The Psychology of Reinvention
Sometimes reinvention is not a luxury. Sometimes it is survival. People often speak about reinvention as though it is something glamorous or superficial. We imagine a dramatic makeover, a new wardrobe, expensive cosmetic procedures, or a carefully curated social media transformation. But psychologically, reinvention is often much deeper than that. It can emerge after trauma, heartbreak, isolation, burnout, grief, the ending of a relationship, the termination of a job, or simp
4 days ago3 min read
Why Black Men Stay Silent About Pain
“Many Black men are not emotionless. They are emotionally trained into silence.” One of the biggest misconceptions about Black men is the idea that we feel less. That we are naturally harder, tougher, less emotionally affected, or incapable of vulnerability. I do not believe that is true. I think many Black men feel deeply. The issue is that many of us are socialized to suppress emotions that threaten masculinity while expressing emotions that preserve it. Anger is often perm
May 314 min read
Dr. Cheyenne Bryant, Legitimacy & The Black Therapist
Watching the recent discourse surrounding Dr. Cheyenne made me reflect on the complicated relationship many people now have with legitimacy, trust and healing professions. On one hand, I understand why people care deeply about credentials and safety mechanisms within mental health spaces. People have been harmed by institutions before. Many people distrust medical systems, therapeutic systems and authority itself, sometimes for very legitimate reasons. That distrust can then
May 183 min read
What Amy Winehouse Understood About Pain
It has been nearly 20 years since Back to Black was released, yet the album still feels emotionally current. Most music ages with trends. Amy Winehouse’s music aged with human pain. When I listen to Amy Winehouse, I do not hear someone trying to impress the public or chase what was cool at the time. I hear someone processing heartbreak, loneliness, addiction, longing, shame, fear, and emotional confusion in real time. Her music feels less like performance and more like emotio
May 174 min read
Positive Affirmations for Black Christian Men
I am never alone. The Lord Jesus Christ walks with me in every season. “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5 As a Black man, I am fearfully and wonderfully made by the Creator of the heavens and the earth. “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Psalm 139:14 My life is purposeful, meaningful, and important. Even when I do not see the full path, God is ordering my steps. “The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights i
Mar 242 min read
Digital Detox: Will You Join Me?
There is something I have been learning, both as a social worker and as a man of faith. My attention is not neutral. It is being shaped, pulled, and, if I am being honest, taken. During my MSW at York University, I took a course with Dr. Renita Wong called Mindfulness and Just Relations. One of the practices that stayed with me the most was the digital detox. I came to understand it as a way of reclaiming my attention, my body, and my spirit. If I am honest, I have often used
Mar 242 min read
Dear Daddy: Unhealed Fathers, Generational Trauma, and the Silence in Black Families
Introduction When people think about abuse, they often imagine bruises, broken bones, or visible injuries. Physical violence leaves evidence that the world can see. Psychological abuse, however, often leaves no visible scars. In many families, particularly in West African and Caribbean homes where respect for elders and parental authority is strongly emphasized, harmful behaviour can sometimes be overlooked, minimized, or explained away. Children may be taught from a very you
Mar 173 min read
