Black Girl Seen

To the black girls who struggle with being still, who feel like resting is failure, and who long to finally feel like they can just breathe, I see you.In our last episode for April’s The Vulnerability of Something New series, we take a deep look at the vulnerability of rest, releasing, and what many of us black women know affectionately as exhaling. Joining me is wellness tech founder and life coach Katara McCarty, who bravely launched the Exhale App, a mindfulness and breathwork app for and by black women, in order to help us heal through reconnecting with our breath.Katara and I get cozy and discuss:The very real legacy of harm that divorced black women from rest as a healing practiceWhy she fights to keep her app for and by us, centering the needs of black womenThe gifts offered to us when we return to the breathWhy we no longer have to “wait to exhale”And small breath-focused steps to help us make a big shift in our well-beingEnjoyed the episode? Subscribe, like, share, and stay tuned for more! Keep the conversation going on our Instagram. ⁠Never miss an episode by subscribing to the Seen Sunday newsletter. Keep in touch with founder and life coach Katara McCarty on her website and on socials.Download the Exhale App now. Hear more gems from Katara on the Exhale Podcast.  Find resources and support: ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com/support⁠ Learn more about Black Girl Seen at ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com

Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is tell the truth of your story.If you’ve ever gotten lost in a book, or found yourself pouring over pages in your journal, we see you. So many of us struggled to make sense of our pasts or find safe spaces to process our experiences, and we’ve found our way through literature. In this episode, we’re sitting down with the pioneering author and licensed clinical social worker, Emely Rumble, LCSW to explore the power of a practice we all know but didn’t have a name for: bibliotherapy. In this episode, we exploreHow we can use books, writing, and music as paths to feeling, not avoidance of our emotionsRepairing your relationship with stories if we were taught to disown themRecommendations of stories and practices to help bring bibliotherapy to lifeEnjoyed the episode? Subscribe, like, share, and stay tuned for more! Keep the conversation going on our Instagram⁠⁠Never miss an episode by subscribing to the Seen Sunday newsletterKeep in touch with Emely ⁠on Instagram⁠ and on ⁠her website⁠.  Read ⁠Bibliotherapy in the Bronx⁠ Join Emely’s ⁠Bookclub - Readers Who Run w/ the Wolves⁠Find suggested readings from the podcast here: ⁠https://bookshop.org/shop/blackgirlseen⁠ Find resources and support:⁠ ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com/support⁠⁠

We say we want joy, but sometimes when joy finds us, we hide from it.In our next episode of the #VulnerabilityofSomethingNew series, we’re getting real about joy: sometimes joy and other pleasant emotions are scary. Many forms of hiding are designed to help us avoid disappointment, and resisting joy can be one of them. Yet, we can learn the art of opening our hearts to joy, fun, and pleasure, which can help us grow our capacity for healing. In this episode, we explore joy as a vulnerability practice with Jessica Vickers, LMFT, PMH-C, EMDR to discuss all things joy and being seen:Why we hide from the joy of the things we say we want mostHow allowing joy and hope help us feel seenHow allowing painful emotions open us up to experience the pleasant onesHow to slowly, but surely repair your relationship with joyHow to create, find, and indulge in joy, right here and right nowJessica Vickers is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, a Certified Perinatal Mental Health Counselor, and a proud Disney Adult. She owns her private practice & specializes in working with women of color and women on their motherhood journeys. Jessica founded The Happiest Healers Club for mental health practitioners who choose to network joyfully. She has been featured in SF Gate as "The Defender of Disney Adults" and aims to bring joy and healing to others both online and IRL.Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe, like, share, and stay tuned for more!Keep the conversation going on our Instagram: ⁠www.instagram.com/blackgirlseen⁠Keep up with Jessica Vickers here:Website: https://www.jessicavickersmft.com/ Instagram: @jessicavickersmft Happiest Healers ClubNever miss an episode by subscribing to the Seen Sunday newsletter: ⁠https://blackgirlseen.myflodesk.com/seensunday⁠ Find resources and support: ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com/support⁠ Find suggested readings from the podcast here. Learn more about Black Girl Seen at ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com

Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is walk away.Too many of us have been hurt by systems that promise to care for us, much like spiritual and religious institutions. For black women, it can look like “big T” traumas like physical or financial harm and control, and it can also look like “little T” traumas like psychological and emotional abuse. From constant guilt tripping, to learning harmful rhetoric about our minds and bodies, we sometimes look up too late, only to notice the leaders we loved were hurting us in return.To help us unpack our journey out of spiritual abuse, we’re joined by Dr. Karis McClammy, an Atlanta-based psychologist with expertise at the intersection of Spiritual/Religious and Relational trauma. We tackle:Recognizing signs of religious and spiritual traumaThe vulnerability of walking away from harmful spaces when we called them homeThe tension between needing others and trusting yourselfRebuilding after leaving cults, abusive religious and spiritual spaces, and other harmful communitiesHow institutional harm and relational harm meet in the middleRepairing your relationship with yourself after walking awayTaking the pen to explore and define your own relationship with spirituality or religionThis month’s theme is the vulnerability of something new. We’re exploring the new ways we face and grow through common (or not so common) problems. Stay tuned for more on joy, new ways to heal, and facing the past with courage. Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe, like, share, and stay tuned for more!Keep the conversation going on our Instagram: ⁠www.instagram.com/blackgirlseen⁠Never miss an episode by subscribing to the Seen Sunday newsletter: ⁠https://blackgirlseen.myflodesk.com/seensunday⁠ Read The Day God Saw Me as Black by D. Danyelle Thomas and find suggested readings from the podcast here: https://bookshop.org/shop/blackgirlseenFind resources and support: ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com/support⁠ Learn more about Black Girl Seen at ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com

To the black girl who is in the season she always hoped for, but it doesn’t feel how you expected, I see you.Healing isn’t always flowers and rainbows. Sometimes, even when we get exactly what we hoped, wished, and prayed for, we still find ourselves feeling uncomfortable. In healing, we might still get triggered, feel anxiety, and go through our highs and lows.It’s not that healing isn’t possible. The truth is: healing is not about the absence of discomfort or challenges, it’s about growing the capacity to hold the discomfort that comes with much of what we want.Connection, success, being seen—all those things can feel just as anxiety-provoking as the things we don’t want (and sometimes more!). In those seasons of “finally”, it’s truly that we get to use all the tools, skills, and insights we developed during the storm. In this episode, we’ll discuss:The surprising truths about healingHow to reframe our expectations of what our “seasons in bloom” might feel likeHow to stay grounded when things get hard, even in seasons of blooming and healingWhy embracing the inevitable ups and downs of life actually help us feel joyBe sure to listen to & meditate on all episodes this month as a blueprint for your season in bloom 🤎Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe, like, share, and stay tuned for more!Keep the conversation going on Instagram⁠ ⁠Never miss an episode by subscribing to the Seen Sunday newsletter:⁠ ⁠https://blackgirlseen.myflodesk.com/seensunday⁠⁠Find resources and support:⁠ ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com/support⁠⁠Find suggested readings from the podcast here: ⁠https://bookshop.org/shop/blackgirlseen⁠Learn more on our website:⁠ ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com⁠

To the black girl who is in the gap between where you started, and where you hope to go, I see you.We don’t talk enough about waiting—the moments in the middle where we don’t know when the seeds we’ve planted will actually bloom. This is where we get antsy, frustrated, and sometimes, where we decide to give up completely.I’ve been there so many times, and, when I’ve approached seasons of waiting as seasons of opportunity, it’s made so much of a difference. We’ll discuss how we can show up differently, and vulnerably, in seasons of waiting, including:How waiting is an active processHow waiting is often intertwined with both grief and hopeWhy seasons of waiting tempt us to quit on our dreams, but how we can use it to lean in to more fully create our dreams insteadHow to wait in ways that honor both where you are, and where you are goingStay tuned for all episodes this month as we create a blueprint for your season in bloom 🤎Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe, like, share, and stay tuned for more!Keep the conversation going on our Instagram: ⁠www.instagram.com/blackgirlseen⁠Never miss an episode by subscribing to the Seen Sunday newsletter: ⁠https://blackgirlseen.myflodesk.com/seensunday⁠ Find resources and support: ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com/support⁠ Find suggested readings from the podcast here: https://bookshop.org/shop/blackgirlseenLearn more on our website:⁠www.blackgirlseen.com

