The best thing about being Black is our ability to adapt, overcome, and thrive! On the Black & EMPOWERED Podcast, we highlight Black excellence, talk about the science of physical, mental, and behavioral health, and interview experts in the field.

Every two weeks, join The EMPOWER Lab Director, Dr. Isha Metzger, and her Graduate Students Briana Spivey and Latisha Swygert as we continue to focus on Engaging Minorities in Prevention, Outreach, Wellness, Education, and Research. If you are a student, organizational leader, thinker, healer, creator, or anyone who would like to explore how to best utilize your personal strengths, resources, and talents, then this is the podcast for you!

*We are a part of the University System of Georgia, but these are our personal views and are not reflective of any institution. *The content of this podcast does not constitute therapy, if you are interested in services, please contact a local professional.*

Season 2, Episode 7: Repurposing Your Rejected Fellowship Applications

Join our special guests Violeta J. Rodriguez (2018-2021 Ford Predoctoral Fellow, 2021 NIH Grantee) and Dominique La Barrie (Goizueta Fellow) as they discuss how to repurpose your past funding applications (e.g., Ford, SREB) for future submissions, and how to cope with rejection. This conversation is especially geared toward students from historically marginalized backgrounds and first-generation students, but all students (including incoming graduate students or applicants) are sure to benefit from this discussion. The contents of the workshop are based on funding workshops originally developed by soon-to-be Dr. Kharine Jean and Dr. Shantesica Mearshe Gilliam, SREB Fellows at the University of Georgia.

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Violeta J. Rodriguez | Dominique L. La Barrie | EMPOWER Twitter & Instagram

Season 2, Episode 6: Redefining the Strong Black Woman, with Dr. Jasmine Abrams and Dr. Natalie Watson-Singleton

In this episode, we interview two very special guests: Drs. Jasmine Abrams & Natalie Watson-Singleton! They have overlapping research interests in SBW… Nuances between being strong and productive, and being soft and getting rest… what does their research say? How does it play out in their lives? What about clinical practice or experience with their own personal therapists? We’ll get advice from these amazing scholars, activists, entrepreneurs that will inspire students, budding business owners, researchers and clinicians, and other SBW everywhere!

Check out Drs. Jasmine Abrams and Natalie Watson-Singletons social media below!

Follow us on social media:

Dr. Jasmine Abrams LinkTree & Twitter 

Dr. Natalie Watson-Singleton Twitter 

EMPOWER Twitter & Instagram

Season 2, Episode 5: Dr. Isha Metzger on the Psych Mic Podcast

Come join us as we feature Psych Mic, hosted by Maya Metser as she interviews Dr. Isha Metzger. This special episode opens with a laugh. This episode is especially great for students considering going deeper into academic pursuits around psychology and/or getting into clinical practice!

To learn more about Psych Mic, check out their page here: Psych Mic

Follow us on social media: The Empower Twitter & Instagram

Season 2, Episode 4: The Psychologists Podcast with Dr. Isha Metzger

Today's episode will cover how to discuss race with children, what to do as a clinical when working with clients with different beliefs, and the work that the EMPOWER lab does in racial trauma and racial socialization in offsetting these issues in our communities.

This interview with Dr. Isha Metzger was initially recorded for The Psychologist's Podcast by Gill and Julia Strait, released on their podcast earlier this year. Gill and Julia are both Licensed Psychologists (TX) and Licensed Specialists in School Psychology

Follow us on social media: The Empower Twitter & Instagram

Season 2, Episode 3: The Cohort Sistas

Join us for a conversation with Candice Dwyer, second yr doctoral student at Virginia Tech, and our very own Dr. Isha Metzger, as they discuss Women Principal Investigators. Learn about the path towards becoming a PI as a woman in academia.

Follow us on social media: The Cohort Sistas Twitter, The Cohort Sistas, The Empower Twitter & Instagram

Season 2, Episode 2: Spotlight on Women Principal Investigators in Science

Join us for a conversation with Candice Dwyer, second yr doctoral student at Virginia Tech, and our very own Dr. Isha Metzger, as they discuss Women Principal Investigators. Learn about the path towards becoming a PI as a woman in academia.

Follow us on social media: The Empower Lab

Season 2, Episode 1: Meet the Family pt.2

Welcome to Season 2 of the Black and EMPOWERED Podcast. In this first episode, meet our newest graduate students, Ashanti Brown and Niara Carrenard. We will update you on all that's been going on, changes in the EMPOWER lab, and highlight stories of Black excellence.

Follow us on our Instagram and Twitter and follow the Black excellence pages discussed in this episode below.

Follow us on social media: The Empower Lab

Season 1, Episode 12: Reec Radio Rebroadcast

Join us on this rebroadcast episode of REEC radio's interview with our very own Dr. Isha Metzger. Dr. Metzger will discuss racial trauma, coping, and how she challenges systemic racism using a multi-level approach.

Follow us on social media: The Empower Lab, Reec Radio

Season 1, Episode 11: Suicidality Among Black Teens - Interview with Dr. Isha Metzger

Join us today as we listen to Liz Tung interview Dr. Isha Metzger as she discusses suicidality in Black youth, risk factors and barriers that may impact access to health care and mental health services in Black communities, and how to actively participate in reducing existing barriers, whether you are a clinical or community member.

