating after years away, feeling a quiet disconnect with your spouse, and finally naming why relationships often feel so hard to navigate. These are the kinds of realizations that can sit with you for years before you find the words and today's conversation is about giving yourself the grace to learn what you didn't know you were missing. 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. Connect with Dr. Joy on Instagram.    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 Producer: Ndeye Thioubou  Production Assistant: Bria MosleySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.