To the black girl who is grieving the life she thought she would have by now, I see you.So many of us are living in a reality that we never expected or planned for. We feel angry, we feel lost, we may even feel numb here. Yet, what we refuse to feel may be the key to actually transcending this space and moving towards something greater: grief.Grief can be a heavy emotional experience that’s hard to hold, but it’s so necessary. Sometimes, when we feel stuck in life, it’s because we refuse to travel through grief in order to make room for the future we want. Grief is a natural and needed flow of pain and preservation that our bodies travel through so that we can honor what was, release what is no longer, and make room for what is to come.This month, we’re talking about being a black girl in bloom, and grief is a pivotal part in our process to change: Making room for those of us living a life we did not plan for or wantUnderstanding the power of allowing grief in all of its formsVisioning the steps we can take to allow grief to flow through usThe opening that grief can create for something new and something worth making space forStay tuned for all four episodes this month as we create a blueprint for your season in bloom 🤎Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe, like, and share for more!Keep the conversation going on our Instagram:⁠ ⁠www.instagram.com/blackgirlseen⁠⁠Never miss an episode by subscribing to the Seen Sunday newsletter:⁠ ⁠https://blackgirlseen.myflodesk.com/seensunday⁠⁠Find resources and support:⁠ ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com/support⁠⁠Find suggested readings from the podcast here: ⁠https://bookshop.org/shop/blackgirlseen⁠Learn more on our website:⁠ ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com⁠

To the black girl answering the call to step into something new, even when it’s scary, I see you.As much as we want to bloom like beautiful flowers, we might resist the journey it takes to get there. The process of growth and transformation is one of the most vulnerable, unsettling times in our lives. Change asks us to grieve who and what we know, and open our hearts to who we know we were destined to be. As scary as it might be, we can gently come out of hiding and usher in a kind, restorative, life-shifting journey towards a life of being seen. The life we really want.This month, we’re talking about being a black girl in bloom, and the general experiences we might have while in that season of change: Being in hiding and the ways we are out of alignment with the life we wantBeing in mourning and the process of grieving the life we knew and the life we thought we would haveBeing in waiting as we pace and prepare for what’s to comeAnd being in healing, and how we forget about the active role we play in sustaining what we ask forStay tuned for all four episodes this month as we create a blueprint for your season in bloom 🤎Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe, like, share, and stay tuned for more!Keep the conversation going on our Instagram:⁠ ⁠www.instagram.com/blackgirlseen⁠⁠Never miss an episode by subscribing to the Seen Sunday newsletter:⁠ ⁠https://blackgirlseen.myflodesk.com/seensunday⁠⁠Find resources and support:⁠ ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com/support⁠⁠Find suggested readings from the podcast here: ⁠https://bookshop.org/shop/blackgirlseen⁠ Learn more on our website:⁠ ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com

Healing our relationships with our bodies may be one of the most challenging forms of love we know.In this episode, we’re joined by Trauma + Disordered Eating/Eating Disorder Therapist Herani Argoe, LPC to explore what it means to feel “seen” in your body. We’re tackling the topic of repairing and cultivating a safe and restorative relationship with our bodies. We’ll discuss:What radical body care looks likeHow to build sustainable relationships with food and movementHow healing in the body includes our ability to feel and process emotionsCaring for our body through transitions (growing older, chronic pain and health, motherhood, etc.) that empower our most loving versions of self-possessionLearn more about Herani Argoe, LPC here:  Visit Herani’s website: https://www.heraniargoelpc.com/ Follow Herani on Instagram and TikTokKeep the conversation going on our Instagram: ⁠www.instagram.com/blackgirlseen⁠Never miss an episode by subscribing to the Seen Sunday newsletter: ⁠https://blackgirlseen.myflodesk.com/seensunday⁠ Find resources and support: ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com/support⁠ Find suggested readings from the podcast here: https://bookshop.org/shop/blackgirlseenLearn more on our website: ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com

