Black Girls: Trauma, Social Media & Bullying Featuring Marline Madden Francois

With recent stories such as Ashawnty Davis (10) and Imani McCray (8) dying by suicide, it is time to talk about our beautiful black princesses. While social media has the benefit of allowing us to stay connected, it has been shown to increase symptoms of depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts among girls. This episode is so necessary!Meet the expert! Marline Francois-Madden is the owner of Hearts Empowerment Counseling Center, phenomenal public speaker, and entrepreneur. With over 13 years of clinical experience, she has become a sought-after expert in mental health, trauma, self-care, and girls leadership. Marline has shared her expertise at dozens of universities, colleges, community organizations, churches and conferences— including the Congressional Black Caucus for Women and Girls. Her organization, Far More Precious, has awarded $2,500 in scholarships to minority girls since 2013 and continues to educate young women ages 14 - 19 to dream beyond the barriers they face to reach their fullest potential. Empowerment isn’t what she does, it’s who she is.During the mind, body and soulness segment, Kea discussed "Why Watching 'Black Panther' Was a Form of Self-Care as a Woman of Color" and how representation impacts our mental health.References/Links:Marline’s PracticeHearts Empowerment Counseling Center is located in Montclair, NJhttps://www.heartsempowerment.com/ Marline’s Articlehttps://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/how-trauma-is-affecting-our-black-girls_us_57e3478fe4b05d3737be54b4 Teen Brunch Tour (stops in NYC, NJ, Philadelphia, Baltimore & DC) Please refer to link for dateshttps://www.brunchandbond.com Georgetown Law Studyhttps://www.law.georgetown.edu/news/press-releases/Black-Girls-Viewed-As-Less-Innocent-Than-White-Girls-Georgetown-Law-Research-Finds.cfm Therapist Shout-Out:Dansberry Counseling located in Richmond Hts, MO https://www.dansberrycounseling.com/ Why Black Panther Was A Form of Self Care For Me As A Women Of Color?https://themighty.com/2018/03/black-panther-good-for-black-mental-health/Good Morning Washington Interview http://wjla.com/features/good-morning-washington/this-is-my-brave-storytelling-saving-livesStill I Rise: One Year Anniversaryhttps://www.eventbrite.com/e/still-i-rise-tickets-43264336796?aff=es2Where to find Fireflies Unite? Facebook Closed Group: Fireflies Unite: Healthy Minds https://www.facebook.com/groups/1714131805325103/ Facebook Fan Page: Fireflies Unite (@firefliespod) Twitter: https://twitter.com/Firefliespod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/firefliespod/