What It Means to Love Yourself in a World That Wounds You with Dr. Thema Bryant

Learning to love yourself can be complicated when the world around you keeps sending messages that you’re not worthy of self-love. Today we are joined by Dr. Thema Bryant to explore how racism, colorism, generational trauma, and survival strategies can shape the way we see ourselves.

You will learn…

• How Dr. Thema’s childhood in Baltimore and time living in Liberia shaped her confidence and self-esteem
• How to help young girls be more resilient to beauty standards
• The difference between personal, intergenerational, and collective trauma, and how survival strategies can be passed down through generations
• How to recognize when you’re living in survival mode, even when your life may look successful from the outside
• Why you can begin to heal and cultivate joy even while living in circumstances that continue to challenge you
• Why some of our deepest healing happens in healthy relationships, community, and through dance, music, and movement

Remember: You don’t have to wait for the world to become perfectly safe before you begin to love yourself. Healing can mean learning to stay connected to yourself while continuing to navigate an imperfect world.

Dr. Thema Bryant is a psychologist, author, professor, sacred artist, and minister who is leading the way in creating healthy relationships, healing traumas, and overcoming stress and oppression. Her life changing books includeMatters of the Heart,Homecoming,Reclaim Yourself: The Homecoming Workbook, andThe Antiracism Handbook: Practical Tools to Shift Your Mindset and Uproot Racism in Your Life and Community. Her work empowers readers to connect with themselves and others while exploring mental health, relationships, trauma, and liberation.

Get Dr. Thema's new book, Matter of the Heart: https://drthema.com/matters-of-the-heart/

Dr. Thema completed her doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Duke University and her post-doctoral training at Harvard Medical Center’s Victims of Violence Program. She is currently a tenured professor of psychology at Pepperdine University, where she directs the Culture and Trauma Research Laboratory. Dr. Thema is also an ordained elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church and leads the mental health ministry at First A.M.E. Church in Los Angeles. In 2023, she served as president of the American Psychological Association and is the host ofThe Homecoming Podcast.

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with the women in your life! Or on social media! Be sure to tag @maryspodcast and @dr.thema

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