In Part 2 of It’s Getting Hot in Here, we keep it real about the parts of perimenopause and menopause that rarely get talked about — especially for Black women.

Because it’s not just about hot flashes and mood swings — it’s about feeling seen, supported, and still fully yourself.

Joining me again is Dr. Shakeeka Misher, a nurse practitioner and hormone health advocate who’s walking this journey herself and helping others do the same with honesty, compassion, and cultural care.

We get into:
💊 Non-hormonal supplements that can ease symptoms
💞 How your partner can show up for you (and why they need to!)
🔥 The truth about intimacy, desire, and vaginal dryness
💨 And yes… even what that fan might be doing to your body 👀

If you’re navigating the change — or loving someone who is — this episode is your reminder that you are not alone, and you deserve care that works.

🎧 Tune in now.

#CRxOWNTalks #MenopauseMatters #ItsGettingHotInHere #Perimenopause #BlackWomensHealth #IntimacyAndMenopause #BlackNP #ListenToBlackWomen #menopause #Blackhealth

🎶 “It's getting hot in here…” and not because you're overdressed. Hot flashes, mood swings, and sleepless nights are real — and they deserve real answers.

In this episode of CRxOWN Talks, we’re turning up the heat — literally and figuratively — with a much-needed conversation about perimenopause and menopause, especially as they show up in Black women.

Joining me is Dr. Shakeeka Misher, a doctorally prepared nurse practitioner with over 17 years of experience and a fierce passion for women's hormone health. After facing dismissals and care gaps during her own perimenopause journey, Dr. Misher built the space she needed but couldn’t find — one where Black women are seen, heard, and cared for with intention.

Together, we break down:
🌡️ Hot flashes, mood swings, and sleep struggles
🧠 The emotional and mental shifts during hormonal changes
🧬 Why culturally-informed care is essential
💬 How to advocate for yourself and get the support you deserve

Whether you're in perimenopause, full menopause, or just want to be prepared — this is the conversation we all need.

Follow Dr. Misher:
Instagram: @perimenopausepractitioner
TikTok: @perimenopausepractitioner
YouTube: Perimenopause Practitioner
Substack: perimenopausepractitioner.substack.com
LinkedIn: Shakeeka Misher

🎧 Tune in now. It’s short, smart, and made with care.
#CRxOWNTalks #MenopauseMatters #ItsGettingHotInHere #BlackWomensHealth #Perimenopause #BlackNP

BIO: Dr. Shakeeka Misher, a doctorally prepared nurse practitioner with over 17 years of experience in nursing and a lifelong commitment to showing up for women who are often unheard and underserved. Her service to women's care was born from both professional passion and personal experience. As a Black woman navigating the early symptoms of perimenopause, she encountered dismissals, gaps in care, and a lack of culturally informed support. She knew she wasn’t alone and I knew something had to change.

Dr. Misher created what she needed but couldn’t find: a space where women could be fully seen, heard, and treated with intention. A place where hormone health is approached with compassion, education, and cultural context—not shame or dismissal.

Dr. Misher's passion lies in rewriting the story of menopause, one rooted in advocacy, ownership, and joy. She is not just here to treat symptoms. She is here to help women reclaim their power, understand their bodies, and thrive in every season of life.

She is not just walking this path, she is paving it with you.

🎶 “Aye you look good, won’t you back that thang up…”

This week on CRxOWN Talks, we’re talking about the one thing too many of us avoid: colon cancer screening.Inspired by Juvenile’s iconic anthem, “Back That Thang Up,” this episode takes a real, unfiltered look at why colon cancer is hitting Black communities harder and earlier, and what we can do about it.We’re breaking down:🔹 Why Black adults should start screening before age 45🥬 How diet plays a role in colon health🧼 What colonoscopy prep is actually like (spoiler: it’s not as bad as you think)Joining us is Dr. Ricketta H. Clark, DNP, FNP — a seasoned Family Nurse Practitioner with clinical expertise in Gastroenterology and Primary Care. With a career that spans hospitalist roles, nursing education, and healthcare leadership, Dr. Clark brings deep insight and real-world experience to the mic. She’s also a community advocate, currently serving on the Health Advisory Board for Porter-Leath in Memphis.This is your sign to protect your backside — literally.⏱️ 15 minutes or so. Real talk. Real solutions. Always for the culture.#podcast #CRxOWNTalks #BlackhealthyCrowned #Crownsecured #blackhealthmatters #colonoscopyawareness #colonoscopy #coloncancerprevention #GetScreened #nursing #BlackNP

“I gets high off your sugar, don’t know how to behave…” 🎶

Or whatever D’Angelo said...

Sugar can be addictive — but in this episode, we’re unpacking what that sweetness can really mean for your health.

This week on CRxOWN Talks, we’re talking diabetes in the Black community — including prediabetes, carbs, healthy snacking, weight loss, and yes… how diabetes can impact your sex life. Our guest, Dr. Nykkia Sellers, NP, is a powerhouse in diabetes education. She’s a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist, founder of Diabetes Care and Wellness, and serves on national advisory boards, including the American Diabetes Association. From launching programs in the Mid-South to receiving the AANP® State Award for Arkansas, she’s dedicated to changing how we talk about and manage diabetes.

Follow Dr. Sellers on socials @DiabetesCare&Wellness and @thediabetes wellnessNPLet’s break myths, talk facts, and keep it short, sweet — and real.⏱️ 15 minutes or less. Always for the culture.