It might be time to revisit the ways your family relationships shaped your world.While we may be familiar with family dynamics leaving us feeling unseen, we’re not always comfortable acknowledging what that means for our healing work and our needs. In this episode, we discuss:How we heal from the experience of feeling unseen in our families of originFour main “relational injuries” we might experience in our families and early childhood experiencesImportant questions to ask before going no-contact (or choosing something else, like low-contact)What feeling seen in family today might look like Embracing chosen family as our path towards the love we seekSuggested Reading: all about love by bell hooksEnjoyed the episode? Subscribe, like, share, and stay tuned for more!Keep the conversation going on our Instagram: ⁠www.instagram.com/blackgirlseen⁠Never miss an episode by subscribing to the Seen Sunday newsletter: ⁠https://blackgirlseen.myflodesk.com/seensunday⁠ Find resources and support: ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com/support⁠ Find suggested readings from the podcast here: https://bookshop.org/shop/blackgirlseenLearn more about Black Girl Seen at ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com

Many of us struggle with boundaries and even consider them as barriers to others, but what if boundaries are the foundations of the love we want?Let’s dive even deeper into boundary-setting with Dr. Ayanna Abrams, a sought-after licensed psychologist and Relationship and Boundaries expert. In this episode, we discuss boundary-setting as a vulnerability practice and how they protect our well-being in aid of safe and powerful intimate connections. We’ll also discuss how boundary-setting begins within, how to practice self-grace, and how boundaries actually open doors to the love we want, in all relational forms.   Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe, like, share, and stay tuned for more!Keep the conversation going on our Instagram: ⁠www.instagram.com/blackgirlseen⁠Never miss an episode by subscribing to the Seen Sunday newsletter: ⁠https://blackgirlseen.myflodesk.com/seensunday⁠ Keep in touch with Dr. Ayanna Abrams on Instagram or visit her practice Ascension Behavioral Health (based in Atlanta, GA).Find resources and support: ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com/support⁠ Find suggested readings from the podcast here: https://bookshop.org/shop/blackgirlseenLearn more about Black Girl Seen at ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com

Sometimes we hide in the one relationship type we’d never suspect: in romance.Hiding in romantic relationships can look like a variety of ways we try to stay safe, resist real intimacy, or protect from getting hurt. The problem? It doesn’t always save us from pain and disappointment, but it often blocks us from experiencing the love we want.In this episode, we discuss:How we hide in romantic relationshipsUnderlying triggers that make it hard to practice vulnerability in romanceHow we can make romantic love a part of our lives, and not the whole of our livesHow being seen in romantic love starts withinSuggested Reading: all about love by bell hooksEnjoyed the episode? Subscribe, like, share, and stay tuned for more!Keep the conversation going on our Instagram: ⁠www.instagram.com/blackgirlseen⁠Never miss an episode by subscribing to the Seen Sunday newsletter: ⁠https://blackgirlseen.myflodesk.com/seensunday⁠ Find resources and support: ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com/support⁠ Find suggested readings from the podcast here: https://bookshop.org/shop/blackgirlseenLearn more about Black Girl Seen at ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com

What happens when we hide from feelings?In this episode, we learn about the ways we hold our breath by over-valuing being “strong”, how the art of unraveling is sacred healing, and finally letting it out can help us feel seen. We discuss:What the Art of Unraveling is and why it’s so crucial to our healingThe Strong Black Woman (SBW) schema is, where it comes from (hint: not from us!), and how it stalls our healingOffering ourselves grace for how we’ve learned to suppress our emotionsHow to slowly build capacity to allow ourselves to unravelPractical ways we can allow ourselves to unravel and be our own safe place to landEnjoyed the episode? Subscribe, like, share, and stay tuned for more!Keep the conversation going on our Instagram:⁠ ⁠www.instagram.com/blackgirlseen⁠⁠Never miss an episode by subscribing to the Seen Sunday newsletter:⁠ ⁠https://blackgirlseen.myflodesk.com/seensunday⁠⁠Find resources and support:⁠ ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com/support⁠⁠Find suggested readings from the podcast here: ⁠https://bookshop.org/shop/blackgirlseen⁠Learn more on our website:⁠ ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com

