My guest today is Dr. Rheeda Walker.  Dr. Walker is a tenured professor  in the department of psychology at the University of Houston. She has published more than fifty scientific papers on African American adult mental health, suicide risk, and resilience. Dr. Walker and her work has been in places like Good Morning America, The Washington Post, and CNN Health. In 2020 she released a new book called, The Unapologetic Guide to Black Mental Health, which we touch on in this episode.

Some of the other topics explored in this episode include:

- The rise in suicide among black children
- The role of protective cultural traditions
- How Dr. Walker works to stay connection to her roots
- The concept of psychological fortitude  
- The stigmatization of mental health in the African-American community
- And navigating racial differences within the therapeutic relationship 

—————————————————————————

Dr. Walker’s website: https://www.rheedawalkerphd.com/

Book link: https://www.rheedawalkerphd.com/book

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.rheedawalker/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rheedawalkerphd?

—————————————————————————

If you find value in the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It only takes 30 seconds and plays an important role in being able to get new guests. I also love reading them! 

Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mentallyflexible/

Explore the website: https://mentallyflexible.com/

Check out my song “Glimpse at Truth” that you hear in the intro/outro of every episode: https://tomparkes.bandcamp.com/track/glimpse-at-truth