How has trauma shaped your identity? For Kat Rivas, the journey to understanding who she is started with healing a childhood trauma that followed her for over 20 years. Kat's vulnerability, self awareness and therapeutic support helped her release a lot of shame and pain associated with sexual assault. Today, Kat hopes that her story will help listeners feel less alone and supported in uncovering all that they are, despite the trauma that happened to them

Asking for support is difficult. Trusting others with your pain is hard. Staying in your depression and feeling the walls close in, is the hardest. The beautiful relief of support helps you manage the difficult spells and reminds you that the thoughts that say you aren't worthy, ARE LYING!! You are worthy of love, support and life. Hopefully this episode reminds you of this. For some support, check out this links:

https://therapyforblackgirls.com/

https://blackmenheal.org/

https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline

Stigmas associated with certain health conditions makes it so difficult for people to seek the support they need to manage and deal with their diagnosis. Youth Herpes Advocate, Shanaya Brigham, refuses to let people remain in shame after being diagnosed with herpes. Her vulnerability and fearlessness allows her followers to find important resources and tips for living and thriving with herpes.

This meditation wants to thank you for doing your best today. Take in the words, follow the prompts and offer yourself some grace and gratitude during this listen. You deserve it.

This episode will make you cry!! The conversation of scarcity mindset has such deep roots and when you start tugging, you realize how much of your self worth is wrapped around your experiences with abundance. Kemi Marie is a spiritual advisor, a healer and a powerful truth teller. They produce the kind of work that supports people on the journey to find themselves. This episode has tons of gems and I suggest you take notes!!!

This episode is beautiful and powerful. Poet, body positive activist and therapist Layla from @embraceimperfections_ is amazing at relaying her experience in the most healing way. If you've been look for a way to revolutionize your relationship with your body, this episode is a great start.

Meditations are a big part of Vulnerable City. Take some time today and acknowledge the amazing work that our bodies do everyday. Honoring your body is honoring the human experience that you are having. Enjoy and Welcome to Vulnerable City.

Implicit Bias is a condition that effects EVERYONE. Taking some time and recognize how your learned behaviors from upbringing, media consumption and community influence can negatively impact how you view others. This episode with Vulnerable City favorite, Dyna Tucker, takes listeners on an educational journey. Strap in and enjoy.

Meditations are a big part of Vulnerable City. As an end of the year treat, a meditation on self acceptance will help you enter a new chapter in your life with grace and love. 

In this episode, KettyJoe discusses the power of accepting yourself and how that act can change EVERYTHING. No matter what you are accomplishing in this life, if you do not accept yourself, you'll always feel like you aren't doing enough. Enjoy the episode and tell us in the comments how self acceptance has changed you.

Welcome to Season 3!! The first episode of this season is a beautiful one and is features therapist, Deseray Wilson of @anxiousblackgirls_. Deseray offers clear and direct understanding of anxiety and how it steals so much from your life. The conversation looks at how anxiety operates within relationships, work and life. Enjoy the episode and Welcome to Vulnerable City.

Welcome to another installment of 3 Wise Women. A segment dedicated to hearing the lived experiences of 3 women from 3 different ages, discuss the wisdom that life has given them. The words are poignant and powerful. Enjoy listening to Helen, Stacy and KettyJoe dish out delicious wisdom.

Living a full carefree life means facing all that you are. The good, the hurt, the joys and the difficult!! This episode highlights the journey of gorgeous Care Free Black Girl- Quanna the MC. Quanna and her organization CareFreeBlackGirl LLC is all about creating healthy spaces that empower black women and femmes. Quanna shares what she had to learn about herself in order for her to tap into her carefree side with ease. 

This episode is from the segment #ThisBlackMan, and it features Patrick Colvin and his journey to and through marriage. The conversation is honest about the realities of what marriage means to a man and in particular, what it means to #ThisBlackMan. Patrick's perspective is rich and necessary when it comes to discussing commitment and love. Strap in because the conversation takes some very interesting twists and turns.