What happens when we hide from ourselves?In this episode, we learn about the ways we self-abandon, and how the art of staying can help us feel seen. We discuss:Why we self-abandon and self-neglectOffering ourselves grace for how we’ve let ourselves downHow to connect the dots behind why we hide from ourselvesHow self-hiding perpetuates the very patterns we want to be free fromAnd how to begin grounding and building emotional muscle to practice the art of stayingEnjoyed the episode? Subscribe, like, share, and stay tuned for more!Keep the conversation going on our Instagram:⁠ ⁠www.instagram.com/blackgirlseen⁠⁠Never miss an episode by subscribing to the Seen Sunday newsletter:⁠ ⁠https://blackgirlseen.myflodesk.com/seensunday⁠⁠Find resources and support:⁠ ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com/support⁠⁠Find suggested readings from the podcast here: ⁠https://bookshop.org/shop/blackgirlseen⁠Learn more on our website:⁠ ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com⁠

Sometimes, the key to having the year you hope for… is allowing yourself to be seen.By practicing vulnerability, you allow space for your needs to get met, more intimacy, and more peace by showing up as your true self. Make this year you stop hiding by opening up to new practices that once felt out of reach.In this episode:We explore how allowing yourself to be seen helps you build a life you loveFour key areas to practice more vulnerability: routine, relationships, risk-taking, and restPractical suggestions, both big and small, to help you practice living seenReminders to encourage you along the wayI look forward to what 2026 has in store for us, and I hope it leaves you feeling a lot more seen, heard, and cared for. Be sure to subscribe to stay on the path with me 🤎Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe, like, share, and stay tuned for more!Keep the conversation going on our Instagram: ⁠www.instagram.com/blackgirlseen⁠Never miss an episode by subscribing to the Seen Sunday newsletter: ⁠https://blackgirlseen.myflodesk.com/seensunday⁠ Find resources and support: ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com/support⁠ Find suggested readings from the podcast here: https://bookshop.org/shop/blackgirlseenLearn more on our website: ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com

I hope you end this year feeling seen. The end of the year can be emotional and heavy, especially if the year felt challenging. In this episode, I’m sharing a few warm words to help you remember the core of it all: you deserve your flowers for making it through this year.Whether you’re celebrating the year you just had, or grieving it, you deserve your flowers. We’ll remind ourselves of what we can feel proud of, how to honor our needs as we close out this chapter, and some journaling practices to help us feel grounded, cared for, and seen as we enter the next chapter.Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe, like, share, and stay tuned for more!Keep the conversation going on our ⁠Instagram⁠Never miss an episode by subscribing to the Seen Sunday newsletter:⁠ ⁠https://blackgirlseen.myflodesk.com/seensunday⁠⁠Shop the Seen+Said Store for Care Cards, notebooks, gifts, and more: ⁠seensaid.co⁠Find resources and support:⁠ ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com/support⁠⁠Find suggested readings from the podcast here: ⁠https://bookshop.org/shop/blackgirlseen⁠ Learn more on our website:⁠ ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com

‘Tis the season for…boundaries.With many of us facing people, places, and situations we often have the luxury of avoiding—like family gatherings and run-ins with old friends—it’s becoming especially important that we beef-up our boundary-setting skills.Setting boundaries is one of the most powerful ways we practice vulnerability. We often think of boundaries as a way we put on armor, strictly for protection, but boundaries are a delicate dance of softness, openness, and care. In this episode, we’ll discuss how boundaries are a key part of your vulnerability practice, and how you can use them this season and move forward to shape safer, more sustainable relationships.We discuss:How boundary-setting is a form of vulnerabilityHow setting boundaries helps you feel seenHow the most important form of boundaries are self-boundariesSmall steps we can take to feel more comfortable setting boundaries, even when it’s scaryThis month, as we close out the year, we’ll be reflecting on how to shift from our protective behaviors in relationships to finally centering ourselves in our lives. Welcome to the Choosing You era of your life.Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe, like, share, and stay tuned for more!Keep the conversation going on our InstagramNever miss an episode by subscribing to the Seen Sunday newsletter: ⁠https://blackgirlseen.myflodesk.com/seensunday⁠ Shop the Seen+Said Store for Care Cards, notebooks, gifts, and more: seensaid.co Find resources and support: ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com/support⁠ Find suggested readings from the podcast here: https://bookshop.org/shop/blackgirlseenLearn more on our website: ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com

