Intersectionality, systemic barriers, and Black women's mental health

Intersectionality, systemic barriers, and Black women's mental health

Author: Charts & Leisure February 26, 2025 Duration: 31:55

In this episode of Unravelling, psychologist Dr. Zoeann Finzi-Adams speaks with Mary about the complexities of mental health in Black women, examining how racism and sexism intersect to shape their experiences. She challenges the "Strong Black Woman" archetype, which often forces Black women to prioritize resilience over their own well-being, making it harder to seek help or even believe they deserve it. She also unpacks the concept of group-based stressors, discussing how chronic exposure to discrimination, political and social stressors, and the cumulative effects of systemic oppression—often referred to as 'weathering'—impact psychological well-being. Dr. Finzi-Adams emphasizes the critical need to reframe social support as a strength rather than a weakness and encourages mental health providers to ask difficult questions, stay curious, and create spaces where Black women feel seen and supported in their healing journeys.

Resources:

https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/handbook-on-counseling-african-american-women-9781440875953/

https://therapyforblackgirls.com/

https://www.thebirthfund.com/


There’s a thread that connects our inner lives to the culture we live in, and Unravelling pulls on it to see what emerges. This isn’t a lecture series, but a conversation guided by therapist Kurt White and journalist Mary Wilson, who bring their distinct perspectives to every discussion. They explore how mental health is woven into everything from our daily fitness routines and societal pressures to the art we consume and the relationships we keep. In each episode, you’ll hear from experts who study the mind alongside individuals sharing their personal, lived experiences, creating a dialogue that feels both intellectually rigorous and deeply human. The aim is to move beyond simple definitions, examining how anxiety, resilience, joy, and struggle shape our collective reality. Produced by Charts & Leisure, this podcast provides a space for nuance, challenging the idea that our psychological worlds exist in a vacuum. It’s for anyone who has ever felt the tension between their private thoughts and the public world, offering not easy answers but a more textured understanding. By listening, you become part of a broader exploration into how compassion, for ourselves and our society, can actually be built from a place of genuine curiosity.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Unravelling
Podcast Episodes
Architecture of the self: Unlocking neuroplasticity [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:43
In part three of our special series, Architecture of the Self, Kurt sits down with neuroscientist and pioneer in the world of psychedelic research, Dr. Gül Dölen, to explore the concept of “critical periods,” unique wind…
Architecture of the Self: Diagnosis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:26
This episode is the first in a series of four episodes that we are calling "the architecture of the self" wherein we explore human development, genetics and epigenetics, memory and trauma, and, today, diagnosis and the d…
Be yourself, it takes a lifetime: Gary Gulman [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:03
In this very special episode, Kurt sits down with comedian Gary Gulman to talk about recovery from serious mental health problems, depression, getting treatment and his journey of becoming such a powerful advocate on beh…
Demystifying non-suicidal self-injury [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:30
In this episode, Kurt sits down with guest Dr. Stephanie Jarvi Steele, a clinician and researcher who has extensive experience and knowledge about "non-suidical self-injury". In this detailed and thought provoking interv…
Youth and suicide in a social media world [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:16
In this episode of Unravelling, we are taking a moment to acknowledge September as Suicide Prevention Month, specifically World Suicide Prevention Day - September 10, 2025. Host Mary Wilson had the opportunity to sit dow…
Our recipes, ourselves: The cultural psychology of food [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:19
In this week’s episode of Unravelling, we have a bit of a special episode: a roundtable discussion with our hosts Mary and Kurt, joined by our producers Hans and Andrew, and our guest, Professor Sean Duffy. Sean is a psy…
Large group dynamics and the origins of human aggression [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:22
This episode of Unravelling has Dr. Kevin Volkan, psychologist, psychoanalyst, professor, and author of Human Aggression, War, and Genocide joins Kurt to talk about large group psychology and continue the conversation ab…