Libsyn Directory

S3E3: Knowing That You Are Enough Featuring Adrienne “Gam” Norris

Release Date: 08/11/2022

S3E16: Empowering Gen Z to Explore Their Passions Featuring Morgann Noble

Couched in Color

In this episode, guest Morgann Noble, daughter of Dr. Alfiee and an intern at The AAKOMA Project, gives unique insights for parents about the challenges that children of color experience. With a passion for bringing ideas to life, Morgann calls herself “a dreamer” at The AAKOMA Project, with a long list of people of influence she would like to engage in the non-profit’s mental health initiatives. Topics covered in this interview: The anxiety that arose for Morgann growing up affluent as a person of color with well-educated parents in what was considered a progressive...

S3E15: Expanding the Narrative for Black Men Featuring Shaka Senghor

Couched in Color

In this episode, guest Shaka Senghor shares his inspiring story from incarceration to becoming a two times bestselling author, influencer and one of Oprah’s “SuperSoul 100” – teaching lessons of redemption and vulnerability to the masses. He grew up spending 19 years in prison, seven of them in solitary confinement. Through reflection and writing, he later came to understand his story of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). At age 17, he was shot multiple times, and also has two brothers who were shot, one of whom ended up paralyzed. At the same time, he takes full...

S3E14: Building Bridges Featuring Kheira Bekkadja

Couched in Color

In this episode, guest Kheira Bekkadja, a Muslim Algerian American college student making an impact in mental health, inspires listeners with her insights on grounding in self-care and positive affirmations. As an example, she shares the Muslim practice of praying five times, at set times during the day, as challenging as it can be to stay persistent. There are movements that go with the prayer, including putting the forehead on the floor, which helps release negative energy and connect with God. “My faith is what rejuvenates me,” Kheira says. Surrounding oneself with good people...

S3E13: Spreading Hope Through Content Creation Featuring Gigi Robinson

Couched in Color

In this episode, 24-year-old guest Gigi Robinson, a master content creator, graduate student and model, shares insights for living with chronic illness and addressing mental health issues, inspired to use her story to move the masses through her highly successful social media channels. She calls the Internet “an oyster” for Gen Zers to see beyond the corporate world and live their dreams, based on their unique passions and dreams. Topics covered in this interview: Sharing the vulnerabilities that come with chronic illness and mental health issues to help others (and letting go of the...

S3E12: When You Hear Me, You Hear Us Featuring Brooke Simpson

Couched in Color

In this episode, singer-songwriter Brooke Simpson, who just made her Broadway debut in the revival of 1776, shares the impact her culture as an Indigenous woman has had on her creativity. From her early days dressing and dancing for her tribe’s “pow wow” ceremonies, she learned “to bleed creativity” into the foundation of who she is today. She has been a finalist for both The Voice and America’s Got Talent, and she also represents Nike's N7 campaign for Indigenous youth, supporting their mental health by promoting movement. Brooke sees her style of movement as...

S3E11: Creating the Right Parenting Mindset Featuring Dr. Ann-Louise T. Lockhart

Couched in Color

Couched In Color | Season 3 | Episode 11 In this episode, guest Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart, a pediatric psychologist, parent coach and widely followed social media expert, shares profound insights on ways to create a healthy mindset that takes the blame off the child. This mindset empowers parents and primary caregivers. Many parents come to the role without a plan, based on what they saw growing up, not understanding that it is normal to experience both positive and negative sides to parenting. “If I knew parenting was going to be this hard, I wouldn’t have signed up for it,” is one...

S3E10: How Sneakers Saved and Ruined My Life Featuring Trent Out Loud

Couched in Color

In this episode, guest Trent Out Loud, founder and CEO of Exclucity, a multi-million-dollar footwear and apparel company, shares his story of seeking therapy after losing $2.3 million dollars in his sneakers’ business. That loss came when he forgot to tend to his own mental health during the ups and downs of his business, including the shifts occurring in the sneaker industry. As a result, he said started making wrong decisions. His therapist helped him deal with issues related to hypomania, mania and bipolar, and trained his brain to work in ways that benefited him. He continues...

S3E9: Mental Health Advocate, Mom, Veteran, Latina: A Hidden Healer Featuring Ayanna Kelly

Couched in Color

In this episode, guest Ayanna Kelly, an Afro-Latina advocate, disabled veteran and mom, shares an inside look at her mental health journey from burnout to standing at the White House as a leader of the Mental Health Youth Action Forum. () That forum, which took place in May 2022, was created in partnership with MTV Entertainment Group and coordination with the Biden-Harris Administration. In a “surreal” moment, Ayanna found herself standing next to President Joe Biden and U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, and other highly accomplished people. She saw herself as...

S3E8: Carson Daly Feels Your Pain: A Special Conversation on Couched in Color

Couched in Color

In this episode, Carson Daly, co-host of “The Today Show” and creator of its “Mind Matters” digital series, and producer/host of Emmy-award winning “The Voice”, openly shares his mental health struggles. He discusses the trauma of losing his father unexpectedly at age 5 and the subsequent night terrors he experienced. Later diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, Carson believes environment alone is not the cause of his mental health challenges. Rather, he sees them as a combination of both “nature and nurture.” Using his story to help others, Carson is...

