Dr. Isha W. Metzger
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Licensed Clinical Psychologist
2024
March 2024 - Trauma-Focused CBT, Racial Socialization Build Resilience in Black Youth
In a recent article written by Katie O’Connor for Psychiatric News, the power of integrating Trauma-Focused CBT with racial socialization in strengthening Black youth’s resilience is discussed. O'Connor cites Dr. Isha Metzger research on merging TF-CBT with racial socialization to address racial stressors! Merging these is crucial for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) to feel safe and validated during racial challenges in therapy sessions. A comprehensive manual has been created by experts with strategies for clinicians to seamlessly incorporate racial socialization into TF-CBT sessions for Black youth and their parents.
The manual is available for free download here: https://www.drishametzger.com/tf-cbt-rs-implementation-manual
2023
November 2023 - SRCD: So You Want to Start a Podcast?
- In this insightful episode of the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD)'s podcast series, we’re honored by three distinguished guests who have successfully ventured into the world of podcasting in a way that blends research, policy, and practice in their respective fields.
GUESTS:
- Dr. Lorena Aceves: Tune in to her podcast, "Vida de PhD," where she shares invaluable insights at the intersection of academia and everyday life.
- Dr. Valerie Adams-Bass: Co-host of the "Raising Joyful and Resilient Black Children" podcast, Dr. Adams-Bass, an Assistant Professor of Childhood Studies at Rutgers University, strives to make meaningful contributions to the lives of Black youth and their families through applied research.
- Dr. Isha Metzger: An Assistant Professor of Clinical-Community Psychology, Dr. Metzger is the host of the "Black and EMPOWERed Podcast." Join her as she explores critical topics at the intersection of psychology, community engagement, and empowerment.
April 2023 - Needs Improvement: How we can Better Engage and Serve Black Clients
- From the CEO’s Desk, National Children’s Alliance
- Written By: Teresa Huizar
- The study is titled “Black Moms Matter: A Qualitative Approach to Understanding Barriers to Service Utilization at a Children’s Advocacy Center Following Childhood Abuse.” It offers useful and practical guidance on ways to expand and enhance current practices to help eliminate barriers and make services more accessible to all.
Needs Improvement: How we can Better Engage and Serve Black Clients
April 2023 - 5 Things we Need to Stop Telling Our Black Children
- AOL.com PureWow Featured Article; chatted with Dr. Isha Metzger who shared five common phrases we should stop telling our Black children (and what to say instead).
- "Don't Be So Sensitive."
- "You Can't Do That Because You’re [Insert Race]."
- "I Don’t See Color.”
- "You're So Lucky to Have Light Skin or [Insert Eurocentric feature]."
- "You're Too Young to Understand."
Read the full article for more information:
5 Things we Need to Stop Telling Our Black Children
February 2023 - Tyre Nichols’ Death: A Roundtable about Racism and Police Reform
- American Black Journal, Detroit Public Television.
- Reacting to Tyre Nichols’ tragic death, Stephen Henderson (twitter @SHDetroit), host of American Black Journal, led a roundtable with Black Lives Matter Detroit Co-Founder John Sloan III, Detroit Police Department 2nd Deputy Chief Kyra Joy Hope, and licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Isha Metzger.
- They talk about police reform and accountability, racism in policing, and the trauma that can occur in Black and brown communities after viewing the video footage of Nichols’ violent encounter with the police.
Tyre Nichols’ Death: A Roundtable about Racism and Police Reform
January 2023 - Psychologists are rebranding the field, expanding the one-to-one therapy approach
- Psychologists are rebranding the field, expanding the one-to-one therapy approach to strengthen psychological health across entire population.
- From the American Psychological Association (APA) 2023 Trends Report written by Kristen Weir
- “Whatever your focus is, how can you utilize that to think about the underserved—to benefit those most at risk, to have a greater impact on society?” Metzger asked.
Psychologists are rebranding the field, expanding the one-to-one therapy approach
January 2023 - How to Talk to Kids about Police Violence
- It's crucial that we talk to kids of all races about racism, oppression, and everything that happens in the world because of it. Of course, parents of Black children *have* to have these conversations; writer Melinda Wenner Moyer remarks that she has the "massive privilege of raising children who don’t experience racism or need to be afraid of the police, but they do need to understand how broken our country is and that they should do everything they can to change it."
