A defining moment for me was the ending of a relationship that I thought would last forever. The breakup left me feeling alone and empty because I had spent so much of my life fulfilling the needs of everyone that I had forgotten about myself. I coped with my pain with food which led me to gain over 80 pounds. I tried ignoring the pain by telling myself that “I am a strong black woman” and that I didn’t need anyone. I told myself that I was fine but in reality, I cried myself to sleep every night.

Being a strong Black woman is a cultural icon. This image of independence has caused me and many other black women to sacrifice our emotional, physical and mental health in a quest to save others. For far too long, being a strong black women meant avoiding or denying how we really feel. It meant that we should hold painful experiences in shame and secrecy while pretending that sadness, worry, hurt and disappointment didn’t exist. Unfortunately, pretending that we are not in pain only makes the pain worst and as we ignore our feelings, they grow and eventually impact all areas of our lives. The lie of being a strong black woman had me crying ugly tears while I ate fried chicken until I faced the truth that I was struggling to find my way out of darkness.

One day, in my conversation with God, I said, “ no more”. No more would I pretend that I was okay instead, I would find the courage to get help healing my broken heart. In my journey to reclaim my mind, body and spirit I learned the importance of self- care, faith and creating boundaries with myself and others. It was through my own personal struggle and triumph, iThrive Therapy was born. I wanted to create a safe place for black women to acknowledge and address the emotional scars left when relationships end. We experience breakups in romantic, professional and social relationships but no one teaches us how to heal from heartbreak. When relationships end, we are left with feelings of abandonment, anger and loneliness all of which we take into new relationships. My mission is to help women heal from heartbreak to position them to love again.

Hi new friends. I am Dr. Radisha Brown, known as America’s #1 Breakup Therapist. I am owner of iThrive Therapy, best-selling author of Girl, Get off the Couch and host of Hello Healing Podcast. I am also a woman that experienced a breakup and divorce that left me feeling like I wasn’t enough. I spent many nights crying myself to sleep on the couch until one day I found the courage to prioritize myself and start healing. From barely surviving to thriving, I was transformed mentally, spiritually, and physically. Through my healing journey I opened myself up to a new life and new reality. My work is guided by faith and the simple idea that when we connect the dots between past experiences and present pain, we can position ourselves for a powerful future. I provide products and services geared towards helping women build self-confidence while healing from painful breakups. My services include breakup coaching, courses, books and speaking engagements. I am honored to have helped hundreds of women and couples to break free from the emotional baggage of failed relationships and inspire them to build new lives of purpose and hope.

I was born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina, and I am a former foster child who beat the odds by becoming the first person in my family to attend college. I hold a bachelor’s degree in sociology, master’s degree in social work from the University of South Carolina and doctorate degree from Argosy University.
My vision is to help 100,000 women to break free from the emotional baggage of failed relationships and inspire them to build new lives of purpose and hope.

In my healing journey, I had to unlearn survival tactics like people pleasing and apologizing for everything. I used to feel very uncomfortable saying no to others because I didn’t want to disappoint the other person. This behavior caused me to feel overwhelmed by the millions of tasks on my plate because I said yes” to everything anyone asked without thought. I didn’t value my own needs and desires. Due to my lack of self-confidence, I sought external validation and believed that doing things for others will led to approval and acceptance for me. Unlearning this survival strategy required me to learn how to love myself, set boundaries and to say no without feeling guilty. This change was extremely challenging and required me to get professional help. During this process, I had to constantly remind myself, that I was worth the effort to change.

To be successful in the mental health field, you must have a genuine interest in listening to clients’ stories. So often, I hear horror stories from clients that have sought help but have been disappointed by the lack of interest displayed by their therapist/coach. When someone finds the courage to be vulnerable by sharing their past experiences it’s important that the mental health professional show genuine care and concern by being fully present in the conversation. No matter your professional training, developing an empathetic connection with each client is key to moving forward in the therapeutic process, and is the core of an effective therapist-client relationship.