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Dear School Psych Sistah

Dear School Psych Sistah

By School Psych Sistahs

Through authentic dialogue and dialectic discussions, Dear School Psych Sistah invites guests to explore what it is like to be in the profession and identify as a woman of color. Guests will reflect on personal triumphs and challenges together to gain insight and perspective.

*Dear School Psych Sistah podcast is a subsidiary of School Psych Sistahs, Inc. a nonprofit organization dedicated to the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women of color in the field of School Psychology. You can donate to our organization through Listener Support.
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E11 Preview

Dear School Psych SistahAug 28, 2021

00:00
01:17
E14: Self Care for the Soul

E14: Self Care for the Soul

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

Oct 09, 202134:00
E13: Cognitive Dissonance

E13: Cognitive Dissonance

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

Sep 26, 202149:47
E12: The Power of Storytelling

E12: The Power of Storytelling

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

Sep 11, 202125:07
E11: Intersectionality

E11: Intersectionality

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.


Aug 28, 202127:21
E11 Preview

E11 Preview

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. 

Aug 28, 202101:17
E10: Reflective Practice

E10: Reflective Practice

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

Jun 05, 202146:45
E9: Be Your Own Boss

E9: Be Your Own Boss

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. 

May 22, 202140:49
E8: From Teacher to School Psychologist

E8: From Teacher to School Psychologist

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

May 08, 202144:40
E7: Rural School Psychology

E7: Rural School Psychology

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.

Apr 24, 202150:07
E6: Let's Talk About Social Justice

E6: Let's Talk About Social Justice

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.

Apr 10, 202101:07:30
E5: Culturally Affirming Assessment of English Language Learners

E5: Culturally Affirming Assessment of English Language Learners

Kierra is joined in this episode by Dr. Desiree Vega to discuss best practices in the assessment of English Language Learners (ELL). The women discuss the importance of the pre-referral process, the legal ramifications of different eligibility models, dynamic assessment, and consultation approaches. 

Dr. Desiree Vega is currently a faculty member in the School Psychology program at the University of Arizona. She holds a masters and doctorate in School Psychology from The Ohio State University. Her predoctoral internship was completed through the Nebraska Internship Consortium with Omaha Public Schools. Dr. Vega worked as a bilingual school psychologist with Omaha Public Schools for three years before she began her academic career. She was a faculty member at Texas State University prior to joining the University of Arizona.

Dr. Vega’s research focuses on three primary areas: 1) The assessment of culturally and linguistically diverse students, 2) Identification of factors that contribute to the academic success of African American and Latino youth and 3) the role of School Psychologists in the access to higher education among urban youth.

Mar 19, 202159:34
E4: Sistahs In Training

E4: Sistahs In Training

Jerica Knox, doctoral student, and VP of School Psych Sistahs, Inc. facilitates a conversation with other women in graduate school. The women discuss their experiences and how they've navigated the infamous imposter syndrome.

Mar 07, 202151:00
E4 Preview

E4 Preview

Check out a clip of the upcoming episode. 

Mar 03, 202100:31
E3: Wise Women

E3: Wise Women

This episode focuses on different career trajectories within the field of School Psychology. Kierra is joined by six women all with unique experiences and journeys to their current positions. This episode features the perspective of an early career professional (Shayna), seasoned practitioner (Dannette), Director of Psychological Services (Izzy), specialist-level clinician (Valerie), entrepreneur (Dr. Grishby), and professor (Dr. Aston). Listen in to find out how they got where they are, their responsibilities, and general advice they would give. 

Shayna Jones, Ed.S. is an early career professional in Washington state who supports a developmental preschool program. She attended graduate school at the University of Washington. 

Dannette Sanders, Ed.S. is a seasoned practitioner working in the High Desert and Inland Empire of Southern California. Dannette has both a Master's in School Counseling and a Specialist degree in School Psychology. Her combined career experience has spanned pre-K through 12th grade. 

Valarie Reese, Ed.S., LPES, NCSP is a practitioner and clinician who serves youth in South Carolina. Valarie is the owner of Better Days Counseling Services, a private mental health practice that specializes in providing behavioral and mental health therapy for children and adolescents. 

Dr. Kirnel Grishby, Ph.D. is a native West Indian who immigrated to the United States with her family. She earned her Doctor of Philosophy in School Psychology from Georgia State University. She has since begun a career serving families with children with disabilities, both in the public school system and in the private practice sector. As the President and CEO of REACH A.K.G. Education Consultants LLC, Kirnel continues to merge her passion for psychology and education, providing families with individualized, evidence-based, and therapeutic strategies to acquire knowledge for generational growth, development, and advancement.

Izzy Alvarado, Ed.S. serves as the District Coordinator of a School Psychology Department in Illinois. She also serves on the Governing Board of the Illinois School Psychology Association as the Region 7 Director. She is planning to finish her Doctorate degree in Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership with a concentration in Diversity and Equity from the University of Illinois in 2022. 

Dr. Candice Aston, Ph.D. has years of experience working with urban populations in school and clinical settings. She currently serves as an assistant professor in School Psychology at Townson University. She completed her doctoral internship at Sarah Reed Children’s Center, which provides intensive psychiatric services for children with significant trauma and mental health concerns. The focal point of her research has centered on culturally relevant social-emotional interventions for racially diverse populations. Dr. Aston is interested in Black female identity development and disproportionality. She has extensive intervention experience and has published several journal articles on school-based interventions. In addition, she has presented at several national conferences and is currently a member of NASP and APA.


Feb 20, 202101:02:56
E2: My Sistah Circle

E2: My Sistah Circle

Kierra is joined on this episode by her mentors, Dr. Corliss Thompson-Drew ("Dr. T.D.) and Dr. Janise Parker. The women discuss the importance of mentorship in the field and beyond. 

Dr. Corliss Thompson-Drew is the Director of Psychological Services for the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools. She holds a Doctor of Psychology degree in Clinical School Psychology. In her almost 40 years in the field, Dr. Thompson-Drew has worked in a variety of settings including schools, community mental health centers, a university counseling center, and a college professor. 

Janise Parker is an Assistant Professor of School Psychology at the College of William & Mary, a licensed Psychologist and Nationally Certified School Psychologist. Dr. Parker is a proud Floridian who obtained her undergraduate degree from Florida State and a doctoral degree from the University of Florida. She completed a two-year postdoctoral appointment at the University of South Florida, doing both research and teaching, prior to her appointment at William & Mary. *Dr. Parker's maiden name is Coleman. 



Feb 06, 202146:10
E1: Why DSPS?

E1: Why DSPS?

Welcome to Dear School Psych Sistah, the podcast. 

Kierra Fulmore, a School Psychologist and founder of School Psych Sistahs, briefly explores why the online community and podcast exists. 

Feb 06, 202102:52