Sometimes the person you need to forgive the most is you. We all make mistakes, but sometimes, we are our own worst critic and the least willing to offer ourselves the grace we truly deserve. We rarely see the best in ourselves, so feeling a sense of love, compassion, or acceptance can feel out of reach.Instead of holding ourselves hostage with guilt and repeating the trauma of hypercriticism and codependence, we can learn to take small steps towards grace and self-love.We’ll discuss:Why we struggle with self-forgivenessHow holding back on self-forgiveness gets in the way of your healingHow practicing self-forgiveness takes radical vulnerabilityHow self-grace is a path to feeling and being seenEnjoyed the episode? Subscribe, like, share, and stay tuned for more!Never miss an episode by subscribing to the Seen Sunday newsletter:⁠ ⁠https://blackgirlseen.myflodesk.com/seensunday⁠⁠Shop Seen+Said for Care Cards, notebooks, gifts, and more: ⁠seensaid.co⁠Find resources and support:⁠ ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com/support⁠⁠Find suggested readings from the podcast here: ⁠https://bookshop.org/shop/blackgirlseen⁠Learn more on our website:⁠ ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com⁠

'Tis the season…for letting go.As we approach the end of another year, we sometimes start to reflect on where we are... and for some of us, this is yet another year that hasn't gone the way we'd hoped. But, instead of pushing and “trying harder”, it might be time to let go of something that’s holding you back.In this episode, we talk about:Why we sometimes feel stuck, and how “trying harder” is often the very thing keeping us stuckHow unseen past hurt, trauma, and relational wounds sometimes hold us back from what we really wantHow letting go may be the thing to help us finally get freeSteps to practicing grief, release, and opening yourself up to receive more than you could have imaginedEnjoyed the episode? Subscribe, like, share, and stay tuned for more!Never miss an episode by subscribing to the Seen Sunday newsletter:⁠ ⁠https://blackgirlseen.myflodesk.com/seensunday⁠⁠Shop the Seen+Said Store for Care Cards, notebooks, gifts, and more: ⁠seensaid.co⁠Keep the conversation going on InstagramFind resources and support:⁠ ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com/support⁠⁠Find suggested readings from the podcast here: ⁠https://bookshop.org/shop/blackgirlseen⁠Learn more on our website:⁠ ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com⁠

Sometimes feeling grateful is hard, and that’s okay.The holidays often ask us to position ourselves in feeling grateful, but what if we need room for grief, first? This week, we have a minisode to explore toxic gratitude and the ways we sometimes leave ourselves feeling worse when we try to feel better. Though gratitude is touted as a great tool for well-being, it sometimes ends up being a mask for deeper pain that deserves to be felt, acknowledged, and honored.Sometimes, we need to feel seen by being allowed to safely experience all of our emotions, not just the acceptable ones.In this episode, we’ll talk about:What toxic gratitude looks like and how we sometimes use it as spiritual and emotional bypassingHow trauma and relational woundings sometimes help us form an unhealthy relationship with gratitude How we sometimes need to feel our grief before we can feel our gratitudeWays to make room for all our emotions this holiday season, including a healthier practice of gratitude Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe, like, share, and stay tuned for more!Keep the conversation going on our Instagram:⁠ ⁠www.instagram.com/blackgirlseen⁠⁠Never miss an episode by subscribing to the Seen Sunday newsletter:⁠ ⁠https://blackgirlseen.myflodesk.com/seensunday⁠⁠Find resources and support:⁠ ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com/support⁠⁠Find suggested readings from the podcast here: ⁠https://bookshop.org/shop/blackgirlseen⁠Learn more on our website:⁠ ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com⁠