Part 2 of this episode is all about the wisdom accumulated in the lives of 3 women in their 30s, 40s and 50s. Carene John, Sonia Alleyne and KettyJoe come together and bare it all. From heartbreak, to career missteps, these three amazing women compile all of their wisdom and vulnerably share it with you. Grab a pen and paper and let the life lessons help you on your journey. 

This episode puts a mirror up to your face and asks you to look at the areas in your life where self sabotage delays your progress. Claudia, a.k.a Claws Solange, is a poet, therapist, social justice activist and an overall amazing being. Claws brought this topic to KettyJoe and the rest is podcast history. I hope you enjoy the episode and start the process of healing your own self sabotage.

Part 1 of this episode is all about the wisdom accumulated in the lives of 3 women in their 30s, 40s and 50s. Carene John, Sonia Alleyne and KettyJoe come together and bare it all. From heartbreak, to career missteps, these three amazing women compile all of their wisdom and vulnerably share it with you. Grab a pen and paper and let the life lessons help you on your journey. 

This episode is all about the learned behaviors, expectations and patterns that lead to heartbreak in relationships and in life. KettyJoe sits down with Nelia Escobar from the Healing All Year podcast. The discussion gets deep very quickly and the two uncover all of the traits that has caused them to break their own hearts. I hope you enjoy!!!

On another segment of #ThisBlackMan, KettyJoe dives deep into the topic of infidelity with rapper MC K-Swift. The episode holds nothing back when it comes to getting a Black Man's perspective on cheating in a monogamous relationship, polyamory, lying and taking accountability. This episode is eye opening and emotionally charged. Hope you enjoy!!

This episode feels like a deep breath and a moment of meditation. Body Positivity yoga instructor, @phoenixsoulyoga, discusses with Ketty Joe what it means to treat your body like the safe home that it's supposed to be. Phoenix Soul discusses clothing optional yoga, listening to your body talk to you through ailments and facing your pain. It's a beautiful episode and I hope you enjoy.

The first episode for this segment features Denequa Williams-Clarke. Denequa takes listeners on a journey through her experience of losing her loving father. She discusses what helped her stay afloat and how this loss transformed her into the woman that she is today.

Denequa is the CEO of @litbklyn -a luxury fragrance company, that has the most aromatic candles you will ever experience.

Self proclaimed money muse, Gianni Latange, believes in sharing tips and strategies on how to manifest money, generational wealth, and financial freedom! This episode touches on everything you need to know to start your journey to a healthier relationship with money. Check her out @firstgenmoneymusings

Wali White and his powerful podcast, The 730 Podcast, "takes listeners on a journey to understand how mental health conditions intersect with Black culture". His candor and vulnerability makes for engaging episodes that spark change for healing. As the first guest of the "ThisBlackMan" segment, Vulnerable City was honored to sit with Wali and discuss his own mental health journey. 

If you or a loved one is suffering from mental health concerns, please contact the free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service, SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1800-662-4357.

Welcome to Vulnerable City, Season 2!! We are so happy to have you! To start the season off, we were so lucky to catch up with VC favorite and relationship expert, Dyna Tucker. We discussed the subtle and overt signs of what it looks like when you are being mistreated in relationships. This episode covers everything from the signs of abuse, conditional love and how to implement self care when you are in a relationship. Enjoy!!

Vulnerable City in the U.K!! We had the pleasure of going to the U.K and meeting some amazing people who were willing to be vulnerable!! This episode is all about the state of mental health in the United Kingdom. Ketty speaks with mental health nurse, Sophie Price from the Cambridge Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Team. The CCRHTT is a part of the Cambridge and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust. Sophie shares her point of view of mental illness and mental health when it comes to the U.K and what can be done to help people feel more comfortable talking about it. For more information about the CCRHT, check out their website at www.cpft.nhs.uk and their twitter @CPFT_NHS

Have you been traumatized by love? Can you name the characteristics that were born from that trauma? Are you actively trying to heal? Join Ketty Joe and celebrity stylist, Rasheena, as they discuss the trauma of love.

