For years, the conversations surrounding mental health in the Black community have been limited. It’s a gap that the younger generation is doing their best to close, by learning, practicing and educating the community. Beranda Felder is one of the many people on the front lines creating a space that she hopes will change the world.
Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, Felder’s a mental health advocate, podcaster, and most importantly, a woman on a mission. The mission: to bring greater exposure to mental health resources and discussions to the Black community.
“Mental health conversations are especially important for the Black community because we are the race that suffers the most from depression, anxiety, and PTSD,” she acknowledged.
Felder is currently a fourth-year PsyD student at Pace University, with an expected graduation in Summer 2027. As if that wasn’t already keeping her busy, while still finishing her doctoral program, she began building her successful media company.
She’s the owner of Dr. Felder_On_Line _One LLC, an organization dedicated to “educating communities and providing mental health resources to individuals, schools, churches, and organizations with the goal of improving overall quality of life.”
Through Dr. Felder_On_Line _One and the corresponding podcast, Felder focuses on outreach that extends beyond traditional clinical settings. She’s trying to meet the community where they are at.
“Social media plays a major part in the way we understand mental health at this time. Recently, African Americans have started to acknowledge that mental health is a real thing and started to put a name to what they are experiencing,” she shared. “Now that it is popular, we need to understand what we are experiencing, acknowledge it, become educated on it, and seek the resources that we need.”
Felder’s making sure her skillset is diversified and fits the various different needs. This is why she uses storytelling as a tool for education and connection.
Her aim is to “increase mental health awareness by highlighting real-life struggles and the strength individuals show in overcoming the challenges surrounding mental health.”
If you listen to any episode of her podcast, you will hear Felder thoughtfully engaging with guests about a variety of incredible topics.
“I want [the podcast] to be a safe space for all people. I want viewers to watch my episodes and be able to resonate with someone on the show. I always tell people, you may not like every episode, but there is at least one episode for everyone,” explains Felder. “I want my platform to be a space where people can seek resources and find their voice to share their struggles with mental health. Ultimately, I want everyone to experience and maintain a healthy mental health journey.”
One episode in particular that sticks out is her two-part interview with Julia John. The two women sat down and shared an incredibly inspirational conversation about motherhood and resilience.
Felder’s podcast creates space for honest dialogue, emphasizing how improving your mental health can have a lasting impact on not just you, but also creates a pattern that breaks generational curses. By centering real people and their journey to health and mental wellness.
Another formative episode for Felder was one with TJ Vulcaine.
“This episode was unique because it allowed Ms. Vulcaine the opportunity to show her true self. Often, social media allows viewers to paint a picture of someone while only having half the story,” Felder shared.
“Many viewers judged her before knowing her full experience. This episode gave her the space to say: this is what I’ve experienced, this is where I am now in my journey and people were able to resonate with her in many ways. It also connected two Black women from the same community, from two different generations, and we created something I still cherish to this day.”
“Through my professional work and community involvement, I hope to empower more individuals, particularly those within minority communities, to better understand the impact of mental health, become aware of available services, and feel confident taking the next steps toward healing and wellness,” she says.
Felder is contributing to a more informed and compassionate mental health landscape. She’s hoping that her work opens the door for more Black clinicians.
“It is hard to understand something or want to be a part of it when you cannot resonate with it,” she explained. “If we had more Black clinicians, more people that look like us, we can eliminate the stigma caused by lack of representation in this field. Let’s increase that 5%”
For anyone who might be interested in exploring ways to begin their path to better mental health, Felder has a message: “Mental health is real, it is okay to struggle at times, and there is help available to assist with managing and coping with what you are feeling. I no longer want my people to suffer in silence.”
Stay Connected With Beranda Felder on Instagram: @dr.felder_on_line_one
