Speaking and Presentations
I travel and present at conferences because there’s a conversation that needs to be had in mental health spaces, and it’s about language.
Too many people walk out of appointments thinking, “What did they just say?” Clinical language can feel distant, complicated, and disconnected from the way people actually talk and understand their experiences.
My research explores how African American Vernacular English (AAVE) can be used to break down mental health diagnoses and treatment conversations so they actually make sense for Black women and the communities we come from.
Every presentation is a chance to challenge the way mental health professionals communicate and to push the field toward something better—something clearer, more culturally grounded, and more accessible.
And this is just the beginning. My future work will continue building on these ideas as I develop research around how language shapes the way people understand, trust, and engage with mental health care.
Upcoming
Presentations
Pacific Northwest Council for Language
Portland, Or
April 9-11, 2026
Continuing Ed: Redefine Strong- Black Women's Mental Health
NYU School of Social Work
New York City, NY
May 2, 2026
Mental Health Kansas City Conference
Johnson County Community College
Overland Park, KS
May 28-29, 2026
Association for Language Awareness
Monterey, CA
June 22-25, 2026
Addiction Medicine, Behavioral Health, & Psychiarty
Boston, MA
October 19-21, 2026



Research and the State
Kansas State University
Topic: How Financial and Familial support and Employment effect Mother’s Over Life Satisfaction and Child’s Felt Closeness to Mother?
UNITE 2025: the NAADAC Annual Conference, Innovate, Educate, Elevate
Seattle, Washington
Topic: Talk to Me How I Talk: The Role of African American Vernacular English in Mental Health Diagnosis and Communication
Intervention Research in Systemic Family Therapy Conference
Ohio State University
Topic: Talk to Me How I Talk: The Role of African American Vernacular English in Mental Health Diagnosis and Communication