"Though I can't let you know it, pride won't let me show it... Pretend to be heroic...but deep inside, I'm so sick." – Jay-ZIn this follow-up episode, we keep the conversation going—digging even deeper into Black Men's Mental Health.We’re talking masculinity—not the version rooted in hardness and isolation, but one shaped by self-awareness, vulnerability, and growth.We also open up about therapy and medication—the tools that are often misunderstood, stigmatized, or kept quiet in our communities. What does it mean to seek help? What does healing actually look like? And how do we make space for both strength and softness?Whether you’re a brother navigating this journey or someone trying to better understand it, this episode is for you.Tune in. Reflect. Share it with someone who needs to hear it.

"I can’t see 'em comin’ down my eyes, so I gotta make the song cry."

In this deeply moving episode, we lean into the silence behind the strength. Titled after Jay-Z’s Song Cry, we explore the emotional weight Black men carry—and the cost of never letting it show. I sit down with licensed counselor Rick Harrell for an honest, vulnerable conversation about mental health, masculinity, trauma, and healing in the Black community.

Why are so many Black men taught to suppress their emotions? What does it mean to show up for yourself when the world expects you to stay silent? And how can therapy become a tool—not a taboo?

Rick brings both lived experience and clinical insight to a dialogue that’s long overdue. This episode is about more than mental health—it’s about reclaiming the right to feel.

We could not do this justice in 10 minutes, so I am breaking this up into 2 episodes. Part 2 drops next week!

Guest Bio:

Richard (AKA) Rick Harrell Jr. is a native Memphian and proud graduate of The University of Memphis, where he majored in Criminal Justice and minored in Sociology. After earning his Bachelor of Arts Degree, Rick worked in the Criminal Justice System for 11 years as a probation officer, working with adult and teen offenders. Rick later continued his education and completed a Master of Science in Counseling Psychology. Rick also earned a second Master of Arts Degree in Human Resource Management. He is a licensed mental health provider in Tennessee, Arkansas, and Georgia, providing mental health services in all three states. Rick is currently a doctoral candidate at Freed-Hardeman University pursuing a Doctorate in Behavioral Health, where his research explores preventive approaches to Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in law enforcement officers, with an emphasis on early intervention and resilience-building following exposure to trauma.

Rick Harrell served as the Director of Employee Counseling for the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, responsible for providing mental health services to corrections, law enforcement, and civilian staff. During his tenure in Shelby County Government, Rick served as Shelby County Pretrial Services Administrator and later the Chief Inspector Administrator for the Shelby County Jail Mental Health Programs Division. Rick is now the CEO & Owner of RH Counseling & Consulting, an agency that provides behavioral health services to adolescents, adults, and families. He is also a published author of the book What You See Is What You Get, A Spiritual and Non-Traditional Perspective to Understanding Behaviors Within Relationships.

Contact Info: RH Counseling & Consulting 1331 Union Ave, Ste 1014Memphis, TN 38109Ph#: (901) 569-2103 or (901) 930-8418

It's the principle of pleasure! What if protecting yourself didn’t kill the vibe — but actually amplified it? In this episode of Crown Talks, I run it back with last episode's guests to talk about the tools we use for prevention can also be tools of pleasure. Let’s break it all the way down. Knowing your options is the ultimate flex. We talk language to use to assert your boundaries and ask your partner the questions to reach Pleasure. Protection. Power!

Salt-n-Pepa said let's talk about all the good things and the bad things that may be... Join me, Krista Thayer, and Andrea Moore as we talk HIV prevention and PrEP.

For more information on PrEP reach out to your PCP or here is a national link to locate a PrEP provider.

https://preplocator.org/

Disclaimer:
The information provided in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making any decisions about your health. The views expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of any affiliated organizations. Listening to this podcast does not create a doctor–patient relationship.

Krista Wright Thayer is the current End the Syndemic Manager of Health Services at the Shelby County Health Department decreasing rates of HIV, Hepatitis C, STI's, and substance use. She is a PhD student at the University of Memphis in the Urban Affairs and Public Policy program. She is on the board of the LGBT Chamber of Commerce as the Advocacy Chair, a member of the CDC Faith Advisory Board, End HIV 901 Advisory Board, St. Jude’s Community Champion Group for youth and Focus Mid-South Community Advisory Group. Her goals include the removal of barriers to care for everyone and a focus on stigma reduction. She aims to amplify traditionally unheard voices and increase representation for the queer South. Please quote her as saying, “We all deserve joy!”

Andrea Moore is a dedicated Marriage and Family Therapist (Temporary Licensure) specializing in addiction counseling, harm reduction, and HIV prevention. With a passion for sexual health equity, Andrea hosts PrEPPED: Sex, Stigma, Science, and the South, a podcast that dismantles barriers to PrEP access, challenges stigma, and normalizes healthy sexual practices—particularly in Southern communities.

Blending clinical expertise with advocacy, Andrea integrates trauma-informed care, motivational interviewing, and CBT into addiction treatment while promoting intersectional approaches to wellness. Their work bridges gaps between substance use recovery and sexual health, empowering clients to navigate recovery, harm reduction, and self-compassion.

Andrea is committed to fostering inclusive, science-based conversations that center marginalized voices—both in the therapy room and on the airwaves.