In this episode, a continuation of Mind Ya Mentals: Part 1 , I sit down one-on-one with Dr. Enyo Dzata to dig deeper into the mental and emotional toll of survival strategies that no longer serve us. Together, we unpack how silence, self-monitoring, and respectability perpetuate harm. This episode invites listeners to reflect on the role of solidarity in caring for our mental health, and what it means to foster cross-cultural collaboration. Together, we consider how to move beyond survival toward spaces rooted in rest, honesty, and wholeness.
Dr. Enyo Dzata is a pediatric nurse practitioner with a special interest in mental health. This interest first started in her undergraduate studies where social sciences were used to examine human behavior through psychological concepts. After transitioning from pediatric endocrinology to primary care Dr. Dzata developed an interest early on in understanding how best to care for patients with behavioral, developmental, and mental health concerns and pursued a fellowship in pediatric Childhood and Adolescent Mental Health. This training was helpful in gaining knowledge and tools to provide evidence-based care, but it was clear that the educational system, like other constructed systems, was not supporting black and brown students, despite families of color seeking help to address their child’s needs from school personnel. Inequitable outcomes in healthcare and education led Dr. Dzata to pursue a doctoral degree looking at how to implement screenings for students in public school settings, particularly elementary school, to identify supports needed in the areas of student/life functioning. Additionally, her work looked at methods used to engage families in this process and which areas teachers believe would help in teaching their students with identified needs.
Connect with Dr. Enyo Dzata
Resource
Dr. Raquel Martin’s Reel on Respectability Politics
To contact and/or book an event with Dionna Latimer-Hearn: dlhearn.net | dlhearn@yahoo.com | 682.777.2749
