The Black Woman's Confidant

One of the biggest self care acts you can do is master saying no but this is easier said that done. Why is it so hard to say no? What does saying no signify to you? How does saying no affect your yes moments? Join Dr. Nicole as she discusses the answer to all of these questions and more.

Seems like you can hardly turn on the news or look at social media without some mention of the vaccine. The amount of information out there is overwhelming and some are really struggling with anxiety about whether they will receive the vaccine or not. In this episode, we talk about how to work through that anxiety to make an informed decision that is fact based instead of one that is fear and anxiety based.

In the follow up to the previous episode, Dr. Nicole discusses three other causes of stress during the holidays - fatigue, finances, and fantasy.

The holidays are known to be a stressful time for a lot of people and this year may prove to be even more stressful than other times due to the effects of the pandemic. In my experience, the five areas that lead to increased anxiety and stress this time of year include finances, food/alcohol, family, fatigue and the fantasy expectations. In this episode, Dr. Nicole will talk about the effects of family stress and food related stress, how this year may be different, and some pointers on how to deal with these stressors.

I am getting a lot of requests for appointments during election week from people who feel they will need extra support during that time. In this episode I give some tips on dealing with election stress to try to decrease the emotional burden that you may feel during this time.

In the follow up interview to last episode, we are having a discussion with Dr. Terri Major-Kincade, a neonatologist and advocate for Black women. We discuss the disparities that Black women face, the strong Black woman narrative, the effects of negative, the strong Black woman narrative, the effects of negative mental health on the womb, and how creating safe spaces can have positive effects on maternal health.

According to the CDC, Black women are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. This startling statistic has led to a lot of mental distress during pregnancy for Black women all over this country. One of the things I hear frequently from my patients is that their anxiety during pregnancy is largely due to not knowing what they don't know, and not knowing what to advocate for. To help with that, I called in one of my favorite obstetricians, Dr. Anila Ricks-Cord. During this episode, we talk about what Black women are facing during pregnancy and how to advocate for yourself with your own obstetrician.

I often find myself working with women who have struggled with fitting into typical corporate environments. Oftentimes this leaves them feeling defeated or like a failure in some way. The reality is that many of these environments weren't made for us to thrive and some of us are just not cut out to be successful in that environment without losing pieces of ourselves in the process. Some women spend their entire careers trying to make it work, while others take a leap and become entrepreneurs. Dr. Stephanie Freeman is a badass female physician who found herself in this position of being unemployable on more than one occasion, until she eventually took a gamble on herself and won! Dr. Stephanie is a powerhouse speaker who can empower a room to move. In this episode we discuss her journey through employment, her feelings on being unemployable, and the freedom she has found in taking the leap to entrepreneurship.

This past week has been a heavy one with America having a front row seat to another unarmed Black man being shot by law enforcement. Every time this happens we are faced with our own fears, frustrations, and sadness about what it means to Black in this country. Let's talk about the wide range of emotions we are experiencing and how we deal with it all during this difficult time.

2020 has taken a toll on the mental health of many. Recently, Mrs. Michelle Obama shared her struggles with what she referred to as a low-grade depression, which has left many wondering if they were suffering with the same. Take a listen as we dive into how many are experiencing negative mood symptoms and what can be done about it.