PsychoHairapy with Dr. Afiya Afiya Mbilishaka

Don't get your edges snatched. Hair loss has reached alarming rates for Black women, and it can often be preventable or treated through designing an integrative wellness plan. Facial plastic surgeon, Dr. Monte Harris, describes his professional approach to addressing hair loss in Black women through a culturally sensitive journey of self-discovery, from reducing stress through meditation, reconnecting to African ancestry, and the medical procedures of hair restoration and transplantation.

Website: www.harrisface.com

African spirituality is not only what our ancestors practiced for millennia, but includes modern methods for taking care of yourself and your family. In this episode, Dr. Afiya had a conversation with Baba Sekou Olayinka, a Babalawo, which is an initiated priest in the spiritual system of Ifa amongst the Yoruba people of Nigeria. He provides spiritual consultations and readings, as well as educates families on Iwa Pele, the Yoruba concept of good character. The episode emphasizes that the path to good health is having strong spiritual roots and good character.

You know that auntie that always keeps it real, blesses you with gifts and advice, and loves you unconditionally? Well, Arlette Pender is not only a master pioneer of the natural hair industry, but she also volunteers her time and money to be the auntie to hundreds of girls learning to love themselves. In this episode, listen in to this storyteller share the highs and lows of her personal life and how she figured out a way to help communities feel loved through their hair.

Yes, you can wear braids at the Pentagon! Black women in high positions are often faced with a decision about what hair is considered professional. Lonye Ford, a cybersecurity expert, chronicles her impactful career as Black woman in the military and rising through the ranks of cybersecurity. She highlights each achievement with being intentional about her hair each stage of the way for her success.

Black hair is often policed; we've all seen the stories of kids being kicked out of school and people losing their jobs because of the appearance of their hair. The CROWN Act ensures protection against discrimination based on hairstyles by extending statutory protection to hair texture and protective styles in the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and state Education Codes. Professor Wendy Greene has dedicated her legal career to civil rights, racial and gender equity, and appearance discrimination. In this episode, she breaks down how she advocates for the CROWN Act at the local and national level to #FreeTheHair !

Instagram: @naturallaw77 and @professordwendy

Taking care of your mental health does not need to get ugly. Kyra Pinkney (Beauty Influencer and Mental Health Advocate) shares the intimate details of her journey in managing mental illness and how she transformed doing her hair and makeup in front of thousands online into a mental health ritual to compliment her therapy.

Instagram: @kyraariana_