As we enter 2026, many Black women are carrying survival, burnout, and expectations we never chose.

In this episode of Diamonds from Darkness, Syrie D explores Reset, Refocus, and Rebuild through the G.E.M.S. philosophy—Growth, Expression, Mindfulness, and Strength. You’ll learn how to release survival mode, set boundaries that protect your mental health, refocus your energy toward alignment, and rebuild a life that truly supports you.

This episode includes practical tools, reflective questions, and a guided closing meditation to help you step into the year grounded and whole.

✨ You are not behind—you are becoming.
💎 You are the gem.

Grief is heavy! And too often, Black women are expected to carry it quietly and alone. In this episode of Diamonds from Darkness, I’m joined by a licensed clinical therapist, Shavon Thomas who specializes in supporting Black women through grief, loss, and emotional transitions.

Together, we explore how grief shows up in Black women’s lives, how therapy is viewed and experienced within the Black community, and the unique barriers and breakthroughs Black women face when seeking mental health support. We also discuss healthy coping strategies, emotional processing, and how therapy can be a powerful tool for healing, not a sign of weakness.

This conversation creates space to honor pain without shame, release the pressure to always “be strong,” and find strength through culturally affirming care and community support.

If you’re navigating loss, questioning therapy, or learning how to better cope with your mental health, this episode is for you.

🎧 Listen in and remember—you don’t have to carry it alone.

In this deeply personal and vulnerable episode, we explore a kind of grief we rarely speak about, the grief of losing someone who is still alive.

After the passing of my father, I began witnessing a slow and heartbreaking shift in my mother, the woman who once held everything together. Grief didn’t just change her. It unraveled her. And suddenly, I found myself stepping into a role I never expected: caring for the woman who once cared for me.

This episode is for anyone who has had to carry emotional weight that was once not theirs. For the daughters who became the caretakers. For the women grieving someone whose body is present but whose spirit feels far away. For those navigating love, resentment, compassion, fatigue, and the quiet ache of longing.

✨ GEM of the Week:
Growth isn’t always upward — sometimes it’s learning to stay grounded while love gets heavy.

We’ll explore:
• The slow unraveling of a parent after loss
• How unhealed childhood wounds echo into adulthood
• What it feels like to parent your parent
• The coexistence of love and resentment
• Learning to care for someone without losing yourself

There is no neat ending here...only honesty, softness, and truth-telling. If you are carrying this too… you are not alone.

I see you.