BONUS: Reclaiming Joy Through Solo Travel
Therapy for Black Girls
iHeartPodcasts and Joy Harden Bradford, Ph.D.
4.8 • 5.7K Ratings
🗓️ 25 September 2025
⏱️ 10 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this episode, Dr. Joy explores the cultural and societal messaging that tells Black women they must constantly prove their worth through productivity and self-sacrifice. She shares how travel, particularly solo travel, can be a radical act of self-care and joy. This episode is a reminder that rest is not something to be earned—it is a right. Whether you're planning your next trip or simply need a moment to breathe, this conversation invites you to choose joy now, not later.
Stay tuned for more from this series of bonus episodes, presented by our partners at Chase Sapphire Reserve, focusing on travel, mental health, and the power of putting joy at the center of your life.
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.
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Our Production Team
Executive Producers: Dennison Bradford & Maya Cole Howard
Director of Podcast & Digital Content: Ellice Ellis
Producers: Tyree Rush & Ndeye Thioubou
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hey y'all, it's Dr. Joy and you're listening to Therapy for Black Girls. |
| 0:04.3 | Today's episode kicks off a special three-part series presented by our partners at Chase Sapphire Reserve, |
| 0:10.5 | focused on travel, mental health, and the power of putting your joy at the center of your life. |
| 0:15.9 | Throughout this series, we'll explore how travel can be a tool for healing. |
| 0:20.0 | We'll talk about what it looks like to travel |
| 0:21.5 | with friends and how to navigate the dynamics that come with that. We'll also dive into how |
| 0:26.2 | wellness trips can boost self-esteem and help you reconnect with yourself in meaningful ways. |
| 0:31.2 | But first, we're starting with something that often goes unspoken. The idea that rest is something |
| 0:36.3 | black women have to earn. In this episode, |
| 0:38.8 | we'll unpack where that belief comes from and how choosing joy and rest can actually be a radical |
| 0:43.7 | act of self-care. So whether you're planning your next trip or simply need a moment to breathe, |
| 0:48.9 | this one's for you. If you have been listening to Therapy for Black Girls long enough, you have likely heard us talk about the idea of the strong black woman trope. |
| 1:08.6 | So this idea that everybody else's needs have to be prioritized over |
| 1:13.3 | our own. And we know that there is historical context to this, right? Like much of the survival |
| 1:19.1 | of our community, our families, our churches, our spiritual homes has been grounded in black women |
| 1:26.1 | being of service to other people. |
| 1:28.5 | And there will always be a space for us to be of service to other people. |
| 1:33.1 | I think what is really important for us to interrogate at this moment is how much of our service |
| 1:39.4 | to other people negates our care for ourselves. |
| 1:43.9 | And so if we only exist to take care of other people, |
| 1:47.3 | what then happens to us? And so we know enough about the research and the information about |
| 1:53.4 | what happens when we are not paying attention to our own needs. We know that we see increases |
... |
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