On this episode, Kierra is joined Dr. Sherrie Proctor, a highly acclaimed professor, in a discussion on the importance of radicalized self-care. 

Music credit:

Track: Nathaniel x BeatSmith VILLAIN - Perfect For Her

Music provided by Emza Design Studio

Kierra is joined by Shannon Martin and Dr. Thompson in a candid discussion of the assessment pipeline and the implications it has for School Psychologists. 

Dr. Miriam Eady Thompson is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) where she is also the Director of Mind and BehaviorAssessment Clinic (MBAC). Dr. Thompson is a licensed psychologist (MA-11267), a health service provider, and a Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP). In 2009, Dr. Thompson earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Arizona, double majoring in Psychology and Spanish/Portuguese. In 2012, Dr. Thompson earned a Master of Arts in School Psychology and in 2016, she earned a Ph.D. in School Psychology (with a minor in Special Education and a specialization in Learning Disabilities) from the University of Arizona. During her doctoral training, Dr. Thompson completed an APA-accredited internship at the Multidisciplinary Evaluation & Consulting Center (MDC) at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida. In 2017, following completion of her doctoral internship, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Neurodevelopmental Assessment of Young Children (NYC) at the Leon O. Brenner Center at William James College in Newton, Massachusetts. At the Brenner Center, Dr. Thompson administered a wide range of neuropsychological evaluations to children, adolescents, and adults. In 2018, she completed a second postdoctoral fellowship at the Boston Juvenile Court Clinic (BJCC) at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts. At BJCC, she completed court-ordered psychological evaluations and worked closely with social workers, probation officers, attorneys, and judges.

Shannon Martin is a 3rd-year doctoral student in the School Psychology program at the University of Maryland. Coming to the program as a nationally certified school psychologist, Shannon has more than 7 years of experience as a school psychologist in elementary and secondary public school settings. Her research interests include any/all ways that we can create schools/systems that support children with marginalized identities and their right to thrive. Shannon is also a mother and a registered yoga teacher.

Music credit:

Track: Nathaniel x BeatSmith VILLAIN - Perfect For Her

Music provided by Emza Design Studio

In this episode, Kierra is joined by fellow podcaster Rebecca Comizio. The two discuss their journey to podcasting and the importance of storytelling through social media. 

Rebecca Comizio, MA, MEd, NCSP, was named Connecticut's 2019 School Psychologist of the Year. She is a practicing school psychologist at New Canaan Country School, in New Canaan, Connecticut, and a Licensed Professional Counselor at the Waverly Group in Old Greenwich, CT.  Becca is the founder and co-host of School Psyched Podcast. She also serves on the Communications Committee for the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). She is the co-author of 70 Play Activities for Better Thinking, Self-Regulation, Learning, and Behavior and of the upcoming, Resilience Workbook for Kids (New Harbinger, 2022).

Music credit: 

Track: Nathaniel x BeatSmith VILLAIN - Perfect For Her 

Music provided by Emza Design Studio

Kierra speaks to Arleen who is a second-year school psychology graduate student about her challenges navigating cultural stigma as a second-generation LGBTQ+ Latina.  Arleen’s research interests and passion includes social justice, ELL students, and the LGBTQ+ community. Her passion and life experiences have motivated her to become a school psychologist and start tackling these challenges, day-by-day, student-by-student, one life at a time.

This is an introduction to Season 2 of the Dear School Psych Sistahs podcast courtesy of School Psych Sistahs, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to women of color in the field of School Psychology. 

Kierra is joined by board members of School Psych Sistahs, Inc. to reflect on the organization's purpose and where it is headed. 

Kierra is joined on this episode by Selena Waite, owner of Waite Psychological and Therapeutic Services, PLLC in Durham, North Carolina. The women discuss paths towards owning a private practice as a specialist-level clinician. 

Selena Waite, MA/CAS, LPC, LPA, HSP-PA is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Psychological Associate, and Licensed School Psychologist. Selena has 10 years of experience in providing counseling services to children and adolescents experiencing a variety of mental health, behavioral, emotional, and adjustment issues. Prior to owning her own practice, Selena worked for group practice and served within schools. 

Kierra is joined by Micki Webb and Erica Hobbs to discuss their perspective as former educators in School Psychology. 

Erica Hobbs, M.A. is a school psychology doctoral student at North Carolina State University. Before obtaining her Masters in School Psychology, she was a second teacher in Richmond City Public Schools. Erica’s research interests include systems-level service delivery through social and emotional development in preschool-aged children. Erica's passion for demystifying the graduate school process led her to share her experiences through the creation of a YouTube channel. Her YouTube channel's name is “Erica’s School Psych Vlogs”.

Micki Webb, CEO of Get Psyched!, is an experienced educator (teacher, school psychologist, and administrator) and business owner who is on a mission to show other educators how to break free from the constraints of traditional employment by starting their own immediately profitable businesses, either as "side hustles" while they continue working in the school setting or as full-time ventures. Micki encourages educators that they can explore other passions without giving up their passion to serve as educators. Her program Emancipated Educators provides them the knowledge they need to achieve the income they deserve while serving others with the products and services they'll create and provide. One of Micki’s recent clients created her first product that is already in demand, a beautiful set of mindset cards for kids that teachers, parents, and daycare providers can use to teach character values, self-confidence, & coping skills. You can learn more or reach Micki at mickiwebb.com. 

Kierra is joined in this episode by Amber Gibson, Ed.S. Amber explores what it is like to work in rural communities. *Our sincerest apologies for the audio quality. 

Amber Gibson, Ed.S. is a Licensed School Psychologist in North Carolina. She spent the first years practicing within rural districts in Ohio and in North Carolina before moving to work in an urban area. She graduated from Marshall University with her Master in Psychology and her Educational Specialist Degree in 2009. She is a certified TBI provider and enjoys spending time with her husband, their daughter, and three cats. In her spare time, she advocates for more school psychologists and fights to ensure that every child is given an opportunity to succeed. Interests include generational trauma, toxic stress, neuropsychology, and specific learning disabilities.

Kierra is joined in this episode by Erika Wood, Psy.D., Hiral Vekaria, Ed.S., and Byron McClure, Ed.D. in a discussion on when and how to facilitate crucial conversations. 

Hiral Vekaria, Ed.S., NCSP is a School Psychologist for Montgomery County Public Schools and the MTSS Consultant for Wake County Public Schools in Raleigh, North Carolina. She won the 2019 NASP Presidential Award.

Erika Wood, Psy.D., NCSP is a School Psychologist for Baltimore County Public Schools. She was awarded the 2015 Maryland School Psychologist of the Year Award. She currently chairs the Professional Standards Committee for Maryland School Psychologists Association. She is also an adjunct professor at Bowie State University.

Byron McClure, Ed.D. is a School Psychologist in DC Public Schools, the Founder of Big Five Tech and Lessons for SEL. Dr. McClure's doctoral dissertation was an investigation of CASEL programs with minority students from high-poverty communities. Through this research, he was inspired to launch Lessons for SEL.