Dr. Isha W. Metzger

Licensed Clinical Psychologist

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    • Consulting Services

    • Treatment Modification and Implementation

      Dr. Metzger has over a decade of experience in modifying and delivering culturally-sensitive mental health treatment. Short-term and ongoing consultations in this area including workshops, trainings, and facilitated discussions that focus on understanding diverse populations and systematically applying evidence-based strategies to improving client-practitioner relationships, therapist self-efficacy in working with underserved communities, and efficacious treatment delivery with an attention to cultural awareness in order to improve client outcomes.

    • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I)

      Dr. Metzger serves as the bridge between organizations, communities, and the existing evidence base. Organizational and community consulting works towards forming equitable relationships between administration, faculty, employees, and students in professional and academic settings; maintaining collaborative partnerships between researchers, practitioners, and community members; training organizational managers and clinical supervisors; and adapting and utilizing culturally-sensitive evidence-based practices. Consultations focus on identifying strategies and solutions for leaders and employees towards recognizing and eliminating biases, identifying strategies and solutions that encourage trusting relationships built on cultural humility and mutual respect, and engaging in meaningful conversations around race, ethnicity, and issues of diversity and social justice.

    • Program Evaluation

      Program evaluation consultations exist for programs of research and mental health treatments that are already established and would like to improve effectiveness and reach. Program evaluation services offered by Dr. Metzger are designed to measure the effectiveness and fidelity of existing programs through chart reviews, organization mapping, survey administration, field observations, and key informant interviews. Dr. Metzger works closely with professionals, researchers, and organizations to identify barriers and facilitators to treatment initiation and engagement, and to improve service delivery and an organization’s reach to diverse communities.

    • "Racism, without being discussed, is often the elephant in the room 
      that plagues therapists, community organizations, corporations, individuals, and our society at large.
      My job as a consultant is to EMPOWER clients to face the elephant in the room and eradicate racism. Join me and together we will pick up a fork and a knife and learn the only way to eat an elephant-- one bite at a time."

      Dr. Isha Metzger

    • Previous Consultations

      • BlueSprig Pediatrics
      • STRONG STAR Training Initiative and Consortium to Alleviate PTSD
      • University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Fort Hood Research Site
      • Child Mind Institute
      • Minnesota Children’s Alliance
      • Lyra Health
      • Delta Airlines, Inc.
      • National Children’s Alliance
      • Bowtie Leadership & Development, Inc.
      • Tysons Regional Chamber of Commerce
      • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kenan-Flagler Business School
      • Utah Center for Evidence Based Treatment
      • Ball State University Department of Special Education
      • American Family Insurance
      • Firepower Concepts, LLC
      • The Cottage Sexual Assault Center and Children's Advocacy Center
      • The Georgia Center for Child Advocacy
      • Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center
      • Gaines Elementary School, Morgan County
      • Center for Health and Rehabilitation
      • National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center
      • Pine Grove Inc., Autism Residential Facility
      • The Pediatric Diabetes and Obesity Institute- Healthy Lifestyles Clinic
      • Auburn University Department of Psychological Sciences
      • Auburn University Human Development and Family Sciences Department
      • Child Mind Institute, School and Community Programs

    • Testimonials

    • What clients are saying about consultation with Dr Metzger:

      I, personally, learned a lot from what you shared, and I feel confident that using your findings as a guide, we will be able to make some very positive changes for clients and providers in the areas of DE&I, hopefully not just now, but in the years to come. Thank you for being so thoughtful in your recommendations and for providing actionable feedback.

      What clients are saying about consultation with Dr Metzger

      I learned a lot during the workshop and also REALLY appreciated how you guided our discussion, Q&A, and sharing your wisdom. One thing that I took away in particular, was the language that you gave us around noting a broken system and broken learning, different approaches to naming allyship, and the directness of labeling microaggressions or acts of racism, if my client experiences them. I think that level of directness is something I haven't known how to address exactly. Overall, it's really sparked my learning not only with my 1:1 clients, and also how to support coaches as providers too.

      What clients are saying about consultation with Dr Metzger

      Thank you, again, for making the time to meet with [us] to present your findings to [our partners] today, and of course, for all of your work on the audit. I also want to thank you, not only for the knowledge and ideas you shared with us, but also for being you and making this leg of the journey so much fun!

      As [hidden] and I were sharing with [hidden] earlier today, it is not just that you are incredibly insightful and knowledgeable about DE&I and evidence-based therapies, but also that you are a lovely, energetic, and caring person, too.

      What clients are saying about consultation with Dr Metzger

      One thing that I took away in particular, was the language that you gave us around noting a broken system and broken learning, different approaches to naming allyship, and the directness of labeling micro-aggressions or acts of racism, if my client experiences them. I think that level of directness is something I haven't known how to address exactly.

      What clients are saying about consultation with Dr Metzger

      I learned so much! The greatest benefit of this workshop was that I had language to explain to a new client of color my role as an advocate, (hopeful) ally position, and that I am consciously working on reducing my unconscious bias. Without this presentation and discussion, I wouldn’t have been ready, but now I am!

      What clients are saying about consultation with Dr Metzger

      This training was extremely helpful in allowing me to explore race-related challenges in my work and to learn about concrete strategies for validating client experiences and helping my clients who encounter racial stressors in their daily lives resist in ways that allow them to recharge, prevent or help treat symptoms of racial trauma, and ultimately enact social change.

      What clients are saying about consultation with Dr Metzger

      Dr. Metzger is incredibly insightful and knowledgeable about DE&I and skilled in the culturally sensitive delivery of evidence-based therapies!

      What clients are saying about consultation with Dr Metzger

      Excellent and timely topic. I enjoyed not only the application of the principles, but found it conceptually very useful to view the impact of racism from the lens of trauma. The latter was not something I had made explicit in mind until now.

      What clients are saying about consultation with Dr Metzger

      Videos were great and powerfully illustrative. I think having a real person talking about their experiences was very effective capturing the problem rather than just presenting statistics, which we may already know to be true.

      What clients are saying about consultation with Dr Metzger

      Feedback from the team is exceedingly positive regarding Dr. Metzger's work with us over the past couple weeks. They were already really excited about her research even before these workshops, and between her talent as a presenter, her ability to make it relatable to the team’s clinical work, and the vast array of resources she's provided, this will continue to play a major role in fueling discussions and informing our clinical work going forward.

      What clients are saying about consultation with Dr Metzger

      Dr. Metzger was a very knowledgeable, incredibly engaging speaker who provided lots of helpful resources on a MUCH NEEDED didactic! My only critique is that I wish we could have her with us for more time, like 2 weeks maybe, because there is so much more we can cover that she touched on and I think is sorely needed in our training!

      What clients are saying about consultation with Dr Metzger:

      This topic was so much appreciated and the way it was approached by blending personal experience with evidence and information from the literature and her research, applicable techniques and skills, and very natural modeling of the skills was very helpful. Thank you thank you thank you to Dr. Metzger for the important work you're doing! Wonderful presentation style. This was amazing!

      What clients are saying about consultation with Dr Metzger:

      Dr. Metzger did a wonderful job using her program of research to provide practical ideas for how to tailor treatment while working with Black youth. In addition, I deeply appreciated her tips on how to be a better ally during these difficult times.

      What clients are saying about consultation with Dr Metzger

      Her enthusiasm for involving undergraduates in research and service, and her insistence that our trainees consider the unique experience of under-represented and marginalized groups in all aspects of their research and practice are perfectly aligned with the goals of our department, and students have already benefited from this relationship!

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