In Season 9, Episode 9 of PSA: The Mental Health Podcast, Izzy Baker sits down with speaker, youth mentor, and resilience advocate Lawrence C. Harris for a raw, emotional deep dive into legacy, identity, and survival. This is a Father's Day episode like no other, and a salute to Men's Mental Health Awareness Month. Disowned by his father at just 13, Lawrence opens up about the trauma of abandonment, the cycles we unconsciously repeat, and the emotional cost of being “the one” chosen to break generational curses. But he also shares the grace in it — the strength he found through therapy, the healing power of forgiveness, and the spiritual perspective that helped him reclaim his story. 

Together, Izzy and Lawrence unpack what it really means to build something new without burning down what came before. From the burden of unspoken family expectations to the myth of being a “strong Black man,” this episode explores how inherited trauma, cultural programming, and religious pressure often shape men more than we realize. Lawrence opens up about the moment he realized he had been operating from CTSD (Complex Traumatic Stress Disorder) rather than PTSD, and why that distinction matters. They also touch on pop culture references like Tyler Perry and the movie The Cookout to reflect on how media mirrors our messy family legacies.

From spiritual reflections on Abraham leaving his father’s house (Genesis 12:1) to confronting the difference between honoring your family and enabling dysfunction, this episode is a wake-up call for every man silently carrying the weight of his last name. Lawrence and Izzy ask the hard questions: Can you forgive your abuser? Are you living your assignment, or your ancestor’s regret?

Lawrence C. Harris's Social Media
Instagram: @lawrencec.empowers
TikTok:  @lawrencecempowers 
Website: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CZV8GS7T?ref=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_292WE7DPN9N1XBMWYKW2&ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_292WE7DPN9N1XBMWYKW2&social_share=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_292WE7DPN9N1XBMWYKW2&bestFormat=true&previewDoh=1

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