Follow us on social media: The Empower Lab, Liz Tung

Season 1, Episode 10: The State of Black Mental Health

Listen in on this special panel discussion on the state of Black mental health, featuring Dr. Earl Turner, Dr. Donell Barnett, Dr. Maryam Jernigan-Noesi, and our very own Dr. Isha Metzger. Join the panelists as they discuss coping and healing, increased stress in our communities of color, the need for culturally responsive clinicians, explicit conversations about racism between parents and children, and coping and healing strategies.

Trigger warning there will be discussion on police brutality and racial injustice as part of the episode.

Follow the panelists and us on social media: The Empower Lab, Therapy for Black Kids, Dr. Maryam Jernigan-Noesi

Season 1, Episode 9: How to Set Up a Research Team

Join us on this special episode in collaboration with Yale University's Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Aids, CIRA, panel discussion on how to set up a research team. Learn how the panel members discuss creating the culture they want within their teams, managing, mentoring, and developing your research staff. To learn more about Yale University's CIRA program click here.

Follow us on social media: The Empower Lab

Season 1, Episode 8: Corona Kiki

In today's episode, we are gonna be real with our audience about our experiences with COVID-19, while being in grad school and still trying to maintain a sense of normalcy the best that we can during these hectic times. Join us as we discuss what it's been like for us and also cover some coping tips that we have found useful in our personal lives.

Follow us on social media: The Empower Lab

Season 1, Episode 7: MedPage Interview on Cultural Humility

This week join us for a special interview with Kara Grant, Enterprise and Investigative Writer for MedPage, and our very own Dr. Isha Metzger as they discuss how to treat Ethno-Racial trauma with cultural humility. You can learn more about MedPage and Kara Grant on the MedPage website. The original episode aired on April 26, 2021, through MedPage.

Follow us on social media: The Empower Lab, Kara Grant 

Season 1, Episode 6: Psychoeducation on Racial Stress & Trauma

In this month's episode, we interview our very own, Dr. Isha Metzger, and discuss racial stress and trauma in the context of psychoeducation. What is psychoeducation? How can it benefit you? And we'll also discuss coping strategies that can help in your healing.

Follow us on social media: The Empower Lab

Season 1, Episode 5: How to Be a Better Ally

Join the Black & EMPOWERed team as we discuss allyship and how to be a better ally without falling into the stereotypical 'white savior' trope. Our special guests this week are Ian Raugh and Miriam Zegarac from the University of Georgia's Clinical Psychology program.

Follow us on social media: The Empower Lab

Season 1, Episode 4: Racial Trauma is Real: Coping & Healing

What is racial trauma? Media this past year has been especially flooded with images exhibiting the negative experiences that many Black people face in their daily lives. In today's episode we are going to breakdown what racial trauma is, and more importantly how to heal and cope with these experiences with our expert guest Dr. Maryam M. Jernigan-Noesi.

To learn more about Dr. Jernigan-Noesi and her work check out www.mmjerniganassociates.com

Follow us on social media: The Empower Lab, Maryam Jernigan-Noesi

Season 1, Episode 3: Breaching the Tower: Applying to Grad School

Want to get into graduate school in psychology? Well, in this episode we talk about how you can do that! We are joined by two special guests, Violeta Rodriguez and Dominique La Barrie, from our Clinical and BBS psychology programs to talk about how they got into grad school and what you can do based on where you are.

Follow us on social media: The Empower Lab, Dominique La Barrie, Violeta Rodriguez

Season 1, Special Episode 2: ABCT’s Interpersonal Podcast

Join us this week for a very special episode of the Black & EMPOWERED Podcast! Every year the Child Maltreatment and Interpersonal Violence Special Interest Group (CMIV SIG) of The Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies sponsors a keynote address at their annual meeting. This year, Dr. Isha Metzger spoke about her research on racial socialization and addressing interpersonal and racial trauma in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), emphasizing her work with youth of color. She highlighted connections to interpersonal violence and child maltreatment work and provided tangible examples of how clinicians can take up findings from her research in their clinical work. Her call to all of us? To be advocates and allies. Listen to highlights from Dr. Metzger's talk in the second episode of Interpersonal and the Black & EMPOWERED Podcast. Interpersonal, like Black and EMPOWERED is a new podcast that features brief conversations with researchers, practitioners, and students. Learn more about the SIG at their website: sites.google.com/view/abct-cmiv-sig and follow them on Twitter, @CMIV_SIG co-hosted by student representatives Hannah Coffey and Aggie Rieger under the supervision of Dr. Michelle Haikalis. Original podcast music by Corey Richier.

Follow us on social media: The Empower Lab, Dr. Isha Metzger, Briana Spivey, Latisha Swygert

Season 1, Episode 1: Meet the Family

Welcome to the first episode of the Black & EMPOWERED podcast! In this episode we introduce ourselves and tell you a bit about what this podcast will look like in the future. Press play to meet the family!