

Don't Look Like What You're Going Through
Return to Presence with Dr. Shawna by Shawna Murray-Browne, Ph.D., LCSW-C
S1 · E4
Feb 28, 2026
32:46
Episode notes
Season 1: Episode 4 Summary
Mother Waddles—a Detroit-based community activist—shares about navigating poverty and people, and how fashion and self-presentation weren't vanity—they were what kept her going. Getting dressed with intention helped her feel better when she was struggling.
She recounts the oppressive welfare systems that sought to strip her dignity, her shifting relationship to money, and traditions of other-mothering. We explore internalized capitalism and injected oppression that shape how Black women move through the world.
I share guidance on adornment as an energetic practice—reframing the self as sacred space. This episode invites you to consider adornment not as vanity but as a ...
Keywords
women's health
burnout recovery
chronic stress
Black women
Black History
Healing
self esteem
mental health
style
Goodwill
fashion and mental health
Beauty
Poverty
Motherhood
Welfare