- Melinda Wenner Moyer interviewed Raquel Martin, a clinical psychologist who works to empower and educate people about mental health, anti-racism, Black identity development, and health disparities & inequities, and Isha Metzger, a clinical psychologist who directs the EMPOWER lab at Georgia State University.
2022
November 2022 - Around the Way Curls Podcast: Anxious Parenting ft. Dr. Isha Metzger
Around The Way Curls is a podcast rooted in friendship, humor, and self-actualization, Shanti and Antoinette share their unique life experiences while exploring a variety of topics that honor both the profound and the profane because duality is a thing.
This week, Shanti sat down with @drishametzger and they discussed parenting anxious children and the ways in which we can disrupt patterns of anxiety and harm. Join us.
Around the Way Curls Podcast: Anxious Parenting ft. Dr. Isha Metzger
October 2022 - Washington Post article: What does bipolar disorder feel like? Can it explain Kanye's behavior?
“The rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, has a history of commenting on mental illness through his art. On a 2018 album cover, West included a telling quote: “I hate being Bi-Polar it’s awesome.” In the song “Yikes,” he called bipolar disorder his “superpower.” The Washington Post spoke to psychiatrists, therapists and people diagnosed with bipolar disorder and asked them what it feels like to live with the condition, how it is treated and how much it can affect a person’s behavior.
Washington Post article: What does bipolar disorder feel like? Can it explain Kanye's Behavior?
October 2022 - Red & Black article: Athens Observes World Mental Health Day
World Mental Health Day (October 10) was started to raise awareness of global mental health issues and help increase efforts in support of mental health. The day provides an opportunity for those working on mental health issues to talk about their efforts and improvements still needing to be made in order to make mental health care a reality for people globally, according to the World Health Organization. On July 16, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline went live and is now active across the United States via text and phone call. Dr. Isha Metzger said that a big question people have is how the hotline will be utilized to inform police. Black youth and said minority students are more likely to face a higher risk of mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression. These students are also more likely to face consequences such as being penalized for missing class if they do have mental health problems.
Red & Black article: Athens Observes World Mental Health Day
August 2022 - White Table Talk; TRAUMA, TRIGGERS AND TREATMENT: A Candid Conversation
With so many issues going on in our world today with mental health, public outburst, mass shootings, senseless killings and the list goes on...Dr. Isha Metzger will be with us WTT along with Eugenia Buie and co-host Jacqueline Stevens to help us resolve some of the trauma and triggers by giving us some choices of treatment. Let's have the conversation because the truth is a lot of us have TRAUMA and have been TRIGGERED!
White Table Talk; TRAUMA, TRIGGERS, AND TREATMENT: A Candid Conversation
July 2022 - C.A.R.E. Package For Racial Trauma is available in print!
The C.A.R.E. Package you know and love PLUS over a dozen additional handouts and resources for you to use! This guide can be a tool for therapists and clinicians working with Black youth! It’s also useful for caregivers who want support in having conversations about racism and how to respond in proactive ways! We even got feedback from teens who say it’s useful for them in talking to their friends and peers! The C.A.R.E. Package for Racial Healing is a must for anyone wanting to help Black youth heal from racial stressors! The C.A.R.E. Package helps Black teens explore racial identity, racial socialization, relaxation, emotion regulation, cognitive coping, and behavioral strategies for overcoming experiences with racial stressors. Learn how racial socialization can help protect you, and about other evidence-based strategies that can help you heal from stressful experiences!
Visit Amazon or Barnes & Noble to purchase:
tinyurl.com/CAREPACKAGEamazon
tinyurl.com/CAREPACKAGEbn
April 2022 - Livestream Series, Confronting Anti-Black Racism and Promoting Social Justice: Applications through Social Media
Discussion with Dr. Earl Turner, Dr. Maryam Jernigan- Noesi, and Dr. Isha Metzger, Moderated by Dr. Ifetayo Ojelade
Students, scholars, psychologists, and community activists joined together to offer diverse perspectives on confronting systemic racism rooted in Anti-Blackness through the book "Making Black Lives Matter: Confronting Anti-Black Racism." A Healing Paradigm (@ahealingparadigm) will host a 7-month Facebook Live series February through October 2022 based on this book. In addition to attending the virtual discussions, participants have the opportunity to engage in our small group Deep Dive sessions facilitated by mental health professionals and Mbongis (community gatherings to discuss an issue) that include thought leaders such as Dr. Mawiyah Kambon, Dr. Thomas Parham, and student-scholar-activists of the next generation.
