Pleasure Is Power: Reclaiming Your Body, Joy, and Yourself with Dr. Nikki

In this deeply affirming and honest conversation, Kianti sits down with Dr. Nikki,  licensed psychologist, published scholar, and unapologetic advocate for Black women's well-being, to talk about what it really costs high-achieving Black women to keep showing up for everyone but themselves.Dr. Nikki opens up about her own winding path: from university professor to getting tenure at the University of Houston, hitting burnout, navigating an integrity clash at MD Anderson over anti-racism training, and ultimately going full private practice in 2021 at 51. Her story is a masterclass in betting on yourself — even when it's scary.In this episode, we get into:Why high-achieving Black women are often the most disconnected from their own pleasure and how it all starts in childhoodThe link between proximity to white supremacist culture and delayed emotional developmentWhy pleasure (yes, all kinds) is a source of power and reclamation, not indulgenceWhat it actually looks like to advocate for yourself sexually and why most partners want to know but need a roadmapPractical ways to reconnect with your body when masturbation or sex feels off the tablePerimenopause: what nobody told us, what our mamas went through unmedicated, and why we're doing it differentlyWhat "choosing yourself" looks like as a Black woman — and how watching little Black girls be free reminded Dr. Nikki of who she was before the world got to herDr. Nikki is a licensed psychologist currently accepting individual and group therapy clients (high-achieving Black women) virtually in 46 states.📌 Find Dr. Nikki: @DrNikkiKnows on Instagram, Threads, YouTube | DrNikkiKnows.com📖 What Dr. Nikki is reading: Criminal Intentions by Cole McCabe — a queer, diverse crime thriller she describes as an absolute chokehold.Instagram @BlackGirlsBonding