Therapy is a staple in Charla and Lauren’s life. They use it as a way to not only deal with major life incidents, but everyday maintenance. Dr. Joy Harden Bradford knows that finding a mental health professional who speaks to the experiences of black women can be tough. That’s why she created the podcast Therapy for Black Girls and an online directory to find black therapists in your area. In this conversation, we dig into ways to dismantle the stigma of mental health particularly when it relates to black women and some accessible resources to find a therapist in your area.

You can find more about The SLBW at https://www.instagram.com/theslbw/

Follow SLBW on Twitter and Instagram @theslbw

Find Dr. Joy Harden Bradford @hellodrjoy on Twitter and Instagram

This episode is sponsored by Credo Mobile (www.credo.com/SLOBW), Hug Me by Blume (text SECRET to 79-79-79), and Acuity (acuityscheduling.com/secretlives).

Lauren loves astrology and Charla does too; but in a more cautiously optimistic way. One of the things they like the most about it is how it has become a tool for black women to navigate the world. This uptick in interest is something astrologer Mecca Woods has noticed. She explains some of the basics of astrology, gives insight into Charla and Laurens’ chart and talks about how in the end astrology shouldn’t make us feel bad.

You can find more about The SLBW at https://www.instagram.com/theslbw/

Follow SLBW on Twitter and Instagram @theslbw

Find Mecca on Twitter @TheMeccanism and Instagram @1meccanism

This episode is sponsored by VitaCup (www.vitacup.com code: SECRETLIVES).

This was a tough one for Charla and Lauren to chat about. Maybe it’s because so often when we talk about sex and power, black women are seen as peripheral to mainstream stories. That’s why actor, writer and director Numa Perrier wanted to create her movie Jezebel. In this episode, we talk about what happens when a black woman takes power over her own sexuality and how we can feel more free to talk about these two things at the same time.

You can find more about The SLBW at https://www.instagram.com/theslbw/

Follow SLBW on Twitter and Instagram @theslbw

Find Numa on Twitter and Instagram @missnuma

This episode is sponsored by I'm Telling The Truth But I'm Lying and Acuity (acuityscheduling.com/secretlives).

When there’s an obstacle between you and your dreams, what steps do you take to conquer it? A life changing quote covers Charla’s desktop background while Lauren readjusts where fear lives in her mind. Living your best life despite the fear is something our guest, Cleo King, has been doing for her whole career. Having credits in some of the best TV shows and movies out there (Pineapple Express, Magnolia, The Hangover) Cleo has been around the business long enough to know that overcoming fear is one of the keys too true self discovery.

You can find more about The SLBW at https://www.instagram.com/theslbw/

Follow SLBW on Twitter and Instagram @theslbw

For a full list of all the shows and movies Cleo King has been in, see her IMDB page here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0454598/

This episode is sponsored by HarperCollins - I’m Telling the Truth, But I’m Lying.

Relationships, whether you’re in one or not, are a tough thing to navigate. Charla and Lauren have the bad date stories to prove it. Cultural critic and writer Demetria L. Lucas, who has spent plenty of time talking about love, sex and dating, joins in discussing how to mine relationships particularly as a black woman. This deeply personal conversation with Demetria centers on the social pressure to be in a relationship and what happens when things don’t turn out like you thought they would.

You can find more about The SLBW at https://www.instagram.com/theslbw/

Follow SLBW on Twitter and Instagram @theslbw

Find Demetria on Twitter and Instagram @demetriallucas

This episode is sponsored by Money Ha Ha podcast and HBO - A Black Lady Sketch Show.

After a long day of work, Charla and Lauren love to chill. Sleep keeps Charla balanced, Lauren loves a good bathtub session and our guest Tarriona ‘Tank’ Ball is all about some ice cream. But when does that tub time, sleep and ice cream turn from self care to self indulgence? Tank talks through how she balances the two while also sharing the confirmations that ground her band ‘Tank and The Bangas’ on the road to success.

You can find more about The SLBW at https://www.instagram.com/theslbw/

Follow SLBW on Twitter and Instagram @theslbw

Find Tank on Instagram @thinktank20

This episode is sponsored by Money Ha Ha podcast and HBO - A Black Lady Sketch Show.

What happens when the standard of black beauty isn’t quite black? Charla and Lauren discuss how social media has affected their journey to self love. Xosha Roquemore (Precious, The Mindy Project) highlights her personal experiences online in this hilarious and thoughtful conversation centered on what it means to be beautiful in a culture that can sometimes ignore true #blackgirlmagic.

You can find more about The SLBW at https://www.instagram.com/theslbw/

Follow SLBW on Twitter and Instagram @theslbw

Find Xosha Roquemore on Twitter @XoshaRockstar and on Instagram @xoshroq

This episode is sponsored by HBO - A Black Lady Sketch Show.

When Charla and Lauren first met, they were two of three black women in their department. They share stories of being in a white workspace with lawyer, tech executive and advisor Bari A. Williams. Bari, who has built a career around advocating for diversity in Silicon Valley, dishes advice on how to overcome barriers that black women deal with on a constant basis when trying to simply do their job.

You can find more about The SLBW at https://www.instagram.com/theslbw/

Follow SLBW on Twitter and Instagram @theslbw

Find Bari A. Williams on Twitter @BariAWilliams

This episode is sponsored by Lola (www.mylola.com code: SECRETLIVES), Green Chef (www.greenchef.us/secretlives75), and Care/of (www.takecareof.com code: SECRETLIVES).

Each week, Charla Lauriston and Lauren Domino center the stories of love, sex, work, fame and more by asking, how do the black women we admire most make it through? Subscribe now and follow the show @theslbw on Twitter and Instagram for more information!