How to Heal, Let Go, and Find Faith | Dr. Thema Bryant

When the world tells you who you should be, how do you come home to your authentic self?

Can you be both stressed and blessed at the same time, or must you choose one?

How do we find room for joy and celebration while facing collective suffering and oppression?

 

In this episode of A Really Good Cry, Radhi sits down with Dr. Thema Bryant, a trauma recovery expert and 2023 President of the American Psychological Association (APA), for a deeply reflective conversation on identity, faith, and the process of "Homecoming."

 

Dr. Bryant shares her personal journey growing up with ministers who practiced liberation theology, which is about the community and the collective, not just the individual and God. This led her to discover liberation psychology, focusing on context and systems to empower everyone. 

 

She also discusses how her childhood home was like her "first time working at like a crisis hotline" and how moving to Liberia, West Africa, gave her confidence from seeing people who looked like her in positions of authority. Together, they explore how stress, trauma, and oppression disconnect us from ourselves, the meaning of her podcast and book Homecoming, and how to cultivate joy while working for justice.

 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

 

• Why "Homecoming" is about liberation and coming back to yourself, even for the first time
• How healthy relationships and spaces are required for you to be able to come back to yourself
• The difference between coping with trauma and healing from it
• Why avoidance in therapy prevents healing and the value of trauma-focused and somatic therapy.
• How liberation psychology recognizes that systems (like media and educational systems) affect us, beyond just personal issues.
• The connection between the desire for control (or "busy-ness") and past trauma or anxiety.
• The importance of self-care practices like quiet time to stay grounded and not be easily moved by others' opinions.
• That true worthiness and sacredness are not tied to performance.
• The difference between "God-fearing" and believing in a loving God 

 

This episode is a powerful reminder that while stress and oppression may disconnect us, liberation is possible. Healing isn't about becoming someone new; it's about remembering, accepting, and appreciating who you were before the world told you who to be. You hold the special sauce within you.

Dr. Thema Bryant's Matters of the Heart is a guide to healing your relationship with yourself and the people you love. Grab a copy here - https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/760456/matters-of-the-heart-by-thema-bryant-phd/

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The Homecoming Podcast with Dr. Thema

Get Dr. Thema’s book here: Homecoming: Overcome Fear and Trauma to Reclaim Your Whole, Authentic Self

 

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