Welcome to the very well-mind podcast. I'm Mina B, and I'm a licensed social worker,

mental health educator, and author of owning our struggles. I'll be chatting with experts, wellness advocates,

and others about the power of community care in improving your mental health. We'll delve

into topics such as friendships, managing difficult relationships, and most importantly,

how to cultivate belonging and support in our lives. Now, let's jump into today's

episode. Dr. Raquel Martin is an experienced licensed clinical psychologist, devoted professor, acclaimed researcher, and scientist.

She deeply believes in the power of black mental wealth, an affirming, lifelong journey that encourages Black people to center

mental health practices as integral and intentionally linked to success and well-being.

Dr. Martin is on a mission to radically reimagine Black possibility by promoting Black mental

health as key to legacy building and

longevity for generations to come.

Hi, Dr. Martin. Welcome to the show. Thank you for having me. Of course. I've been a fan of your work for so long. So I'm really excited to just be able to talk to you about different topics that I see you talk about so much on your platform.

But one of the things I want to explore with you is your work is rooted in this concept of black mental wealth.

And so since I want to talk to you about depression and just mental health in general within the black community,

especially amongst black women. Can you first help us understand what black mental wealth means to you? I feel like it encompasses a lot of things. One of the biggest things is, I would say,

humanizing blackness and allowing individuals to be present in the

space and the way that they choose to be present. I feel like the opposite of black mental

wealth is rooted in white supremacy and adultification and dehumanization. So I think anything

that has to do with black mental wealth goes to counteract that.

Because I think sometimes when people mention well-being and mental health, they use them interchangeably.

But I feel like well-being is like the umbrella and mental health happens to be under that umbrella overall.

So when I think of black mental wealth, I think of services,

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