Therapy for Black Girls

In this episode, we’re talking about infertility and IVF with family medicine physician Dr. Chi Johnson. At 33, in the middle of residency, Dr. Chi was diagnosed with primary ovarian insufficiency and told by her first specialist that no one would freeze her eggs. She kept the diagnosis to herself for two years. Dr. Chi joins Dr. Joy to talk about the AMH test that caught it, why she kept looking until she found a Black woman fertility specialist who laid out options, and what IVF looked like day to day, from the injections to a negative first transfer to an early pregnancy loss. She also gets into what treatment costs once insurance caps out, and how her faith stayed hers when her church didn’t support IVF.
Dr. Joy and Dr. Chi discuss:
Being diagnosed with primary ovarian insufficiency at 33
What the AMH test can and can’t tell you
Getting a second and third opinion
Ovarian rejuvenation and other options her specialist presented
What IVF asked of her, from daily injections to the two-week wait
Grieving an early pregnancy loss and working with a therapist who specializes in it
Lifetime insurance caps and the out-of-pocket cost of IVF
Why online fertility support groups made her anxiety worse
How faith carried her when her church didn’t support IVF
How the experience changed the way she sees her body
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.
Connect with Dr. Joy on Instagram.
Where to Find Our Guest
Website: thedrchi.com
Instagram: @ask_drchi
TikTok: @ask_drchi
A Love Story Through Infertility: Diagnosis | Infertility Part I | IVF Transfer

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
Producer: 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 Jalen Hurts' health, Yung Miami's new song, "Dear JT," and Coco Jones being harassed while working in New York.
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.

Return guest Dr. Uché Blackstock joins us to help us make sense of the growing popularity of elective health screenings and the wellness trends shaping how we approach our health. We’re discussing how to find credible health information, make informed decisions about testing, and navigate the potential risks of unnecessary screenings. Plus, Dr. Blackstock shares how we can prioritize our wellbeing without getting caught up in the pressure to over-optimize our health.
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.
Connect with Dr. Joy on Instagram.

Where to Find Our Guest
Website
Instagram
Newsletter

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
Producer: 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 Glorilla's sister apologizing after calling Glorilla out for allegedly not financially supporting her family and the tension around securing a location for the Atlanta Dream to play in the finals.
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.

Cree Summer has played Freddie Brooks since 1988, and in Netflix's A Different World sequel, Freddie is back at Hillman as a professor. This week, Dr. Joy talks with Cree and Kennedi Reece, the Howard musical theater student Debbie Allen discovered and cast as Hazel, about what Freddie and Hazel share and what it took to bring a beloved show back for a new generation. Cree revisits filming the original "No Means No" episode at a time when date rape was just getting a name, and Kennedi talks about playing Hazel's friendship with Amir as a queer Christian herself. They also discuss the sisterhood that has lasted more than 30 years among the original cast, the dorm life that bonded the new one, and why Black girls deserve to be a little messy on screen. A Different World is now streaming on Netflix.
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.
Connect with Dr. Joy on Instagram.

Where to Find Our Guests
IG: Cree Summer
IG: Kennedi Reece


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
Producer: Ndeye Thioubou
Production Assistant: Bria Mosley
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.