Unapologetic Series: Therapy Talks

*Cue Beyonce's 'Friends' and the theme song to 'Girlfriends'*. Before we were podcastmates, we were friends first. Our relationship with each other and our mutual bond over mental health is ultimately what fueled the idea to create this podcast, so this week's session is dedicated to relationships, specifically friendships. During this session we discuss our early childhood relationships and how we learned about friendships and partnerships. We also discuss the interesting topic of why it seems as though there are more expectations held for friends versus partners. And even though we're a group of friends, or the "clique" as we're better known as, we each explore our different views on friendships discussing what they look like and our own expectations surrounding communication and other important components of a friendship. During this session we also debate if there is a difference between partnerships and friendships and the importance of setting expectations for friendships. Towards the end of the session, you'll also hear us discuss our own perspectives of each other's roles in our friend group and how we each contribute to the relationship. Friendships and relationships play a major role in mental health so you'll be hearing us discuss many different types of relationships moving forward on this journey.

*Disclaimer-this session topic is important and needs to heard, however it can also be triggering for you and it can bring up a vast amount of emotions while you listen*. The name of this session is titled 'Black Lives Matter' simply because they do. However, the reality is that we recorded this session shortly after the unjust murder of George Floyd and here we are months later witnessing Breonna Taylor not receive justice for her unjust murder, and STILL crying out to the world that Black Lives Matter. During this session we explore our own individual thoughts and feelings after hearing the devastating news about George Floyd, as well as discuss our own personal thoughts and reactions towards the looting and protesting that occurred in the city of Atlanta. We also take some time to explain the definition of Systemic Racism and how it plays out in our society, as well as talking through how what we might be living in the time of a Revolution. In this session we also introduce a common intervention in therapy called the 'Feelings Wheel' developed by Dr. Gloria Wilcox as we use it to help identify our underlying emotions, as well as explain Racial Trauma and how we can work towards having conversations about how it affects our mental health with our families. As therapists, as Black and Minority Women, and advocates of social justice, it was our duty to create a space to have these conversations with each other to ensure that our mental health is intact. As you listen, be aware that we are still living through racism and that we cannot progress if we stop having these important conversations and helping others to check their privilege, or use it to create change. Let's continue fighting and using our voices for justice. Black Lives Matter. Black Women's Lives Matter. Black Trans Lives Matter.

This week's session is all about body image and the impact it has on our mental and physical health. We felt like this was a super relatable and appropriate topic to discuss especially considering all of the conversations discussing what society sees as the "ideal" look.  We open up about our own insecurities with our body, past and present, how much body image has changed over the years with social media and cultural differences, and even how the quarantine negatively impacted some of our thoughts about our body. We also dive into what we think about common gender differences regarding body image, as well as what it's like being a minority female in a world with societal expectations and how they influence our thoughts and ideas. The goal of this session is to help you be unapologetic about your authentic body type in the hope that society's expectations won't have an impact on how you feel about yourself and your body.

Hey Guys! Here is the first official episode of the Unapologetic Series: Therapy Talks. What better way to introduce our podcast other than to talk about therapy! During this session, we discuss our own perspectives of the meaning of therapy as practicing clinicians, from our own experiences of therapy in the past, and how society currently views it. We also take the time to discuss the common stereotypes of therapy and the stigmas around it, specifically in the Black community. We also get a chance to discuss some ideas on how we can break the stigma and work towards normalizing mental health and seeking therapy for self-improvement and for overall well-being.

Welcome to the Unapologetic Series: Therapy Talks Podcast! We are a podcast comprised of six minority, student and master’s level, millennial therapists who love having authentic, UNAPOLOGETIC conversations. Listen to this intake session to learn more about our individual goals for this podcast, how we met, and a brief overview of some of the topics we'll be touching on.