For many Black women, faith and the church have been foundational.

But what happens when the same space that offers covering…also creates pressure?

In Episode 4 of The Psychology of Us, we explore the role of faith in shaping identity, self-esteem, and emotional expression.

This conversation unpacks:

• faith as a source of structure, hope, and belonging
• performance versus authenticity in spiritual spaces
• the pressure of “being chosen,” called, or seen as strong
• and the difference between healing and hiding in faith environments

Faith should be a place of freedom.

This episode asks:
Do you feel safe being honest… or do you feel pressure to appear whole?

Support the show

FB @thespeakherpodcast | IG @camille.essick | camilleessick.com
YT: CamilleEssick

"Where Innovators & Creators Connect".

**I do not own the rights to this music.**

Community is meant to be a place of support.
But what happens when it also becomes a space of comparison?

In Episode 3 of The Psychology of Us, we explore the tension between connection and silent competition among Black women.

This conversation unpacks:

• The difference between genuine support and unspoken comparison
• How social media intensifies pressure and perception
• Respectability politics and the expectation to “present well”
• And how scarcity and environment can shape how we see each other

You can be surrounded by people… and still feel like you’re measuring yourself.

This episode invites you to reflect on where you feel most like yourself…and where you feel like you’re performing.

Support the show

FB @thespeakherpodcast | IG @camille.essick | camilleessick.com
YT: CamilleEssick

"Where Innovators & Creators Connect".

**I do not own the rights to this music.**

What we call “strength” is not always strength. Sometimes… it’s survival.

In Episode 2 of The Psychology of Us, we move beyond the foundation of self-esteem and take a deeper look at how trauma shapes identity for Black women.

Not just the obvious trauma…
but the subtle, normalized experiences that taught us to keep going, stay strong, and push through without processing what we’ve carried.

This conversation unpacks:

• What trauma actually looks like beyond extreme experiences
• The “Strong Black Woman” archetype and how it shapes expectation and identity
• Emotional suppression and over-functioning as survival responses
• The difference between generational trauma and personal trauma
• And how survival can quietly become who we believe we are

This is not about labeling yourself. It’s about understanding what you’ve carried… and why.

Because survival may have protected you… But it was never meant to define you.

Support the show

FB @thespeakherpodcast | IG @camille.essick | camilleessick.com
YT: CamilleEssick

"Where Innovators & Creators Connect".

**I do not own the rights to this music.**