Black Women Healing

This solo episode is about focusing on what you can do with the circumstances you’ve been given. Jamie draws on an idea from Dr. Eric Thomas—“play the hand you were dealt”—and reflects on how her experiences with adoption and loss shaped her path to becoming a therapist and a first-generation college graduate. Her message: shift your attention from blame toward finding ways to move forward.

Myra and Jamie Franklin-Lawrence, LMFT, look back on two events that took place on the same day. Myra hosted Resilient Toast, a beachside gathering in San Diego with intimate conversation, dancing and a crowning ceremony. Jamie hosted Rise and Radiate, a hot-yoga-style workout event with Hot Mom's Fit Club.Both hosts say the events didn't go as planned. They hit traffic, a co-host broke a shoe, and the room was crowded. They also say things worked out better than they'd planned. Jamie describes events as "a microcosm of life." Hosting also brought up old patterns: for Jamie, tying success to attendance numbers, and for Myra, a hard time letting others help. Both are hyper-independent and say hosting events is healing.They also take on the online debate over "why isn't community free?" They argue that paying for events creates accountability, and that showing up and taking part matters. For them, the work is ministry, and its value can't be measured in money. "Life has no price tag."The episode ends with a shout-out to a sponsor and news on upcoming events: Resilient Tea on January 30 and another Permission to Pause around the holidays.Key takeawaysEvents rarely go to plan, and that can be a gift.Hosting brings up your own growth areas.Community takes participation, not just attendance.Connection matters more than money.

Episode DescriptionThe mother-daughter relationship can shape your identity, your confidence, and even the way you parent - sometimes in ways you do not notice until you become a mother yourself. Jamie Franklin-Lawrence opens up about the complex duality of being both a mother and a daughter, and why that role reversal can bring healing, grief, tenderness, and hard truth all at once.As a mother of two daughters and a bonus mom to four young men, Jamie reflects on how motherhood has changed the way she sees her own mom, her adoption story, and the emotional patterns passed down through generations. She shares what it means to give your mother grace, why she now sees caregiving through a more complicated lens, and how becoming a parent has forced her to examine her own childhood with fresh eyes.You’ll hear Jamie unpack:Why mother-daughter relationships are some of the most common and layered issues that show up in therapyHow her relationship with her mom shaped her views on sacrifice, self-care, and identityThe difference between parenting her 12-year-old and her 4-year-old, and what each daughter teaches herWhy temperament, compatibility, and personality matter just as much in families as they do in relationshipsHow confidence, self-esteem, and autopilot living are often tied to our earliest relationshipsJamie also reflects on her mother’s work ethic, loyalty, and willingness to carry the family, while admitting that she is still learning how to parent with the same steadiness. Along the way, she names the tension many mothers feel - wanting to protect their children while also allowing them to make mistakes and become themselves.If you’ve ever wondered how much of who you are was inherited, absorbed, or built in response to your parents, this conversation will hit home. Essential listening for mothers, daughters, and anyone ready to ask deeper questions about family, healing, and identity.

When your friends need support, showing up doesn’t have to look perfect—it just has to be real. Myra shares a relatable reminder for Black women navigating new businesses, motherhood, marriage, and major life transitions: you don’t have to carry everything alone, and support doesn’t have to be grand to matter.After she and Jamie accidentally scheduled events on the same day, Myra reflects on sisterhood, community, and the many ways women can show up for each other—even when they can’t be in the same place. Support can look like promoting a friend’s event, offering encouragement, sharing a thoughtful gesture, praying, or simply being intentional.In this episode, you’ll hear about:Why Black women may struggle silently when they feel unsupportedHow friendship can show up during busy seasons and life changesThe heart behind Jamie’s Radiate to Rise event and Myra’s Resilient ToastWhy small acts of care can make a lasting differenceWhether you’re wondering how to support a friend or looking for a reminder to care for the people in your circle, this conversation offers a gentle nudge: do what you can, how you can. The love is in showing up.