‘Tis the season to be…lonely?In an increasingly separated world, many of us are no stranger to feeling lonely. Even when we put in the effort to spend time with others, we can still struggle with feeling lonely inside. Why? We often hide in our relationships, and we also hide from ourselves, too.Loneliness happens when we feel disconnected from self and others. When we struggle to feel seen all on our own, it spills over into feeling unseen with others. But, even though we can feel alone in a room full of people, we can also feel deeply connected all on our own. There’s healing in solitude, intentional connection to the self, that opens the door to true connection with others.In this episode, we’ll talk about:The difference between loneliness and solitude How solitude can actually be the key we need to building stronger relationshipsHow past experiences shape our current relationship with loneliness and solitudeHow to build comfort with seasons of solitude, while opening the door to the connection we craveTo the black girls who are in a season of loneliness, I see you 🤎Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe, like, share, and stay tuned for more!Keep the conversation going on our Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠Read more at the On Being Seen blog: ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com/blog/⁠Never miss an episode by subscribing to the ⁠Seen Sunday newsletter⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Find resources and support:⁠ ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com/support⁠⁠Find suggested readings from the podcast here: ⁠https://bookshop.org/shop/blackgirlseen/⁠

We can’t discuss relational safety without talking about safety in our own bodies.TW: This episode contains content related to eating disorders, disordered eating, body dysmorphia, and negative body image. Please take care of yourself or seek the support of a professional should you find any of these topics triggering or challenging to engage with while on a recovery journey. Learn more here.So many of us learned to not only dislike our own bodies, but also to disregard, neglect, and even mistreat our bodies, all in the name of unachievable acceptance from others. Whether we’re talking about general negative body image, allowing ourselves to run on empty, or even masking the truth of who we are, we’ve co-created a situation where our true homes, our bodies, are unsafe, too.Still, we can learn to repair this relationship with our bodies. We can do the healing work to help our bodies no longer be a battleground, but a secure base from which we live.In this episode, we’ll talk about:What safety in relationships with our bodies actually look likeHow past experiences shape our current relationship with our bodiesHow negative body image, body dysmorphia, and other unhealthy relationships with our bodies are the result of relational woundingsHow to repair our relationships with our bodies and become sites of safetyHow to prepare for triggers and remain grounded during the holidaysTo the black girls who struggle in their relationship with their bodies, I see you 🤎Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe, like, share, and stay tuned for more!Find suggested readings from the podcast here: ⁠⁠https://bookshop.org/lists/body-food-movement-healing⁠Read more at the On Being Seen blog: ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com/blog/⁠Never miss an episode by subscribing to the ⁠Seen Sunday newsletter⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Find resources and support:⁠ ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com/support⁠⁠

For those of us who never really felt safe and who struggle to understand what safety looks like, I see you 🤎What does emotional safety actually look like? This episode dives into the importance of emotional safety in our relationships of all kinds–friends, family, and romantic partners–and how we can actually recognize, create, and sustain safe spaces.In this episode, we’ll talk about:What safety in relationships actually look likeHow past experiences shape our current relationship with safetyHow to identify safe peopleHow we can become safe people and cultivate safety withinEnjoyed the episode? Subscribe, like, share, and stay tuned for more!Never miss an episode by subscribing to the SeenSunday newsletter:⁠ ⁠https://blackgirlseen.myflodesk.com/seensunday⁠⁠Find resources and support:⁠ ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com/support⁠⁠Find suggested readings from the podcast here: ⁠https://bookshop.org/shop/blackgirlseen⁠This week's suggested read: ⁠all about love by bell hooks⁠Learn more on our website:⁠ ⁠www.blackgirlseen.comFollow us on Instagram!⁠

We do not have to allow the fear of intimacy to get in the way of the love we deserve 🤎    Next up in the series on facing your fears, we’re talking about the Fear of Intimacy. Many of us learned that love and connection isn’t safe. We may have endured the pain of being hurt in our families, friendships, romance, and even our communities, but we can still build the tools to help us recover and re-open our hearts to what we need most.In this episode, we learn more about how the fear of intimacy leads us to hide, how what we think keeps us safe actually keeps us cut off from our needs, and how to start slowly opening our hearts again in order to build safe and sustainable relationships. Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe, like, share, and stay tuned for more!Keep the conversation going on our Instagram:⁠ ⁠www.instagram.com/blackgirlseen⁠⁠Never miss an episode by subscribing to the Seen Sunday newsletter:⁠ ⁠https://blackgirlseen.myflodesk.com/seensunday⁠⁠Find resources and support:⁠ ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com/support⁠⁠Find suggested readings from the podcast here: ⁠https://bookshop.org/shop/blackgirlseen⁠Learn more about ⁠EMDR⁠ and ⁠Brainspotting⁠, somatic-based healing modalities. Learn more on our website:⁠ ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com

