In this special Men’s Health Month episode, Sasha, Tracey, and Shirena dive deep into the mind-body connection—focusing on how stress and anxiety show up physically in men’s lives. This conversation is for men and those who care about them. From chronic back pain and headaches to fatigue and stomach issues, many physical symptoms are the body’s way of saying something’s not right—especially when men struggle to express emotional distress.

The hosts explore real-life examples of how unspoken stress manifests in the body, why saying “I’m good” often hides deeper struggles, and offer practical tools to track physical and emotional symptoms. Whether you’re a man carrying the weight of provision or a loved one trying to better understand the signs, this episode offers insight, compassion, and strategies for healing both the mind and the body.

Today’s episode is all about embracing the spectrum of who we are—mentally, emotionally, culturally, and biologically. We're exploring how gender, culture, ethnicity, and mental health all intersect to shape identity and self-expression.

Let’s start with a key truth: masculinity and femininity are not opposites, and they aren’t limited to one gender. Every person carries both masculine and feminine traits—just like we all carry hormones like estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. It’s not about one or the other—it’s about balance, expression, and understanding.

Culture and ethnicity often place expectations on what it means to be a “man” or a “woman,” but mental health invites us to move beyond boxes. This episode challenges those rigid roles and encourages us to embrace logic and emotion, strength and softness—all as part of a whole, healthy self.

Let’s break the binary and talk truth.

In this episode, we’re leaning all the way into a conversation that’s long overdue: “When Gender Meets Culture: Intersectionality and Mental Health.”

Culture doesn’t exist in isolation—and neither do we. Intersectionality helps us understand how different parts of our identity—like race, gender, class, and culture—interact to create unique lived experiences.

For example, being a Black woman isn’t just about being Black or being a woman—it’s the overlap that shapes a specific lens on life. That same complexity exists for Black men, non-binary folks, and others whose identities cross cultural and gendered lines.

In communities of color, gender roles are often deeply tied to survival, family, and tradition. And while these roles can be a source of pride, they can also bring pressure, silence, and unspoken expectations.

So today, we’re unpacking how these intersections affect mental health—how they shape identity, challenge emotional expression, and influence the way we seek help, healing, and wholeness.

Let’s get into it.