This week Ketty talks to Olori from the podcast, Sex on Sunday. This episode takes a deep dive into the acts of sex, engaging in intimacy, healing from sexual assault and using orgasms as a manifestation tool. Trust me, you want to press play!!!

Making friends as an adult isn't as easy or simple as it was when we were kids. As adults, we are so busy working and building our ideal lives that we sometimes forget to take the time to cultivate great friendships. This week, actress Maya Monique talks to Ketty about the difficulties of making friends as an adult and all of the insecurities that go along with it!!

How does vulnerability function in your life? How often do you find yourself lying about who you are instead of just showing up as your authentic self? Do you find yourself seeking validation from others before you have truly accepted yourself? All of these topics and more are covered by Ketty Joe this week on another installment of, 3 Gems-30 Minutes.

This episode discusses the importance of boundaries and how often we forget to stand up for our own needs. Boundaries are the main ingredients for healthy self-esteem, healthy relationships and self-respect. Take a deep dive with Ketty and poet/ writer Justine as they vulnerably discuss their own relationship with boundaries and ways to strengthen it.

Your diagnosis isn't the end of you. It's the beginning of a newer, stronger and more possible you. Join Ketty and award-winning journalist, Natasha Alford as she gives insight to folks who have found themselves rebuilding their "new normal" after a diagnosis.

In this episode, Ketty talks to media magician, Lulu of Kaiko Media. The women discuss the power of emotional breakdowns and how life changing they can be. Expectations of what your career, love life and bank were supposed to look like, can lead to a lot of emotional difficulties. Join Ketty and Lulu as they real vulnerable about the breakthroughs that were born from breakdowns.

Comedian Aminah Imani has discovered the secret to life. She’s realized when you go through something painful- acknowledge it, feel it, discuss it with a therapist or friend, consult your higher power and then...turn it into a hilarious comedic skit!!! In this episode, Ketty and Aminah discuss the importance of owning your life and finding a way to laugh the pain way.

We often cushion our pain with unnecessary details. We are sometimes afraid to get right to the point because it means that we must look at our fears and our failures in the face. This week, Ketty Joe talk directly to listeners about Pride, Ego and Insecurities. These three vulnerable topics shape so much of our lives and deserve a moment to be spotlighted.

This episode asks the listener to take hold of their inner child and remember what innocence feels like. Noemie Marguerite did just that with her project, "Ten Years Later". Finding a video of her ten year old self during a turbulent time in her life, Noemie realizes that the healing she was searching for was within her all along. Join Ketty and guest Noemie Marguerite as they discuss everything from insecurities to having God as a homeboy.

This episode takes a deep dive into a male's perspective of mental health. Join Ketty and guest Sean, as he discusses how he was able to face his struggles with depression and anxiety with the help of Yoga, family and medication.

****Trigger Warning****

This episode discusses self harming topics in terms of eating disorders and cutting. Please be mindful of this before listening. Take care of yourself and be honest about what you are actually capable of listening to right now. If you are in need of support with any of these topics or if you feel like you are in crisis, please contact

1-800-273-TALK – A 24-hour crisis hotline if you're about to self-harm or are in an emergency situation.

Hurting? Get free help for self-harm now:

Text CONNECT to 741741 in the United States.

Marriage and Family Therapist Extraordinaire, Dyna Tucker is back!!! She is answering more questions, providing more support and getting real about mindsets that aren't helpful when it comes to growing in love. Listen, laugh and take notes!!!

How often do we spend time criticizing our efforts instead of congratulating how far we've come? Ketty and her guest Katiana decide to take a step back and give themselves congratulatory flowers for all that has been learned, loved and let go within themselves, individually.

A Marriage and Family Therapist Answers Your Questions. We discuss everything from jealousy, commitment and dating with an STD. Real questions asked by you and answered by someone who loves clearing the air and helping people learn and grow from their relationships.

So much time has passed and so many lessons have been learned. Welcome back to Vulnerable City!!

Before Vulnerable City had a name, it was just an idea that KJay wanted to speak out loud. This podcast asks you to look at the places in your life where you are hiding, lying and denying who you are.