Unbecoming a Therapist

All good things come to an end!

In this last episode of the podcast, I for the first time, sit with myself and reflect on this entire journey.

I go into detail about what this process has been like for me, what were some of my favorite moments, and what challenged me most.

I give you some insight into what's up next for me and a couple projects I have in the works that I'm really excited about.

Listen to the very end to get some of my favorite book recommendations that were helpful for me throughout this Unbecoming journey.

Thank yo all so much for being on this amazing ride with me! My next podcast will be an arts podcast called Real Creative Humans...stay tuned for that!

To continue to follow me on what's next follow me on IG @audrajlee_

The one and only, Dr. Phebe Brako joins me on this episode of the podcast.

She and I discuss what it means to unbecome as a woman, and the expectations placed on the eldest daughter of a Ghanaian family. Phebe gets really vulnerable by delving into speaking publicly about her recent divorce for the first time and what role its played in her healing journey.

Phebe, is a dear friend, an entrepreneur with her own private practice in Washington state, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, a professor, and an amazing mother of 3 boys. Through all of her titles and many accomplishments, in this episode, Phebe breaks down the veil of perfectionism with her courageous willingness to lead with honesty. 

I was truly delighted by my conversation with Phebe, and I believe you will be too.

You can learn more about Phebe's work by checking out her business website at www.253therapy.com and on her IG @phebebrakolmft

To learn more about my journey of unbecoming check out www.audrajlee.com and follow me on my new IG @audrajlee.

My brilliant friend, Jamillia Kaye joins me on this episode of the podcast.

She and I discuss our reflections on The Mirror episode with my husband, thoughts on the male gaze, what it was like for her growing up with Liberian parents, and how so much of our collective growth journey manifested in our relationship with our hair.

Jaye, is a writer, educator, philanthropist, and author from West Philly now residing in Pittsburgh, Pa.

You can learn more about Jamillia by following checking out her website at www.jamilliakaye.com and on her IG @jamilliakaye.

To learn more about my journey of unbecoming check out www.audrajlee.com and follow me on IG @unbecomingatherapist.

On this episode of Unbecoming a Therapist, my dear friend, Heather Brown joins me to have a candid discussion about poverty and what it was like growing up in neighborhoods that were under resourced in a multitude of ways.

We do a deep dive into reflections on episode #5 and have some conversations about the impact that poverty has had on us individually as therapists, friends, children, and people.

To learn more about Heather, you can follow her on instagram at @downtownheat  and follow the Unbecoming a Therapist Podcast on instagram at @unbecomingatherapist.

To learn more about my journey of unbecoming, check out www.audrajlee.com

Tamara Ashton, who I affectionally refer to as T,  joins me on this episode of the podcast.

She and I discuss black mother wounds, her thoughts on my episode with my mom, how she feels about her mother putting her up for adoption, The way she made peace with her own black mother wound, and what its like now being a mother to her own daughter.

T, is an agricultural educator in Washington D.C. She is a healer, a mother, and a Stewart of the land. 

You can learn more about T  by following her on her IG @fairgardenmutha.

To learn more about my journey of unbecoming check out www.audrajlee.com and follow me on IG @unbecomingatherapist.

My good friend and colleague Veniecia Robinson joins me on this episode of the podcast.

She and I discuss what it was like growing up in poverty, the personas we developed to help us navigate the often rocky terrain of the hood, how neither one of us fit into what was expected of us as women, and why sometimes you'd rather not choose vulnerability.

V, as I affectionally refer to her, also is a marriage and family therapist and coach.

You can learn more about V by visiting  https://www.wellnesswithalloy.com as well as follow her on IG @vrperspectiveshift.

To learn more about my journey of unbecoming check out www.audrajlee.com and follow me on IG @unbecomingatherapist.

My amazing friend, Tina Rutherford joins me on this episode of Unbecoming a Therapist.

She and I discuss how she used disassociation as a mask to cope with life, her finally being able to put the term alcoholism to her dad's drinking problem, how she later lost her father ironically at the hands of a drunk driver, and her process of learning to actually be present in her life.

Tina is not only one of my closest and dearest friends, she happens to be a brilliant psychotherapist and coach. 

You can learn more about Tina by visiting her website: https://www.truthandmuse.com as well as follow her on IG @howtherapywerks.

To learn more about my journey of unbecoming check out www.audrajlee.com and follow me on IG @unbecomingatherapist.

On this episode of Unbecoming a Therapist, my husband, Brian Tolbert joins me to have a candid discussion about his experience witnessing my journey of unbecoming and what its really like to be married to a therapist.

We do a deep dive into some of the hardest discussions in our marriage that had us questioning if we could make it through.

Find Brian @foreverincompleteart on Instagram and follow the Unbecoming a Therapist Podcast on instagram @unbecomingatherapist.

To learn more about my journey of unbecoming, check out www.audrajlee.com

Historically, the relationship between mothers and daughters can be one of deep love and also deep hurt and pain. My relationship with my mother is no different.

The supreme Muva is here! My mom, Audrey Lee, joins me on the podcast to get fully transparent about our mother daughter relationship. 

She clears up here side of the story about being 10 years my fathers senior. 

My mother shares what it was like to become a care taker at just 29 when her own mother was diagnosed with Alzheimers disease.

We unpack her becoming a Jehovah's Witness and then getting banned from the religion when she became pregnant with me out of wedlock, what it was like for us to take a 3 month break from communicating, the consistent tension in our relationship that lead to our communication break, what it was like to raise a child that was very different than she expected, black mother wounds, and some of her regrets as a mother.

This episode is extra vulnerable and special to me as my relationship with my mother is one I am actively trying to figure out. I hope you enjoy and can resonate with the journey. <3

My father is arguably one of the closest people to me and its been said that we share a lot of the same qualities. My father and I sit down in this very first episode of the Unbecoming a therapist podcast to discuss my journey of taking on the therapist identity and finally peeling it off. 

He affectionally referred to my ability to listen, intuit, and perceive peoples emotions as “the gift”. discovering on my journey how I began to only relate to people through this defense mechanism, it later became thought of as “the curse”.

In this episode, we discuss what it was like for him and I to smoke weed together for the first time, how he felt about my mother being 10 years his senior, what it was like for me to come out to him, his agreement he made to himself at just 5 years old, what it was like to grow up without a father, and the lessons we've learned from each other over the years.