Here is the link to download a free digital copy of the book!
tinyurl.com/makingblacklivesmatter
January 2022 - Psych Mic Podcast, Healing communities from racial trauma with Dr. Isha Metzger
This episode is especially great for students considering going deeper into academic pursuits around psychology and/or getting into clinical practice. The episode opens with a laugh — visit spotify, apple podcasts, or PodBean.com to hear more!
In this interview, we cover:
When did you realize you wanted to devote your career to healing black babies?
How did you figure out you wanted to do therapy and not medicine?
Why was research a powerful way for you to address racial trauma?
Dealing with vicarious trauma as a clinician
Why did you choose to do your PhD in Clinical-Community Psychology
Becoming a competitive applicant
Networking before grad school: why it’s important and how to do it
What do you wish you knew before grad school?
Is it important to know exactly what you want to research before going to grad school?
What is your research at the EMPOWER Lab? How do you involve the community?
What is one skill, quality, or general factor that has served you no matter where you went in life?
Psych Mic Podcast, Healing Communities from racial trauma with Dr. Isha Metzger
2021
December 2021 - Peace of Mind with Taraji
- 2021 was one of the deadliest gun violence years in decades. Did you catch this episode of Peace of Mind with Taraji? Rapper G Herbo talks about his struggles with PTSD and community activist Harry Bell shares how witnessing multiple shootings left him struggling with alcohol and suicidal thoughts. In this episode, Dr. Isha Metzger discusses impacts of gun violence on individuals and communities, and how these life-threatening experiences specifically cause harm to the Black community. Find the episode exclusively on Facebook TV!
Peace of Mind with Taraji - PTSD with Rapper G Herbo: Not Just from Combat
November 2021 - Making Black Lives Matter: Confronting Anti-Black Racism
- It is finally here!! The book "Making Black Lives Matter: Confronting Anti-Black Racism" is available to you online for FREE! Are you interested in doing some anti-racism reading? This book is edited by Dr. Kevin Cokley and features a chapter authored by friends of The EMPOWER Lab, Dr. Maryam Jernigan-Noesi and Dr. Earl Turner, as well as our very own Dr. Isha Metzger! Visit cognella.com/making-black-lives-matter and start reading so you don't miss out on the excellent content from Black scholars, activists, and students like you!
Making Black Lives Matter: Confronting Anti-Black Racism
September 2021 - The 8 Unique Stressors Behind Depression in Young U.S. Latinos
- Depression rates for young Latino people are some of the highest among all communities in the U.S. Racial trauma, struggles with ethnic identity, and learning a new language/having an accent are a few of the many barriers contributing to the greater level of mental health issues in the Latinx communtiy. Many of these stressors are ehnicity-related, so our treatment for them should be ethnicity-related too. Andrea Vargas, Dr. Gabriela Livas Stein, Ivette M. Gómez, Dr. Teresa Yanez, and Dr. Isha Metzger discuss what is needed and culturally competent counseling! Read more at https://tinyurl.com/depressionpsychcentral
The 8 Unique Stressors Behind Depression in Young U.S. Latinos
September 2021 - KBLA Talk 1580, featuring Dr. Isha Metzger
- Tavis Smiley owns and operates the first Black-owned talk radio station in Los Angeles, KBLA 1580. He hosted Dr. Isha Metzger and they discussed racial stress and trauma in the Black community, her research in this area with the EMPOWER Lab, and more!
Tavis Smiley's KBLA 1580 episode featuring Dr. Isha Metzger
September 2021 - The Cohort Sistas Podcast, featuring Dr. Isha Metzger
- Did you catch the latest episode of the Cohort Sistas Podcast? Listen in to this wonderful conversation between host Dr. Ijeoma Kola and our very own Dr. Isha Metzger! Together, they discuss how to establish expectations and boundaries in mentoring and balancing academic & community work. Hear about Dr. Metzger's journey, including the role that mentors have played in her success, securing funding for her studies, why she decided to work in such a transdisciplinary way. Dr. Metzger also leaves us with some words of encouragement for Black women who are thinking about pursuing doctoral studies.
