Breaking the Silence: Why Sex & Relationship Therapy Matters in African and Diaspora Communities
“When we heal our love lives, we heal our communities.”
Welcome to House of Lurlberry — a space I created to spark honest conversations about love, intimacy, and healing within African and diaspora communities. For too long, our people have been told to endure in silence, to dress pain in laughter, and to hide our deepest questions about sex and relationships.
But silence is not healing. And this is why I answered the call.
Why This Matters Now
Across Africa and the diaspora, relationships are the backbone of family and community. Yet, so many of us carry unspoken struggles:
- Hidden sexual dysfunctions. Research shows that over half of African women experience some form of sexual dysfunction — from low desire to painful intimacy — but very few seek professional help. Stigma and silence keep them from the support they deserve.
- Mental health gaps. Although many nations have mental health strategies, only a small fraction truly implement them. Therapy for love, sex, and relationships often falls through the cracks.
- The weight of wider struggles. From HIV to gender-based violence to migration stress, our intimate lives don’t exist in isolation — they are intertwined with health, culture, and survival itself.
When couples struggle silently, families fracture. When intimacy is clouded by shame, communities lose trust and tenderness. And when pleasure is neglected, so too is joy.
A Pan-African Vision for Healing
Therapy is not “foreign” to us. We have always healed in circles — through storytelling, wisdom-sharing, and communal care. What House of Lurlberry brings is a bridge between that tradition and modern therapeutic tools.
Our vision is simple yet radical:
- ✨ Culturally rooted therapy. Grounded in African values, yet unafraid to challenge harmful practices that silence or harm.
- ✨ Community-based approaches. Couples, families, faith leaders, and youth — healing woven into the community fabric.
- ✨ Accessible formats. From teletherapy for diaspora clients to group workshops on the continent, therapy shaped to fit real lives.
- ✨ Stigma-free conversations. Because talking about love, sex, and pleasure should never be taboo.
Why I Couldn’t Stay Silent
As a mental health nurse, sex and relationship therapist, and daughter of Africa, I have sat with too many stories of loneliness, unfulfillment, and quiet despair. Stories of kind, hardworking people who are thriving publicly but starving emotionally.
I realised waiting for “the perfect system” or “better funding” was another form of silence. So I built House of Lurlberry as a Pan-African safe space — where clinical excellence meets cultural nuance, and where our communities can finally claim joy, intimacy, and healing without apology.
What You Can Expect From This Blog
This blog will be your guide, resource, and companion. Each post will blend evidence, reflection, and practical tools you can use right away. Topics ahead include:
- The real numbers behind sexual dysfunction and intimacy struggles in African contexts.
- Exercises and practices for couples and singles seeking healthier love lives.
- Reflections on tradition, faith, and modern relationships — and how to find balance.
- Cultural conversations on stigma, silence, and sexuality.
- Spotlights on healing stories from across Africa and the diaspora.
My promise? Each post will be honest, practical, and written with you — my community — at the heart.
Final Word — Our Movement Begins
African love stories are powerful, complex, and worth telling with truth. We cannot afford to inherit silence. We must pass down healing.
This is not just a blog. It is a movement.
A movement to reclaim intimacy as a right, not a privilege.
A movement to make therapy as familiar as storytelling.
A movement to write new legacies of love and connection.
And I am honoured to walk this road with you.
With love and courage,
Lurlberry
Founder, House of Lurlberry
Recent Posts
