Session 458: Hair, Identity & Choice
Therapy for Black Girls
iHeartPodcasts and Joy Harden Bradford, Ph.D.
4.8 • 5.8K Ratings
🗓️ 8 April 2026
⏱️ 47 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Hair always seems to be a hot topic, doesn’t it? From what style is “acceptable” to wear at work, to the politics of what’s considered “going natural,” hair is, no pun intended, always on the brain. And as Black women especially, there is so much tied to our hair–it can dictate how we’re perceived in certain spaces, signal lifestyle choices, and can reflect much more than a simple aesthetic preference.
Amidst all the hair discourse, it’s important that we reclaim the space we want (or don’t want) hair to take up in our lives. Today, I’m chatting with our Director of Podcast & Digital Content, Ellice Ellis all about my hair journey and the different shapes it’s taken throughout my 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.
Resources & Announcements
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Our Production Team
Executive Producers: Dennison Bradford & Gabrielle Collins
Director of Podcast & Digital Content: Ellice Ellis
Producers: Tyree Rush & Ndeye Thioubou
Production Assistant: Bria Mosley
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Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Welcome to the Therapy for Black Girls podcast, a weekly conversation about mental health, personal development, and all the small decisions we can make to become the best possible versions of ourselves. |
| 0:23.7 | I'm your host, Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, a licensed psychologist in Atlanta, Georgia. |
| 0:30.1 | For more information or to find a therapist in your area, visit our website at Therapy for Blackgirls.com. |
| 0:38.4 | While I hope you love listening to and learning from the podcast, it is not meant to be a |
| 0:44.3 | substitute for a relationship with a licensed mental health professional. |
| 0:56.5 | Hey, y'all. |
| 1:01.0 | Thanks so much for joining me for session 458 of the Therapy for Black Girls podcast. |
| 1:04.6 | We'll get right into our conversation after a word from our sponsors. |
| 1:12.5 | This is an I-Heart podcast. |
| 1:14.6 | Guaranteed human. |
| 1:21.2 | Hair always seems to be a hot topic, doesn't it? |
| 1:26.6 | From what style is acceptable to where it work, to the politics of what's considered going natural, |
| 1:30.4 | hair is, no pun intended, always on the brain. |
| 1:34.1 | And as black women especially, there is so much tied to our hair. |
| 1:38.6 | It can dictate how we're perceived in certain spaces, signal lifestyle choices, |
| 1:41.5 | and can reflect much more than a simple aesthetic preference. |
| 1:45.3 | Amidst all the hair discourse, it's important that we reclaim the space we want or don't want hair to take up in our lives. Today, I'm chatting with someone |
| 1:50.2 | you've heard on the show many times, our director of podcast and digital content, Elise Ellis. |
| 1:55.8 | In our conversation, we get into my own hair journey and unpack the different shapes |
| 2:00.4 | is taken throughout my life. |
| 2:02.3 | If something resonates with you while enjoying our conversation, |
| 2:05.4 | please share with us on social media using the hashtag TBG in session. |
... |
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