Black women's mental health: balancing strength and vulnerability

"This book offers a unique, interdisciplinary, and thoughtful look at the challenges and potency of Black women's struggle for inner peace and mental stability. It brings together contributors from psychology, sociology, law, and medicine, as well as the humanities, to discuss issues ranging from stress, sexual assault, healing, self-care, and contemplative practice to health-policy considerations and parenting. Merging theory and practice with personal narratives and public policy, the book develops a new framework for approaching Black women's wellness in order to provide tangible solutions. The collection reflects feminist praxis and defines womanist peace in terms that reject both "superwoman" stereotypes and "victim" caricatures. Also included for health professionals are concrete recommendations for understanding and treating Black women"--Publisher's description.

Introduction: learning to BREATHE: toward a balanced model of Black women's wellness / Stephanie Y. Evans, Kanika Bell, and Nsenga K. Burton -- Part I: Balancing vulnerability. Sisters on sisters: inner peace from the Black woman mental health professional perspective / Kanika Bell -- When the bough breaks: the StrongBlackWoman and the embodiment of stress / Chanequa Walker-Barnes -- Representations of Black women's mental illness in htgawm and being Mary Jane / Nsenga K. Burton -- Selfies, subtweets, & suicide: social media as mediator and agitator of mental health for Black women / Joy Harden Bradford -- Part II: Balancing strength. From worthless to wellness: self-worth, power, and creative survival in memoirs of sexual assault / Stephanie Y. Evans -- The travel diaries: excursions for balance, reflection, healing, and empowerment / Kami J. Anderson -- My body is a vehicle: narratives of Black women holistic leaders on spiritual development, mental healing, and body nurturing / Rachel Panton -- Black women's sexuality and relationships: embracing self-love through BREATHE-ing / Qiana M. Cutts -- African American mothers' parenting in the midst of violence and fear: finding mean…