You don’t have to be perfect to be loved 🤎    Next up in the series on facing your fears, we’re talking about the fear of failure and the relational root beneath perfectionism. Too many of us learned that we are simply “overachievers” and that we are “hard on ourselves,” but what about when no amount of effort or accomplishments ever make you feel good enough?In this episode, we learn more about how perfectionism is actually the result of relational wounds, how fearing failure can keep you frozen, and how to start unlearning that you have to be perfect to be loved.Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe, like, share, and stay tuned for more!Keep the conversation going on our Instagram:⁠ ⁠www.instagram.com/blackgirlseen⁠⁠Never miss an episode by subscribing to the Seen Sunday newsletter:⁠ ⁠https://blackgirlseen.myflodesk.com/seensunday⁠⁠ Find resources and support:⁠ ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com/support⁠⁠ Learn more on our website:⁠ ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com⁠Disclaimer: The BLACK GIRL SEEN podcast is meant for information purposes only. Though the host, Kalyn Wilson, LCSW, is a licensed mental health provider, this podcast does not establish a clinical relationship with listeners, nor does it replace a relationship with a licensed mental health provider. For more information and resources on finding a therapist, visit ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com/support⁠.

Sometimes we fear the things we want the most.It’s Spooky Season, and we’re getting up close and personal with our fears. In this episode, we explore the reasons behind our fear of being seen. Even when we desire to allow ourselves to be seen, we often run back into hiding because it feels safer.We’ll learn more about the Visibility Wound, and how we can work through our fears to move towards what we really want.Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe, like, share, and stay tuned for more!Keep the conversation going on our Instagram: ⁠www.instagram.com/blackgirlseen⁠Never miss an episode by subscribing to the Seen Sunday newsletter: ⁠https://blackgirlseen.myflodesk.com/seensunday⁠Learn more about Core Wounds ⁠here⁠.Find resources and support: ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com/support⁠Learn more on our website: ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com⁠Disclaimer: The BLACK GIRL SEEN podcast is meant for information purposes only. Though the host, Kalyn Wilson, LCSW, is a licensed mental health provider, this podcast does not establish a clinical relationship with listeners, nor does it replace a relationship with a licensed mental health provider. For more information and resources on finding a therapist, visit ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com/support⁠.

This is for the black girls who are tired of being “strong”, and want to practice vulnerability in her relationships, but don’t know where to begin. I see you. Welcome to your new start 🤎   Are you hiding? When we’ve been hurt, we find so many ways to protect ourselves. We shrink ourselves, we run away from what scares us, and we avoid what’s hard. But, what if the things that make us feel comfortable are actually getting in the way of our healing, our connection, and the life we want to live?In this episode, we take a deep dive into the foundation of Black Girl Seen—the power of practicing vulnerability and letting ourselves be seen as a path towards healing old wounds, getting our needs met, and living the life we deserve. Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe, like, share, and stay tuned for more!Keep the conversation going on our Instagram: ⁠www.instagram.com/blackgirlseen⁠Never miss an episode by subscribing to the Seen Sunday newsletter: ⁠https://blackgirlseen.myflodesk.com/seensunday⁠Find resources and support: ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com/support⁠Learn more on our website: ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com⁠Disclaimer: The BLACK GIRL SEEN podcast is meant for information purposes only. Though the host, Kalyn Wilson, LCSW, is a licensed mental health provider, this podcast does not establish a clinical relationship with listeners, nor does it replace a relationship with a licensed mental health provider. For more information and resources on finding a therapist, visit ⁠www.blackgirlseen.com/support⁠.