Crissle’s Couch Session 25: Calling Crissle ft. Dr. Joy Harden-Bradford
May 5, 2026
Dr. Joy Harden-Bradford, a licensed clinical psychologist and founder of Therapy for Black Girls, returns to answer live calls and letters. They tackle relationship doubts, how to decide whether to stay or leave, and tracking patterns with journaling. They also unpack betrayal by a clinician-friend and practical career pivots without adding more debt.
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Build Internal Validation Skills
- Seek validation but build your internal voice so you don't rely on others for every decision.
- Joy Harden Bradford says validation is a skill and your voice ultimately must be the loudest when deciding for yourself.
Tally Your Days To Test Relationship Gut
- Track feelings to distinguish avoidant reactions from true decisions about a relationship.
- Crissle and Joy recommend journaling or tallying good versus bad days to see patterns over weeks and months.
Stumbled Into Major Life Steps
- Rapid relationship escalation can leave someone feeling like they 'stumbled' into marriage rather than consciously choosing it.
- Susan described saying I love you after a week and buying a house under partner pressure, highlighting misalignment.