Q&A : Coming out, skin care, organized religion, and more.In my first Q&A, I tackle questions asked on IG about how I came out, what my skin care routine is, what I think of organized religion after being an active participant in one for two decades.I loved all the questions that came through! I do think I missed a couple that we’re sent in my DMs because I couldn’t find it but there’ll be other opportunities to do this again in the future.Resource: @ihartericka on IG for antiracist...

Aberrant Behavior - Black joy, white fragility, and everything in betweenAn episode where I just ramble about a few things weighing on my mind to include:New white activists, I need an explanation on why you never saw racism until now. In fact, don’t answer that, it’s rhetorical. I believe you’ve always known, you just didn’t want to sacrifice that promotion by speaking up. While it’s great for the collective human race that you’re choosing to be co-conspirators, just know that there’s a...

Not Racist? Not Enough! - How to become anti-racist.This is from my perspective as an African who wasn’t always anti-racist. Being Black wasn’t enough for me, I had to become actively anti-racist. Many Black activist resist the idea of teaching anti-racism to white people and NBPOC because they are tired. I still have some energy so let’s go!Not being racist is the bare minimum, you don’t get cookies for it. And this goes for all Africans or non American Black people, people of color and...

Aberrant Behavior Episode 5 - Liberation from Subconscious Conditioning In this episode, I talk about how most of our behaviors and what we consider our personalities are as a result of subconscious conditioning. As always, I draw from my experience. When I wanted to change behavior patterns that were no longer serving me, I thought it was a matter of willpower but after that failed me time and time again, I decided to dig deeper.Some of the things I talk about are:How I got to a place where...

Aberrant Behavior Episode 4 - Spankings and SlaveryIn this episode, I talk specifically to black parents, guardians and caregivers. I wanted to facilitate a conversation about the devastating effects of spankings within the black family.I talk from my perspective as a kid who received many spankings growing up and how that affected me detrimentally. I was only able to identify said detrimental effects when I started doing the work of healing from my many traumas. This is my attempt to start a...

Aberrant Behavior - Religion and Internalized HomophobiaIn this episode, I delve into my long and complex relationship with religion and why I had to let it go if I was ever to love myself deeply. I have nothing against religion as a whole because I recognize it’s role in providing comfort and hope to many people as it did for me. Plus, faith and belief is a deeply personal thing that I don’t really think I have room to comment on another person’s faith walk. My mental health required that I...

*Trigger warning: Domestic Violence, Self harm, suicidal ideation and other traumas*In my most vulnerable share to date, I talk about how an abusive childhood and a tumultuous teen years and early adulthood led me to seek help. The pitfalls along the way and how I came to have a deep understanding of my innate goodness and worth.

In this episode, I tell you my "why", why did I decide to start a podcast in a world with a million podcasts?

Hi, welcome to aberrant behavior, I’m your host Christabel. To be aberrant is to depart from the right, normal, or usual course. This is a podcast dedicated to unlearning behaviors and thought  patterns that may have long been upheld as “normal” and “right” but aren’t ours.This is not an advice column, rather, it’s a place where i get to talk to you about the ways I’m shedding the layers that aren’t mine and coming home to myself. My hope is that you’re inspired to do the same. Let's do this!