Dr. Alfiee Breland-Noble

Studies show one in 10 Black men is living with depression, but experts believe many more are struggling in silence. Here’s how you can help.

We’ve been at it for 21 months. Rather, it’s been at us. Is this Wave No. 4 or 5? Doesn’t matter. Everyone seems to have it. Baby, it’s covid outside. Over the past two weeks, the text messages have been rolling in like a perverse countdown to 2022. Omicron.

The movies, the ads, the perfectly curated Instagram pictures of decorations, wrapped presents, and matching family jammies all fuel this idea of what we think the holidays should be. When contrasted with our real-life experiences, we usually end up feeling disappointed, miserable, and frustrated long before we unwrap our first present.

The world of social media, though wonderful in keeping humans connected, has been fraught with toxicity. A new Instagram feature helps young people make informed decisions about how much time they’re spending on its platform. As a population, we’ve become consumed by social media.

In modern mental health discourse, there is (rightly so) a lot of emphasis on our emotions.
How to get in touch with those emotions. How to recognize them. How to validate them.

The “Sunday scaries,” or nervousness and worry that develop on Sunday, are pretty common. Sunday scaries often relate to stress and anxiety about the coming week. You can do a lot to ease the Sunday scaries and tracking down the source is a good place to start.

Dr. Alfiee and the AAKOMA Project were featured as the Industrious Office’s Member of the Moment in one of its weekly blog entries. The Article highlighted Dr. Alfiee’s background, her passion for youth mental health, particularly for youth from marginalized backgrounds or with marginalized identities, and the work of the AAKOMA Project.

Dr. Alfiee spoke with Siobhan Neela-Stock about stress in the workplace and when it may be time to take action in this article for Fortune. She discussed how to know when it may be wise to take a mental health break from your job vs when you may merely need to make an adjustment to something in the workplace, and the advantages that can result from the break. She provided practical considerations for making the decision, speaking not only as a clinician, but as someone who has made the decision herself.

Dr. Alfiee was one 5 individuals honored at the 3rd Annual Dr. Maxie T. Collier VIP Reception and Awards Ceremony conducted by the Black Mental Health Alliance. Dr. Alfiee was the Honoree of the Arising Phoenix Award for the People’s Choice for Inspiring Hope.

As part of her efforts to eliminate the stigma associated with therapy, Dr. Alfiee spoke with Self medical journalist, Dr. Jessica Gold, about the various reason therapy could be beneficial, including helping an individual when some part of the individual’s life feels stagnant, unfulfilled, or stuck.

Now that many work places are re-opening for in person working arrangements, a number of concerns are arising among workers who have spent the last year or more working from home. Dr. Alfiee spoke with Self health reporter, Dr. Jessica Gold, about a number of these concerns, including fear of losing work-life balance and needing to experience micro-agressions in the workplace, and what employees can do to prepare themselves for the return to work and the anxieties this change in working arrangements may cause.

Dr. Alfiee talked about the stigmatization of mental unwellness among Black people, discussing the additional factors that weigh on Black men specifically.

Dr. Alfiee discussed how concerns like ADHD, anxiety, depression, and poor focus in adults can arise from several factors including poor sleep hygiene, fatigue, overwork, and over-scheduling.

Dr. Alfiee describes how using one’s five senses as a technique of mindful meditation can help people who are feeeling stressed.

Dr. Alfiee explains the characteristics of both executive function and Executive Dysfunction and when executive dysfunction might be a part of a larger issue in one’s mental health.

In an article by CNN’s Megan Marples, Dr. Alfiee explains when stress may be a sign of generalized anxiety disorder.

Dr. Alfiee addresses some of the factors behind the occurrence of nocturnal panic attacks.

Dr. Alfiee was interviewed by Dominique Astorino about self-care that mental health professionals use when they feel drained or unmotivated.

Dr. Alfiee speaks with Insider about life moving past the events of the 2020 pandemic and self-care.

Dr. Alfiee was interviewed by Christina Caron about the meaning of cultural competence and why it is so difficult to find a therapist of color.

Dr. Alfiee was interviewed by Daryl Moore about how African Americans deal with anxiety and depression, why Black people are less likely to receive treatment for mental illness than their White counterparts, and what some of the key factors are in existing racial mental health disparities.

Dr. Jessica Gold interviewed Dr. Alfiee and other highly respected mental health providers about how the pandemic has affected their caseload, their working conditions, and the stresses that both place upon them professionally and personally, as well as techniques they utilize for self-care.

Dr. Alfiee and the AAKOMA Project have joined forces with Charlamagne Tha God and the Mental Wealth Alliance to honor LA foster youth via access to free therapy for a number of LA foster youth college scholarship winners.