Justice, adoption, and the unspoken stories that shape a family collide in this deeply personal conversation between Myra and Jamie Franklin-Lawrence, LMFT. If you’ve ever struggled to understand your place in your family, this episode will hit home fast.Myra opens up about a 25-year family case that finally reached closure—and the child version of herself still trying to make sense of what happened. Jamie meets that vulnerability with the therapist’s eye and the sister’s heart, exploring the layers of confusion, grief, faith, and the kind of healing that comes when a family can finally breathe again.You’ll hear how:A tragic 2001 shooting shaped Myra’s childhood and her adult understanding of peace, justice, and family resilienceFamily matriarchs can act as the “anchor” that holds everyone together through long sufferingAdoption, blended families, and significant age gaps create identities that don’t fit neat labelsChildhood influences like Seventh Heaven and Crooklyn can quietly shape how you imagine love, home, and motherhoodPersonal pain can become professional purpose, especially when you’re raising children and trying to do family differentlyJamie shares her own story of being adopted and not learning the truth until she was 17. She explains how that experience helped her understand why she’s drawn to big, blended families. Myra connects this to her own desire to protect the next generation, stay rooted in self-care, and hold onto the parts of herself she never wants to lose.At its core, this episode is about what happens when family is tested, rebuilt, and redefined. It’s about the women who anchor the family line, the children who grow into understanding later, and the possibility that nothing in your life is random after all.A meaningful listen for anyone interested in Black family dynamics, healing, motherhood, faith, and the hidden ways our past continues to shape the present.

Black women athletes are not just changing the game—they’re redefining what strength, confidence, and leadership look like under pressure. Jamie Franklin-Lawrence and Myra unpack the deeper story behind women in sports, from the way Black women are scrutinized in tennis to the power of showing up authentically on and off the court.Jamie shares how sports shaped her from the fourth grade through college basketball, softball, track, and later boxing—and why she sees athletics as a place where grit, leadership, and mental toughness are built, not just talent. Myra brings her own perspective as a newer sports fan, opening up about Angel Reese, the US Open, Taylor Townsend, Naomi Osaka, and the way Black women athletes are judged for everything from their bodies to their self-presentation.In this episode, you’ll hear:Why leadership in women’s sports deserves more attentionHow team dynamics teach selflessness, patience, and accountabilityWhy Black women athletes are often policed for being too visible, too expressive, or too authenticWhat Naomi Osaka and Taylor Townsend reveal about pressure, identity, and self-possessionHow trying something new as an adult can become a serious confidence boostThe conversation also goes deeper into the personal meaning of sports—how Jamie’s boxing practice became a mental and spiritual discipline, and how Myra’s unexpected journey into racquetball and volleyball shaped the way she sees movement, sisterhood, and healing.This episode is for anyone who loves women’s sports, Black women’s stories, or the reminder that it is never too late to start over, try again, or step into a new version of yourself. If you need a push to stop waiting and start doing, this one will hit home.Why it works: It combines a strong cultural hook with personal stories and an empowering takeaway, helping listeners feel seen while giving them a reason to press play.

A chilling case of alleged cover-up, racial double standards, and a grieving mother searching for answers - this episode breaks down why the Nolan Wells story has people demanding accountability right now. If you care about justice, the power dynamics hidden in small Southern towns, or how media silence shapes who gets protected, this conversation will stay with you.Jamie Franklin-Lawrence, LMFT, is not holding back as she unpacks the disturbing details surrounding the death of 18-year-old Nolan Wells and the questions that still have not been answered. From the reportedly compromised witnesses to the social status of the families involved, she examines why this case feels so much bigger than one tragic night.You'll hear the major points that keep raising suspicion: the Fourth of July outing with classmates, the missing phone and keys, the disputed timeline, the emergency call audio that people have been analyzing, and the absence of arrests despite widespread public scrutiny. Jamie also explains why the words used in this case matter so much, especially when social media threats, legal pressure, and public frustration collide.We break down the deeper issue underneath the headlines - what happens when race, class, and institutional power decide whose story gets believed. Jamie asks the question many are thinking: would this case be handled the same way if the roles were reversed? That tension, and the broader pattern it points to, is what makes this episode impossible to ignore.If you've been following the Nolan Wells case, or you want a sharper conversation about injustice, accountability, and how communities respond when truth feels buried, this episode is essential listening.

Back-to-school season is not just busy - it’s a full-on marathon for Black moms, and most people are only talking about half of it. Jamie Franklin-Lawrence breaks down the invisible overload that hits when school starts, football season ramps up, calendars fill with appointments, and everyone’s emotional bandwidth gets stretched thin.She names the details that get overlooked: new teachers, new classrooms, grade-level transitions, Google Classroom, PowerSchool, back-to-school nights, dentist visits, shots, orientation, holiday planning, and the pressure of holding it all together while still showing up for work and family. But this episode is not about doom and burnout - it’s about getting ahead of the chaos before it takes over.You’ll hear Jamie share:Why back-to-school stress starts long before the first day of classHow football season can quietly reshape the family rhythmWhy children’s friendships deserve more attention than we give themWhat to watch for when friendships start affecting mental health and the nervous systemHow to build routines, daily check-ins, and proactive systems that actually help