Cohort Sistas Podcast featuring Dr. Isha Metzger
September 2021 - The Psychologists Podcast, featuring Dr. Isha Metzger
- The Psychologists Podcast (hosted by Julia & Gill Strait) featured Dr. Isha Metzger! She discussed racial stressors, racial socialization, and racial trauma; she spoke as a professor/researcher/psychologist, but also got personal! If you're wondering how we should be talking about race with our kids, what to do as a clinician working with people with different backgrounds or beliefs, or how to just stop saying/doing things that hurt other people, listen in for some research-backed tips.
August 2021 - The Reec Radio Show, featuring Dr. Isha Metzger
- Reec Radio is an innovative digital broadcast platform that was created to entertain, inform and electrify its listeners! Dr. Isha Metzger was interviewed
Reec Radio Show LIVE with Dr. Metzger
August 2021 - PsychCentral, Depression in Young Latinos and the Unique Stressors Behind It, by Lacey Muinos and Sandra Silva Casabianca
- Depression rates for young Latino people are some of the highest among all communities in the U.S. Racial trauma, struggles with ethnic identity, and learning a new language/having an accent are a few of the many barriers contributing to the greater level of mental health issues in the Latinx communtiy. Many of these stressors are ehnicity-related, so our treatment for them should be ethnicity-related too. Andrea Vargas, Dr. Gabriela Livas Stein, Ivette M. Gómez, Dr. Teresa Yanez, and Dr. Isha Metzger discuss what is needed and culturally competent counseling!
June 2021 - VoyageATL Local Stories, Meet Isha Metzger: Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Owner, by Erika Smith
- Academia or Business? Why not both? Dr. Metzger founded Cultural Concepts, LLC in the summer of 2020, seamlessly transitioning her academic experience in racial trauma and healing to consultations for improvements in the way that other businesses and organizations interact with the community. Dr. Metzger has over a decade of expertise in researching positive development for Black youth and in working with clinicians to deliver better care for minority populations.
Meet Isha Metzger: Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Owner
April 2021 - MedPage Today, Treating Ethno-Racial Trauma With Cultural Humility, by Kara Grant
- Dr. Metzger trains mental health providers to be aware of racial stressors like unfair policing and racially motivated hate crimes. These stressors often occur in addition to the interpersonal stressors that require help from mental health professionals. Confronting the topic of race in therapy is critical for engaging and efficacious treatment for ethnic minorities. In this article, Dr. Metzger discusses the utility of cultural humility for clinicians from majority populations to connect with, engage, and validate the experiences of BIPOC clients so that they benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy.
Treating Ethno-Racial Trauma With Cultural Humility - Full article
March 2021 - Future Human, Scientists Are Using Psychedelics to Help People Cope With Racial Trauma, by Emma Betuel
- Dr. Metzger notes that there is no magic drug for racial trauma or PTSD; furthermore, while psychedelics may have enhancing effects for therapy, which is deserving of more research, they do carry risks and side effects like panic attacks. Even without drugs, therapists have a variety of techniques at their disposal, such as Prolonged Exposure Therapy or Cognitive Processing Therapy. By using therapy to help clients explore the way trauma has affected them, Dr. Metzger suggests that they can then restructure the way they view their own trauma.
March 2021 - American Psychological Association CE e-Newsletter, Six Things Psychologists Are Talking About, Communicating with Teens During COVID by Zara Abrams
- Dr. Isha Metzger and Dr. Riana E. Anderson discuss the development of the EMBRace—Engaging, Managing, and Bonding through Race intervention, the Racial Trauma Guide, and provide suggestions for parents and caregivers talking about race and racism with teens.
Six Things Psychologists Are Talking About, Communicating with Teens During COVID - Full article
January 2021 - APA Monitor on Psychology, How to Discuss Race with Black Teens and their Families by Charlotte Huff
- Dr. Isha Metzger discussed how to help Black teens and families process and problem solve racial dilemmas and how mental health professionals can incorporate race into therapy.
APA Monitor on Psychology, How to Discuss Race with Black Teens - Full article
January 2021 - Journal of School Psychology (2020), Parenting profiles of academic and racial socialization: Associations with academic engagement and academic self-beliefs of African American adolescents, research spotlight
- Drs. Isha Metzger, Shauna Cooper, Charity Griffin, Alexandrea Golden, Ijeoma Opara, and Tiarney Ritchwood detailed the different ways that parents utilized academic and racial socialization. In this study, the researchers identified different parenting profiles that are associated with academic outcomes for African American youth.
Parenting profiles of academic and racial socialization - Full article
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