This powerful episode sums up our season 6 finale on the Rough Edges Podcast. Today I sit down with youth empowerment speaker and author Lawrence Harris for a deeply honest conversation about youth mental health, self worth, masculinity, healing, and overcoming limiting beliefs. Lawrence opens up about his own mental health journey, growing up feeling different from his peers, experiencing abuse in childhood, struggling with loneliness, and learning how therapy, journaling, and self discovery helped him step into confidence and purpose.

Together Lawrence and I discuss the realities many young people especially young Black men face when it comes to mental health stigma and emotional suppression. Lawrence shares why he became passionate about working with teens and young adults, highlighting alarming statistics about how long many people suffer before receiving mental health support. The conversation also looks into how cultural expectations, family dynamics, social media, and societal pressures often teach men to hide their emotions instead of addressing them in healthy ways.

Throughout the episode Lawrence breaks down the importance of challenging limiting beliefs and creating a vision for your future beyond what society, family history, or fear tells you is possible. He explains how his workshops help young people dream bigger, identify internal barriers, and begin taking ownership of their healing and personal growth.

This episode is a heartfelt reminder that healing begins when we allow ourselves to be honest about our struggles, challenge the narratives that limit us, and give ourselves permission to become who we were always meant to be.

If this episode resonates with you, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who may need encouragement on their own healing journey.

This episode also explores:

● The impact of toxic masculinity and societal expectations

● Reasons why many men avoid therapy and emotional vulnerability

● Lawrence’s personal experience with therapy as a child

● How to build self-confidence and identity as a young man

● How social media’s influence can affect masculinity and self-worth

Resources and links mentioned in this episode:

● You can connect with Lawrence Harris here via his INSTAGRAM & YOUTUBE

● Find out more about Lawrence’s work on his WEBSITE

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In this new episode, I am joined by trauma specialist Dr. Ken Huey for an honest conversation about men’s mental health, emotional expression, trauma, and healing.

Dr. Huey brings over two decades of experience in behavioral and mental health, with a strong focus on trauma and attachment particularly within the adoptee community. Drawing from both his professional work and personal journey as an adoptee, he shares how his lived experiences shaped his passion for helping individuals with deep trauma histories learn how to build healthy relationships, regulate emotions, and function successfully in society.

We also get into what it really looks like to work in trauma care exploring both the emotional challenges and the deeply rewarding moments. Dr. Huey speaks candidly about the heartbreak of watching clients struggle with self-destructive behaviors, as well as the joy of seeing them grow into more stable, connected, and thriving individuals over time.

Our central focus in this episode is the stigma surrounding men’s mental health. We unpack why so many men are conditioned to suppress their emotions, avoid vulnerability, and “power through” pain. Dr. Huey explains how societal expectations, cultural norms, and even biological tendencies can contribute to emotional suppression while also emphasizing that emotional expression is a skill that can be learned and developed with practice.

This episode also explores:

● Why many men struggle to recognize or admit they need help

● How stoicism and emotional shutdown often show up in relationships and behavior

● The importance of safe spaces and trusted relationships when opening up

● Dr. Huey’s powerful reflections from his own life navigating trauma, learning how to build lasting relationships and finding healing through openness, safe connections, and personal growth

● Addressing internal stigma and fear around vulnerability in men

Resources and links mentioned in this episode:

● Connect with Dr. Ken Huey via his podcast!

● Find out more about Dr. Ken and his treatment center Calo on his WEBSITE.

● Leave a review ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠if anything in today’s episode resonated with you!

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In this episode of Rough Edges Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Mary Ruth Hackett an Educational Psychologist, author, and speaker to explore the powerful intersection of faith, identity, and psychology. With a background in parenting and identity development, Mary Ruth shares her personal and spiritual journey from her early desire to be a stay-at-home mom to becoming an author, podcaster, and voice helping others navigate intentional, faith-filled living.

Throughout the conversation, we cover the importance of pursuing knowledge with humility, integrating faith with developmental psychology, and making intentional parenting decisions rooted in both research and spiritual truth. Mary Ruth also reflects on her journey into podcasting and writing, the role of community and discernment in following God’s calling, and how her family has been part of that process.

We also talk about what it truly means to embrace your identity as God’s beloved daughter inspired by her book Daughter by Design. Mary Ruth opens up about how writing the book deepened her relationship with God, particularly in understanding and connecting with Him as a loving Father. She also shares how prayer, surrender, and obedience have shaped her spiritual life and influenced her work.

If you’ve ever struggled with identity, felt distant from God, or wanted to grow in both faith and self-understanding, this episode offers practical encouragement and a reminder of the beauty of being fully known and loved by God.

This episode also explores:

● How to build a deeper, more personal relationship with God as Father

● The role of reflection, prayer, and intentional living in spiritual growth

● How Daughter by Design helps readers reconnect with their identity and heal from

broken perceptions of fatherhood

● The importance of aligning your vocation with God’s calling

● The value of slowing down, reflecting, and actively engaging with what we consume

Resources and links mentioned in the episode:

● You can find Dr. Mary Ruth Hackett on social media through her INSTAGRAM!

● Purchase Dr. Mary Ruth Hackett’s book Daughter by Design HERE via Amazon on her website

● Check out her new book Discernment of Spirits for Beginners HERE

● Leave a review ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠if anything in today’s episode resonated with you!

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● Want to be a guest on our show? Send us an email at rough.edges.podcast@gmail.com