Dr. Alfiee was interviewed for an article by Anne Branigin of Washington Post’s the Lily about Naomi Osaka’s mental health stance and how it resonates with many working women.

Dr. Alfiee was interviewed for an article by Dr. Jessica Gold about burnout in Black therapists — why it is occurring, the extent of the problem, and steps Black therapists are taking in order to combat the problem.

Dr. Alfiee was interviewed by Arionne Nettles, for an article marking the 1 year anniversary of the George Floyd’s murder. The article discusses racial battle fatigue and 365 consecutive days of trauma.

Dr. Alfiee spoke with journalist, Alexis Soloski of the New York Times about the necessity for there to be more representation of not just Black people in entertainment roles, but of maximally effective Black clinicians.

Dr. Alfiee was interviewed by Elizabeth Gulino on why the process of finding a therapist can be so difficult and tips for how to find an affordable one that is compatible with your needs.

Dr. Alfiee was interviewed by Christina Caron about the emergence of mental health services now being provided by pharmacists in response to people finding it difficult to know where to get started on the process of locating a therapy.

Dr. Alfiee joined former NBA player Lamar Odom and Project Healthy Minds CEO Phillip Schermer for “A Conversation on Mental Health,” moderated by MadHappy Co-Founder Mason Spector. The conversation focused on how the pandemic has brought mental health challenges to the forefront, what the panelists have learned about their own mental health, and steps everyone can take to promote their own mental health.

Dr. Alfiee spoke with Estelle Tang of Buzz Feed News for an article that discusses the lack of culturally diverse mental health care providers and the need for mental health care to take into account race and culture.

Dr. Alfiee was interviewed in connection with the Sound It Out, a joint project with Pivotal Ventures and the Ad Council. This new national campaign, which is focused on middle school age children, uses the power of music to help parents and caregivers have conversations with their children about emotional wellbeing.

Dr. Alfiee was interviewed for an article on Refinery29.com on the psychological impacts of the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial, both the initial sense of relief, followed by more complex emotions.

Dr. Alfiee was interviewed for an article on Refinery29.com about the psychological impacts of shows that show scenes of death by suicide that are not strictly required for the plot can have when the context is not discussed.

Dr. Alfiee was interviewed on the continuing psychological impacts that result from the continuing coverage of the Derek Chauvin trial, including the vicarious trauma that is experienced by George Floyd’s family and members of the Black community as a whole given the continual replaying of the video and the graphic details of Mr. Floyd’s death provided during the trial testimony.

Dr. Alfiee spoke with Elizabeth Gulino of Refinery29 on the anniversary of the U.S. shutdowns in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic. In the article, Dr. Alfiee discusses how continuing isolation negatively impacts even introverts, sometimes leading to too much “maladaptive alone time.”

Dr. Alfiee spoke with Anne Branigin of The Lily the day after Meghan Markle’s heartbreaking interview with Oprah Winfrey. She discussed the additional pressures that individuals from marginalized communities, and in particular Black women, face and how those pressures can negatively impact mental health. Dr. Alfiee also discussed the necessity of stories, such as the Duchess’, as important for normalizing conversations about mental illness and decrease the stigma.

Dr. Alfiee spoke with Lindsay Holmes of HuffPost as part of their “Bent Not Broken” social media feature discussing the changes that we are seeing after one year of living through the pandemic. One of the changes she discussed is the greater willingness of some people to seek mental health support due to increased focus on and conversations surrounding mental health.

Dr. Alfiee was interviewed for an article titled 6 Ways to Relieve Your “Winter Pandemic Scaries”.

Dr. Alfiee was interviewed for a Kaiser Health News article on the topic of mental health professionals and Black churches combining to promote mental health. Portions of this interview were contained in articles released on both CNN.com and KHN.org, entitled Black Churches Enlist Mental Health Pros to Support Community. These articles highlight the work perform by Dr. Alfiee’s nonprofit, The AAKOMA Project, with Black churches to reach a diverse segment of the Black community and raise mental health awareness.

Dr. Alfiee was interviewed for an article titled Promises to Keep: Will Joe Biden Be Able to Tackle America’s Growing Mental Health Crisis? This article discussed the American mental health crisis that President-Elect Biden will inherit and interviewed mental health professionals and young people to get their opinions on what should be the incoming Administration’s top priorities.

Dr. Alfiee spoke with Molly Longman of Refinery29 to help our nation process how we cope emotionally with differing political views in the family.

Dr. Alfiee spoke with Shape Magazine’s Dominique Astorino to discuss this new concept of anxiety in people who appear to have everything under control.