S3E7: Phillip Schermer’s Mastermind Approach to Mental Health for the Masses

Couched in Color

In this inspiring episode Dr. Alfiee interviews guest Phillip Schermer, founder and CEO of Project Healthy Minds, a non-profit created for a new era of mental wellness. Phillip, who was previously a Vice President & Chief of Staff to the Vice Chairman at BlackRock, the world's largest asset management firm, was so moved by the story of Logic, a rapper and record producer, he started the non-profit to more impactfully bring together mental health resources. Logic shed light on mental health challenges by writing a song with the phone number of the US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline...

More Episodes

In this third episode of Couched in Color, Dr. Alfiee goes deep with guest Adrienne Banfield Norrris, better known as “Gammy” or “Gam” from Red Table Talk, a popular talk show with candid conversations among three generations of Black women.

Gam is the mother of Jada Pinkett Smith, mother-in-law of Will Smith, and grandmother to Willow who is also on the show.

She courageously talks about living through addiction, continuously battling low self-esteem, not feeling good enough, and dealing with fame. Even now, as she appears visibly confident on so many platforms–from her own podcast to TV–she admits she still has great nervousness and anxiety when on stage.

She shares how “I shrink, lose my voice,” noting her anxiousness when at a recent live event about her appearance on Black Love TV Series, now in its final season on OWN network:

“How that feels, the physical way it manifests, that nervousness, anxiety, I get sick on my stomach, I kind of go blank, overthink things and feel nauseous…all of that is real feelings and, if you’re Black in America, you’re dealing with mental health challenges.”

Dr. Alfiee: “What I love about what you do is you are so honest and open about your own experiences…I think it’s really hard for people to talk about ever having had a struggle with addiction and low self-esteem…especially for those of us who are Black women. We are just beat up in so many ways. I don’t care what your background is…you’re out there looking glamorous and beautiful and sitting at the Red Table, you, Jada and Willow, being so beautiful.”

–“I tell people a lot, I have to manage my own anxiety.”

GIVING OTHERS SPACE TO “BE” ENOUGH

Gam shares that even though she always felt loved and heard as a child, she felt pressure to meet her parents’ high expectations, which she believes could be part of her low self-esteem. She met those expectations, graduating magna cum laude ”full-on addiction.”

Dr. Alfiee: “Your daughter and son-in-law really give their kids space to fully express themselves…to let them know ‘You are a fully realized human being…so just go out there and be great,’ and I don’t know how many of us get that.”

Gam: “It was your parents’ way or the highway, all these rules to follow.”

Dr. Alfiee: “My mom always said, baby, there is nothing you can’t do…I always felt someone pushing behind me.”

“Even when kids are successful, you were a successful high achieving kid, if you feel like there

is a bar, you reach that bar, and there’s another bar to follow, and you are never able to rest in the knowledge that who you are and what you do is enough. And I feel like a lot of us struggle with that…that we’re not enough.”

Gam: “When you’re in a Black community and you have everyday struggles, it’s like listen girl, put on your big girl panties.’’

“You have to be careful with how you handle people, and allow people their journey and their space.”

Dr. Alfiee: “If a person is spiritual, it’s not us, so if we interfere with that person’s journey, what lessons are we preventing them from learning by trying to rush in and fix everything.” She quoted an interview she recently heard about how “Things don’t happen to you, they happen for you,” which she says profoundly changed her thinking.

Dr. Alfiee: “I don’t ever want to be late. When you’re Black and a woman, in the workplace, you don’t want to mess up, because your mess ups feel like they are the worst mess ups in the world. Other people can mess up but I can’t mess up.”

CHALLENGES OF FAME:
Gam: “I’m always being observed so I can’t always be my authentic self…I’m a representative of our family.”

“You wonder about people who want to know you, is it really for you or is it for the fame?” (acknowledging even those without fame can struggle with that same question about why people want to get to know you).

“Somebody always wants something from you, but it’s all good. Where I would be if people didn’t enjoy what I was sharing. It’s a privilege, which keeps me humble and grateful.”

Dr. Alfiee: “One thing I struggle with is people feeling entitled to proximity…like you should call me back, be present to me because I support you, you should give me your time. I try to manage my anxiety telling me I should respond, to go do this, just because someone asks. It helps me to practice mindfulness, and come back to the present. Just be here now and then I can make clear decisions.”

Follow Adrienne "Gam" Norris:

Positively Gam (Podcast): https://linktr.ee/gammynorris

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gammynorris

Red Table Talk:
https://redtabletalk.com

Positively GAM Podcast:

https://linktr.ee/gammynorris

Black Love TV Series (final season)
Saturdays at 10 p.m. on OWN:

https://www.oprah.com/app/black-love.html

Follow Dr. Alfiee:

Website: https://dralfiee.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dralfiee

Twitter: https://twitter.com/dralfiee