When Dr. Allycin Powell-Hicks wanted to write her dissertation on Black women and beauty, her graduate program told her the topic wasn't serious. Her research went on to reveal something the field didn't expect: Black women reported a stronger sense of control over their bodies than white women, and the more connected a Black woman felt to her culture, the stronger that sense of control became. More than a decade later, that "unserious" research has become The Problem with Pretty (Hachette), a book about how beauty standards get wired into the brain — and how to get free of them.

Dr. Joy sits down with Dr. Ally — psychofuturist, beauty and perception expert, and founder of Doux Consulting — to unpack what's happening to self-image in the social media era. They cover the looksmaxxing phenomenon pulling in Gen Z, how "Instagram face" is flattening the diversity of faces we see, why the confidence boost after a cosmetic procedure tends to fade within months, and the difference between beauty and glamour. Dr. Ally also shares her own story, from scrubbing her skin with Comet as a kid to falling in love with her complexion at an HBCU, and makes the case for beauty as ritual, resistance, and a tool for self-definition rather than a performance for everyone else.

Resources & Announcements

Want to reflect on this conversation in community? Join us inside our Patreon community where we’re unpacking this episode together.

You can now catch episodes of the Therapy for Black Girls podcast on YouTube. Be sure to subscribe to get new episodes every week.

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

Instagram

Website

TikTok

Grab your copy of The Problem with Pretty

Stay Connected​

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:

Instagram: @therapyforblackgirls

Facebook: @therapyforblackgirls

Our Production Team

Executive Producers: Dennison Bradford & Gabrielle Collins

Director of Podcast & Digital Content: Ellice Ellis

Producers: Tyree Rush & Ndeye Thioubou

Production Assistant: Bria Mosley

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome back to our minisode series, "I Have Some Thoughts." These short episodes are designed to contextualize the pop culture moments we're currently paying attention to through a mental health lens. Pop culture isn't just fun to chat about, it can reveal important information about how we relate, cope, and understand ourselves. Join us each Friday to hear Dr. Joy share her thoughts about the happenings of the week.

This week, we're chatting about the NY Knicks winning the NBA Championship, a UFC Fighter making disparaging remarks about Michelle Obama, and Zahara Jolie changing her last name.

Resources

Listen to Session 462: Going No Contact

Stay Connected​

Wanna chat more about the pop culture hot topics of the week? Join us inside our Patreon community.

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.

Make sure to follow us on social media:

Instagram: @therapyforblackgirls

Threads: @therapyforblackgirls

Our Production Team

Executive Producers: Dennison Bradford & Gabrielle Collins

Director of Podcast & Digital Content: Ellice Ellis

Producer: Ndeye Thioubou

Production Assistant: Bria Mosley

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In honor of Black Music Month, Dr. Joy sits down with two women who experienced twenty years of Black music from opposite sides of the industry. Shanti Das spent over 25 years as a marketing executive at labels like LaFace and Universal Motown, working with artists from OutKast to Prince, before founding the mental health nonprofit Silence the Shame. Ivie Ani came of age alongside the music itself — a Bronx-raised teenager replaying The Beyoncé Experience on YouTube who grew into an award-winning journalist covering music and culture for The New York Times, Pitchfork, Okayplayer, and beyond.

Together they trace the road from new music Tuesdays and 106 & Park to streaming, playlist culture, and fan communities millions deep. They revisit the albums that defined two eras — B'Day, In My Mind, Lemonade, Anti — and consider why 2016 feels like the last time we all listened together. The conversation turns to what emotional transparency costs Black women artists, how Rihanna became the blueprint for a new kind of superstar, and why the future of Black music may be taking shape in Lagos and Johannesburg as much as Atlanta and New York.

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

Want to reflect on this conversation in community? Join us inside our Patreon community where we’re unpacking this episode together.

You can now catch episodes of the Therapy for Black Girls podcast on YouTube. Be sure to subscribe to get new episodes every week.

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 Guests

Shanti Das

Website: https://shantidas.biz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shantidas404/

Silence the Shame: https://silencetheshame.com | @silencetheshame on Instagram and TikTok

Ivie Ani

Website: https://www.ivieani.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ivie.ani/

Substack: https://infulleffect.substack.com

Stay Connected​

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:

Instagram: @therapyforblackgirls

Facebook: @therapyforblackgirls

Our Production Team

Executive Producers: Dennison Bradford & Gabrielle Collins

Director of Podcast & Digital Content: Ellice Ellis

Producers: Tyree Rush & Ndeye Thioubou

Production Assistant: Bria Mosley

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.