What This Is

Harmed to Held is a care-centered initiative of Brown Girl Self-Care offering virtual peer advocacy support for Black women navigating the healthcare system. It exists because we are too often harmed, overlooked, talked over, and treated without urgency in medical spaces. We’re dismissed when we describe our pain, treated as problems instead of people, and left to carry the emotional weight alone. This initiative offers support before, during, or after your appointments, so you don’t have to navigate any of it by yourself.

I provide peer-based emotional support before, during, or after your medical appointments. That means I’m here as someone who stands with you, not as a doctor, nurse, or therapist, but as a witness, a grounding presence, and a reminder that you’re not alone.

This is not medical advice. This is not treatment.
This is care in the gap where the system continues to fail Black women.

What Peer Support Can Do

As a peer advocate, I do not speak on your behalf or provide medical advice. What I can do is walk with you before, during, or after your medical appointments so that you’re not carrying the weight alone.

This includes:

  • Helping you organize your thoughts, symptoms, questions, or goals before your visit
  • Supporting you in preparing for conversations that might be rushed, dismissive, or difficult
  • Attending your appointment virtually (if allowed) as a quiet presence and witness
  • Taking brief notes to help you remember what was said and revisit anything unclear
  • Helping you ensure you understand your care plan, including medications, tests, and procedures
  • Supporting you in recognizing when something doesn’t add up or needs to be challenged
  • Processing emotions with you after the visit: grief, joy, anger, numbness, confusion, all of it
  • Helping you consider next steps, like asking better questions, seeking a second opinion, or finding a new provider
  • Reminding you that you have the right to be here, to ask, to refuse, to understand, and to feel

This work is about refusing harm, isolation, and silencing.
It’s about reclaiming your power in rooms that were never built with your wellbeing or safety in mind.

Who This Is For

The healthcare system wasn't designed for Black women, and it shows.

This service is for Black women who are:

  • Feeling unsafe, unheard, or anxious about an upcoming appointment
  • Recovering from a harmful or confusing visit and need to process
  • Tired of having to carry the emotional and mental weight of medical spaces alone

If that’s you, you’re in the right place.

Support Services Offered

  • Get grounded before going in

    Click to book - > Pre-Visit Support Call (30 minutes). Zoom link sent upon booking.

    We talk through your concerns, clarify your needs, and prepare your questions. You’ll leave feeling more grounded and clear on how to show up for yourself.

  • Let’s talk through what happened and plan next steps

    Click to book - > Post-Visit Debrief Call (30 minutes). Zoom link sent upon booking.

    If your appointment left you feeling heavy, confused, or dismissed, this call gives you space to reflect and decide what’s next.

  • I’ll be with you on Zoom so you don’t have to face it alone.

    Virtual Presence During Your Appointment (60 minutes, Limited Availability)

    If your provider allows it, I’ll join your visit virtually and be there as a silent support person. This is offered on a request-only basis after a pre-visit support call is completed.
Book Pre-visit Call

Pay What You Can

This is a pay-what-you-can offering in support of the humanity of Black women.

ABSOLUTELY NO ONE will be turned away for lack of funds.


If you're able to contribute at the higher end, you help make this support available to others.

Suggested contributions:

  • Pre-Visit Call: $25–$40
  • Post-Visit Debrief: $25–$40
  • Virtual Presence: $45–$75

Mutual aid, sponsorships, and grant support are welcome to help make this a free or low-cost service for Black women.
If you're interested in supporting this work, or have questions, click button below.

Email Harmed to Held

Disclaimer:
This service provides peer support only. I am not a doctor, nurse, therapist, or licensed medical professional. I do not give medical advice, make diagnoses, or provide treatment. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

Harmed to Held is a community-led initiative by Brown Girl Self-Care. It exists to help Black women feel less alone and more supported in healthcare spaces where harm, dismissal, and confusion are far too common.