Hey girl, Hey! I’m Tyra.

Therapist. Writer. Business owner. Mama. Christian. Black woman. Professional overthinker learning to get out of her own damn head. 😂

And apparently, now I’m a Substack writer.

I created Dear Burned Out Black Girl because I needed somewhere to put all the thoughts that don’t fit neatly into a 60-second video, a therapy session, or an inspirational quote.

Because I have a lot of thoughts.

I’m Tyra Steverson, LCPC, a licensed therapist with more than a decade of experience helping people heal. I’m also the founder of 290 Therapy, where we serve clients in Texas and Illinois.

But this space isn’t just about what I know as a therapist.

It’s about what I’m learning as a person.

I’m learning what happens when a woman who has spent years achieving, building, helping, leading, surviving, and taking care of everybody else starts asking:

Okay... but what actually feels good to ME?

Who am I when I’m not performing?

What happens when emotional intelligence still hasn’t become emotional maturity?

How do you stop betraying yourself just because you understand everybody else’s perspective?

What does rest look like when you’re used to productivity?

What does friendship look like when you want to be deeply known?

How do you build a relationship with God when you’re no longer just asking Him to help you survive?

How do you become more of yourself without turning yourself into another damn project?

That’s what we’re figuring out over here.

I write from both sides of the couch.

I know the clinical language.

CBT. DBT. Trauma. Attachment. Nervous system regulation. Boundaries. Core beliefs. Identity development. Burnout.

I also know that sometimes you don’t need another clinical term.

Sometimes you need somebody to say:

Girl. You are tired because you keep abandoning yourself to maintain shit that is costing you YOU.

That’s the intersection I love.

Clinical knowledge and real life.

Depth and humor.

Faith and questions.

Ambition and rest.

Healing and becoming.

I don’t believe healing means becoming some perfectly regulated woman who never gets triggered, never makes a questionable decision, and journals beautifully every morning.

I think healing is becoming someone you can trust.

Someone who stays with herself.

Someone who can recognize when the room, relationship, job, conversation, expectation, or even her own state of mind is costing her too much.

Someone who knows she can leave before she betrays herself.

And yes, we laugh over here.

Because I refuse to build a healing space where Black women have to be serious all the damn time.

I love deep conversations.

I also like to kiki.

I can spend hours thinking about trauma, identity, God, relationships, purpose, and human behavior and then post something completely unserious because joy is a need too.

I want both.

Actually, I want all of it.

Peace. Purpose. Community. Love. Money. God. Family. Friendship. Expansion. Rest. Audacity. Structure. Softness. Laughter.

I don’t want healing to make my life smaller.

I want healing to give me enough room inside myself to actually LIVE it.

So what is Dear Burned Out Black Girl?

It’s part therapist’s notebook.

Part personal journal.

Part group chat.

Part Bible study.

Part “girl, I just realized something.”

And probably occasionally part “now why the hell did I do that?” 😂

I’m writing about burnout, self-betrayal, relationships, identity, rejection, faith, motherhood, purpose, friendship, ambition, rest, joy, healing, and whatever else I discover while becoming more of myself.

I’m not writing from the finish line.

I’m writing from inside the work.

And I think that’s what makes this space different.

I don’t want to stand above Black women and teach them how to become.

I want to sit beside Black women who are becoming too.

So if you’re tired of performing...

If you’re successful on paper but still asking deeper questions...

If you’re learning that knowing better and living differently are two completely different things...

If you’re trying to stay ambitious without abandoning yourself...

If you love God but still have questions...

If you’re healing but also want to laugh...

If you’re becoming a woman you can trust...

Come sit with me.

Read something.

Talk back in the comments.

Disagree with me.

Tell me what it made you think about.

Take what you need and leave what you don’t.

You don’t have to perform here either.

Welcome to Dear Burned Out Black Girl.

We’re healing.

We’re becoming.

And most importantly, we’re learning how to come home to ourselves.

Tyra Steverson, LCPC
Founder, 290 Therapy
Creator of Dear Burned Out Black Girl

Subscribe to get full access to the newsletter and publication archives.

Stay up-to-date

Never miss an update—every new post is sent directly to your email inbox. For a spam-free, ad-free reading experience, plus audio and community features, get the Substack app.

Join the crew

Be part of a community of people who share your interests. Participate in the comments section, or support this work with a subscription.

To learn more about the tech platform that powers this publication, visit Substack.com.