Educate. Enable. Expand.
United States Marine turned teacher turned clinical psychology researcher. Although my background is far from conventional, there has always been a common thread guiding me through my journey: the desire to help others. If you want to make a difference in someone's life you must first educate them by providing the tools they need to be successful. Then enable their growth, empowering them to take ownership and modify those tools as needed to fit their individuality. Expansion becomes inevitable.
Research Interests
As an African American woman who has had an interest in psychology from a young age, I'm acutely aware of the lack of diversity in data and the field - something I hope to change by pursuing a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. I'm interested in examining how societal and cultural factors play a role in the onset and treatment of mood and anxiety disorders in minority communities and how to best serve them.
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I'm curious about the impact of intergenerational trauma, especially when compounded with present-day stressors. That being said, Afro-pessimism is not the name of the game. It's imperative that while researchers identify and understand risk factors, they also invest in the research of resilience factors and culturally informed coping.
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Overall, my goal is to further knowledge concerning social and cultural factors, ultimately resulting in effective clinical interventions for minorities experiencing stress-related conditions and health disparities.