This week, we are joined by Dr. Afiya Mbilishaka, a clinical psychologist, hairstylist, professor, and the founder of “PsychoHairapy,” an innovative approach that uses hair care as an entry point into mental health in the Black community. As Black women, our hair is more than just what’s at the surface. It shapes identity, signals care, and holds cultural memory. In our conversation, Dr. Afiya and I dig into the deep, emotional, and historically nuanced ties we have to our hair, and how that relationship can mirror our mental health.

About the Podcast

The Therapy for Black Girls Podcast is a weekly conversation with Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, a licensed Psychologist in Atlanta, Georgia, about all things mental health, personal development, and all the small decisions we can make to become the best possible versions of ourselves.

Resources & Announcements

We're building our TBGU Advisory Council and are looking for some amazing young women to join us! The Advisory Council will be made up of traditionally college-aged young Black women (18-23) who are passionate about shaping conversations around mental health and the experiences of this community. This group will be instrumental in helping to develop content for the TBGU podcast and social media channels. Please go here if you're interested in learning more or applying.

Did you know you can leave us a voice note with your questions for the podcast? If you have a question you'd like some feedback on, topics you'd like to hear covered, or want to suggest movies or books for us to review, drop us a message at memo.fm/therapyforblackgirls and let us know what’s on your mind. We just might share it on the podcast.

Grab your copy of Sisterhood Heals.

Where to Find Our Guest

Dr. Afiya on IG - @dr_afiya

Psychohairapy on IG - @psychohairapy

Website - psychohairapy.org

Stay Connected

Join us in over on Patreon where we're building community through our chats, connecting at Sunday Night Check-Ins, and soaking in the wisdom from exclusive series like Ask Dr. Joy and So, My Therapist Said. ​

Is there a topic you'd like covered on the podcast? Submit it at therapyforblackgirls.com/mailbox.

If you're looking for a therapist in your area, check out the directory at https://www.therapyforblackgirls.com/directory.

Grab your copy of our guided affirmation and other TBG Merch at therapyforblackgirls.com/shop.

The hashtag for the podcast is #TBGinSession.

Make sure to follow us on social media:

Twitter: @therapy4bgirls

Instagram: @therapyforblackgirls

Facebook: @therapyforblackgirls

Our Production Team

Executive Producers: Dennison Bradford & Maya Cole Howard

Director of Podcast & Digital Content: Ellice Ellis

Producers: Tyree Rush & Ndeye Thioubou

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we're joined by award-winning scholar, ethnomusicologist, and cultural anthropologist Dr. Kyra Gaunt to explore the powerful intersections of music, play, and identity in the lives of Black girls and women. Dr. Gaunt, author of The Games Black Girls Play: Learning the Ropes from Double-Dutch to Hip-Hop, offers a brilliant breakdown of how musical play, like hand games, cheers, and jump rope rhymes, does more than entertain. It becomes a form of cultural transmission, identity-building, and resistance for Black girls navigating their earliest social worlds.

About the Podcast

The Therapy for Black Girls Podcast is a weekly conversation with Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, a licensed Psychologist in Atlanta, Georgia, about all things mental health, personal development, and all the small decisions we can make to become the best possible versions of ourselves.

Resources & Announcements

We're building our TBGU Advisory Council and are looking for some amazing young women to join us! The Advisory Council will be made up of traditionally college-aged young Black women (18-23) who are passionate about shaping conversations around mental health and the experiences of this community. This group will be instrumental in helping to develop content for the TBGU podcast and social media channels. Please go here if you're interested in learning more or applying.

Did you know you can leave us a voice note with your questions for the podcast? If you have a question you'd like some feedback on, topics you'd like to hear covered, or want to suggest movies or books for us to review, drop us a message at memo.fm/therapyforblackgirls and let us know what’s on your mind. We just might share it on the podcast.

Grab your copy of Sisterhood Heals.

Where to Find Our Guest

Dr. Kyra Gaunt

Instagram - @kyracurates

www.kyraocity.com

Stay Connected

Join us in over on Patreon where we're building community through our chats, connecting at Sunday Night Check-Ins, and soaking in the wisdom from exclusive series like Ask Dr. Joy and So, My Therapist Said. ​

Is there a topic you'd like covered on the podcast? Submit it at therapyforblackgirls.com/mailbox.

If you're looking for a therapist in your area, check out the directory at https://www.therapyforblackgirls.com/directory.

Grab your copy of our guided affirmation and other TBG Merch at therapyforblackgirls.com/shop.

The hashtag for the podcast is #TBGinSession.

Make sure to follow us on social media:

Twitter: @therapy4bgirls

Instagram: @therapyforblackgirls

Facebook: @therapyforblackgirls

Our Production Team

Executive Producers: Dennison Bradford & Maya Cole Howard

Director of Podcast & Digital Content: Ellice Ellis

Producers: Tyree Rush & Ndeye Thioubou

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, we’re throwing it back to Session 321 — Some Thoughts On Playing Small.

This quick episode was inspired by a line from Issa Dee, the beloved character played by Issa Rae in Insecure: “How much different would your life be if you actually went after what you wanted?” It’s a question that feels especially relevant now as we head into summer. The days are longer, the sun is out, and so many of us are ready to stretch, grow, and shine a little brighter. So, what would it look like to stop shrinking and give yourself permission to take up more space, both at work and in your daily life, as well as in your relationships and dreams?

I hope this episode encourages you to reflect on where you might be playing small and how you can start showing up more fully for yourself.

About the Podcast

The Therapy for Black Girls Podcast is a weekly conversation with Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, a licensed Psychologist in Atlanta, Georgia, about all things mental health, personal development, and all the small decisions we can make to become the best possible versions of ourselves.

Resources & Announcements

Registration for the 2nd Annual Holding Space for Healers Therapist Summit is now open! Join us July 24–26, 2025 in Atlanta, GA for this one-of-a-kind event designed for Black mental health professionals, offering the tools, connections, and resources to grow your practice, strengthen your brand, and expand your impact in a meaningful way.​Register for the summit here!

Did you know you can leave us a voice note with your questions for the podcast? If you have a question you'd like some feedback on, topics you'd like to hear covered, or want to suggest movies or books for us to review, drop us a message at memo.fm/therapyforblackgirls and let us know what’s on your mind. We just might share it on the podcast.

Grab your copy of Sisterhood Heals.

Stay Connected

Join us in over on Patreon where we're building community through our chats, connecting at Sunday Night Check-Ins, and soaking in the wisdom from exclusive series like Ask Dr. Joy and So, My Therapist Said. ​

Is there a topic you'd like covered on the podcast? Submit it at therapyforblackgirls.com/mailbox.

If you're looking for a therapist in your area, check out the directory at https://www.therapyforblackgirls.com/directory.

Grab your copy of our guided affirmation and other TBG Merch at therapyforblackgirls.com/shop.

The hashtag for the podcast is #TBGinSession.

Make sure to follow us on social media:

Twitter: @therapy4bgirls

Instagram: @therapyforblackgirls

Facebook: @therapyforblackgirls

Our Production Team

Executive Producers: Dennison Bradford & Maya Cole Howard

Director of Podcast & Digital Content: Ellice Ellis

Producers: Tyree Rush & Ndeye Thioubou

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.