When a Black Woman is Well, Everybody’s Well with Dr. Cecily Moore

This week on Shades of Strong, we’re going all the way in. I’m
sitting down with Dr. Cecily Moore for a raw, layered
conversation about what it really costs to carry the “strong
Black woman” narrative — and what it actually takes to start
living well, for real.


Dr. Cecily brings her lived experience, research, and wisdom to
the table as we talk about the exhaustion, the generational
weight, and how so many of us are ready to put it all down.
Together, we unpack:




What the “strong Black woman” narrative steals from us, and
why so many are finally saying, “I don’t want to do it like
this anymore.”




How wellness for Black women is not just individual, but
communal — when a Black woman is well, everybody connected to
her benefits.




The emotional and cultural impact of being expected to serve,
sacrifice, and hold it together — even when you’re falling
apart on the inside.




Why self-advocacy, boundaries, and true support are
non-negotiable for our healing (and what it actually looks
like in everyday life).




The church, the workplace, the family — where the strong
Black woman myth keeps showing up, and how we’re learning to
question it.




How unlearning strength-as-sacrifice is an act of resistance
and the beginning of generational healing.




You’ll also hear personal stories — from both Dr. Cecily and
myself— about what it feels like to try to be “everything to
everybody,” the grief that comes with letting that go, and the
joy that’s possible on the other side.


If you’re a Black woman who’s ever felt like your
well-being is always last on the list, this one is for you. And
if you care about Black women, it’s for you too.



About Dr. Cecily Moore Dr. Cecily Moore helps
therapists, counselors, and helping professionals unlearn the
Strong Black Woman narrative so they can move from survival mode
into sustainable wellness. She’s a licensed therapist, educator,
researcher, and the creator of the Reappropriate, Redefine,
Recover framework — guiding Black women toward nervous system
healing, spaciousness, and self-reclamation. Cecily is a military
wife, a mom of two, and she’s never met a Strong Black Woman she
couldn’t help begin the journey of unlearning that sh*t. Connect
with Dr. Cecily Moore here.


Timestamps – What You’ll Hear and When:




00:00 – Intro & Why This Conversation
Matters




06:20 – Dr. Cecily’s Story: Postpartum
Depression and the Cost of Strength




10:25 – Generational Strength: Grandma,
Mama, and Us




15:50 – Research, Lived Experience, and the
Grief of Unlearning “Strong”




17:20 – The Support Language Behind the
Therapist Chair




21:31 – The Pacifier Metaphor: Replacing
“Strong” with Support




24:54 – Watching Her Learn to Rest: Dr.
Cecily’s Mom and the Reclamation of Joy




28:06 – Church, Faith, and the Conditioning
of “Strong”




36:18 – When Strength Is Rooted in Fear:
Mothering Black Boys




41:15 – Receiving as a Skill: Support
Languages and Accessibility




49:00 – Final Words: Unlearning “Strong” as
a Mental Health Intervention


Resources to Support You:


Download Cecily’s Free Audio + Mindset guide: Unlearn
That Sh*t


Schedule a 1:1 Support Session


Get the Guide: “You Know Your Support Language—Now
What?”


Take the Support Language Quiz. and learn
how you actually receive support best.


Get Support Right in Your Inbox: Gentle words,
real-life reflection, and soft reminders every week



Let’s Stay Connected:


Subscribe to Shades of Strong on Apple Podcasts or your
favorite platform

 Share this episode with a sista who’s tired of being
the strong one

 Leave a review if the episode spoke to your spirit — it
helps more Black women find this space


Join Shades of Strong on Substack  for
deeper convos that don’t always make it to the mic

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daily reflections on what it means to be suppoted


Be a Guest on the Show


www.shadesofstrong.com





Related Episodes


What Ruth and Boaz Taught Me (That the Church Never Did)

When You’re All You’ve Got

When Everything Feels Heavy



Shirl is the creator of Support Languages and host of Shades
of Strong — a movement shifting the narrative from Strong
Black Woman to Supported Black Woman through language, rest,
and real support.