For years, I believed strength meant hustle, survival, and never showing weakness. Illness, therapy, and community have since taught me that true power lives in softness—rest, honesty, and allowing myself to be held. To every Black, queer woman who has been told strength is armor: softness is not your liability, it is your birthright.

Becoming in public is not about perfection, it’s about authenticity, vulnerability, and growth. For Black women and queer women especially, the pressure to always appear flawless can feel overwhelming, but transparency is not weakness—it’s integrity. This reflection is both an invitation and a reminder: you are allowed to be seen in process, still growing, and still worthy.

At 36, I’ve learned that healing is not a straight line but a spiral—filled with grief, joy, and rest along the way. What once felt like urgency and survival now feels like softness, pacing, and presence. This reflection is both a letter to my younger self and a reminder that healing is about becoming whole, not racing to be “done.”

Turning 36 invites reflection on what I’m carrying forward and what I’m leaving behind. From rest as resistance to honoring chronic illness and celebrating Black joy, these lessons ground my healing and growth. This is both a release and a recommitment to living with alignment, softness, and purpose.

DC faces a federal policing takeover even as crime rates fall. Learn what’s happening, how residents are resisting, and find local resources for support.

Black women are often denied the emotional freedom to express anger without judgment. This article explores how the “Angry Black Woman” stereotype harms mental health, relationships, and self-advocacy—especially as seen in Love Island USA Season 7. With insight from psychological research and a licensed therapist’s lens, we examine the emotional policing of Black women in media and real life. Learn why anger is not only valid but vital to healing, boundary-setting, and emotional liberation.

Many Black families carry invisible wounds around fatherhood—wounds shaped not only by absence, but by silence, emotional distance, and generations of survival. This piece explores how those father wounds form, why they persist, and what healing can look like when we name what hurt us.

Many LGBTQ+ individuals, especially Black and Brown folks, experience deep grief during Pride—grief rooted in family rejection, silence, and erasure. This article explores how that pain shows up, why it matters, and what healing can look like.

Many people assume insurance makes therapy easier, but the reality is often more confusing, expensive, and exclusionary than expected. This blog breaks down the real barriers to mental health access, especially for Black and brown communities, and offers tools to navigate the system with clarity and care.

Discover how embracing vulnerability can transform your life and deepen your connections. Learn practical tips and read about my personal journey of finding strength in being open and honest.