Thema Bryant-Davis (MDiv '16) on Reshaping Mental Health Care | The Washington Post

In a recent feature, The Washington Post highlighted Thema Bryant-Davis (MDiv ’16), Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology professor and president-elect of the American Psychological Association (APA), and her work to reshape mental health care, especially for those in underrepresented communities. 

The article discusses Bryant-Davis’ roots in Baltimore, Maryland, and the African Methodist Episcopal church and how those inform her work in the field of psychology. As an ordained minister, one of the first psychologists to assert the traumatic impacts of racism, and an active voice on Instagram, Twitter, and “The Homecoming Podcast with Dr. Thema,” Bryant-Davis is expanding access to and understanding of trauma-informed care. Bryant-Davis shared that her “first exposure to mental health came mixed in with discussions on art, justice, and work,” grounding her in her own unique approach to her clinical work.

Bryant-Davis received her PhD in clinical psychology from Duke University. She is known as one of the foundational scholars on trauma and racism with several publications including her most recent book Homecoming: Overcome Fear and Trauma to Reclaim Your Whole, Authentic Self. In 2020 she was voted as the president-elect of the APA, the leading scientific and professional organization representing the field of psychology. 

Read the full story at The Washington Post.