Embracing Cultural Competency and Diversity in the Workplace with Dr. Natasha Williams

Authentic Living

In this episode, Roxanne Derhodge converses with Dr. Natasha Williams about her journey as a psychologist, the stigma around mental health in the Caribbean community, and the importance of cultural competency. They delve into the impact of systemic racism, corporate image, and mental wellness on productivity and customer reach. Lastly, they discuss steps for change and Dr. Williams' online course.

Dr. Natasha Williams is a Registered Psychologist with the College of Psychologists of Ontario and the past Chair of the Board of Directors at Women’s Health in Women’s Hands, a Community Health Centre for black women and women of colour in Toronto. Dr. Williams is a member of the Ontario Psychological Association (OPA), Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) and the American Psychological Association (APA). She is the current trainer with the Adler Graduate Professional School in the CBT certificate program and is a guest facilitator/trainer with CAMH in topics such as culturally adapting cognitive behavioural therapy for the English-speaking Caribbean community and Motivational Interviewing. Dr. Williams is the co-Director of Allied Psychological Services and she operates an anti-oppressive private practice providing assessment, individual and group psychotherapy, corporate consultation, research, supervision and training services to clients from diverse ethno-racial backgrounds, gender and socio-economic backgrounds.

(0:00) Introduction with Roxanne Derhodge and Dr. Natasha Williams (6:31) Journey to becoming a psychologist and cultural competency (14:18) Stigma around mental health in the Caribbean community and early career experiences (22:24) Cultural implications in therapy and diversity training in corporations (30:00) Eurocentric paradigms, microaggressions, and systemic racism in the workplace (35:39) Corporate image and its impact on productivity and customer reach (42:20) Role of mental wellness and company statistics in assessing diversity and productivity (45:55) Human connection, early intervention, and turnover rates in team management (48:44) Steps for change and introduction to Dr. Natasha Williams' online course (52:03) Closing thoughts on team member needs and outro