A Date With Darkness Podcast

Dr. Donna Oriowo, PhD. a sex therapist and owner of A Nod In the Right Direction psychotherapy. Dr. Donna Oriowo and I discuss the overt abuse that darker-skinned people face in our society. Specifically, we talk about colorism, texturism, and the privileges that lighter skinned people have in their relationships and the workforce because of the standards of beauty. There is also a special introductory reading of a clip of my dissertation by Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, founder of Therapy for Black Girls.

Dr. Christiane Northrup, MD OB/GYN and author of Dodging Energy Vampires joins us today to help us understand why we feel drained by the energy that certain people bring to relationships. According to Dr. Northrup, stress from those who continue to challenge our boundaries and drain our emotional health, also cause us to be physically sick. She also shares her personal story of having energy vampires in her life, and how she utilizes coping strategies and screenings to keep them away.

Joining us on the couch today, is Sonalee Rashatwar, LCSW, MEd who is also known as the ever popular Fat Sex Therapist on Instagram. Sonalee and I discuss how society's narcissistic views on body image developed and how it has an impact on what we view as healthy, how we feel about ourselves, and how this shows up in our bedroom. Sonalee also shared her battle with loving the skin that she's in and the impact that this has had on her life.

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Donna Oriowo, PhD. a sex therapist and owner of A Nod In the Right Direction psychotherapy. Dr. Donna Oriowo and I discuss the infamous T.I. interview in which the rapper discussed going with his daughter to her yearly gynecology appointment to insure her virginity. We explored the implications of the statements that he made and how his views and actions may have more of a long-term negative impact on his daughter.

In this episode, I provided tips and suggestions to a listener's question about how to co-parent with a narcissistic ex. If you are just tuning in for the first time, I clarify how important it is not to pathologize or diagnose the other parent without being well-informed. Being able to normalize your emotions, decompress, find emotional support, and making efforts to inform your child without putting them in the middle of a volatile situation are recommended tips.

Nancy Allen, host of the podcast Tail of The Bell joins us today to share her personal story of being sexually abused by her father. Nancy explains how difficult it was to be taken from her family, placed in the system, and be treated as though she was the one who did something wrong. She discusses the impact that parental incest has had on her life and how she overcome it.

Author HG Tudor joins us on the couch today to discuss his perspective on narcissism. HG Tudor has written several books on narcissism which specifically address what narcissism is, how to figure out if the person that you are in a relationship with is a narcissist, and why narcissists do what they do in relationships. HG Tudor also shared why he chooses to stay anonymous and how his life has been impacted by his history with narcissism.

Dr. Meagan Houston-Bright, PhD is a police psychologist based out of Houston, TX; who specializes in working with those who struggle with suicide and self-harm. Today, she joins us to explain how the difference between suicide, self-harm, suicidal gestures, and morbid ideations. She discusses the importance of taking threats seriously. Lastly, we discuss the impact of the threat of self-harm on toxic relationships

Mr. & Mrs. X discuss their personal experience in dealing with Mrs. X's ex, who refuses to keep stable employment and prefers for her to financially support his lifestyle. We discuss red flags in the beginning of the relationship as well as cultural beliefs of Mrs. X that caused her to stay in the relationship and refrain from discussing the problems in the relationship with those that cared about her. Lastly, the X's discuss their disappointment in the court system and how they felt misunderstood.

Brandi Lewis, LPC owner and director of Reach Counseling Solutions LLC in Charlotte, NC joins us in a candid discussion about her work with survivors of abuse. Joy and personal energy can be completely depleted from us when we are caught in relationships that are abusive. Without realizing it, we carry negative energy with us from relationship to relationship - which perpetuates a pattern Brandi enlightens us on why we do this, and what steps we can take to have a happy and joyous energy.

Author and psychotherapist Beverly Engel, LMFT joins us today, to discuss her experience in working with abuse victims. Beverly has been in practice for over 40 years and has written over 23 books about abuse. She joins us today to discuss her recently released books, and offers suggestions on how abuse impacts us, when our trauma becomes pathological, and why self-compassion is so important. Connect with Beverly Engel, LMFT at: https://www.beverlyengel.com

Patricia Winkler-Young LCSW joins us today to discuss what it means to be a highly sensitive person. Highly sensitive people are more receptive to the surroundings and because of this - can be the subject of scrutiny from toxic people. Patricia discussed how we can determine whether we are highly sensitive, and how sensitivity can be utilized as a strength. She also talks about her own struggle with being a HSP. Connect with Patricia Young, LCSW at: http://www.unapologeticallysensitive.com

Today's podcast is dedicated to women who have lost their fathers. This podcast reflects on the types of loss, the impact of losing a father, and how to cope with the loss of your father. Email: adatewithdarkness@gmail.com Website: https://www.adatewithdarkness.com

Dr. Margaret Paul, Phd joins us to discuss inner bonding, a self-healing technique used to conquer feelings of shame and abandonment. Dr. Paul tells us the importance of bonding with ourselves and connecting our feelings and how our ability to do so impacts both our lifestyle and our ability to connect with others. She shares the steps of inner bonding and her own personal journey. Connect with Dr. Margaret Paul: http://www.innerbonding.com

Dr. Earl Turner, Phd talks about his research on single-parent homes, how oppositional behaviors develop in children, and how parents select role models for their children. He surprisingly revealed that concerns with opposite sex role models are not as common. We discuss the implications that may have on young children developing healthy relationships with opposite sex adults and so much more. Connect with Dr. Earl: http://www.drerlangerturner.com/