Background.
queen of the elements, seer, creator, merry maker, here-i-am
Part ancestral nudging and part calling, Alkeme Psychology began well before my awareness of it. In this part of my journey, I am reaching into my Egyptian and West Indian/Guyanese ancestry and revealing parts of me that have always been there waiting. Playing in the soil of my lineage, I find my identity as a healer and return to nature for guidance.
As a young child, I desperately wanted to make sense of the world—mainly the people in it. Growing up in New York City, I had a plethora of diverse faces and global stories to tap into. Yet, doing my own work has guided me back to the truth. What I was grasping for was to make sense of my family and specifically me.
My earlier years were chaotic, at times traumatic as well as loving, close and protective. Food, laughter, and music were called upon as points of connection and intimacy. It was a layered existence with a lot to sift through. I found solace in the quiet language of art. It was how I chose to play, process, express and release. Art continues to be my sweet companion throughout life.
These days, I channel a lot of my art into offerings that support healing and encourage self-love. The medicine I offer is medicine that comes from Western empirical data and generations of Eastern empirical wisdom with a sprinkle of the humanities from all over the world; for added color.
Some of my favorite things in life are: deep yellow hues, seeing glimpses of inner children coming out to play, the energy in creative spaces when people dive into themselves while staying connected to each other, my two baby ball pythons, creating, affirming someone’s quirks, golden hour sky-settings, plants, moving fast and feeling the wind, a child’s mark, deep belly laughs, foreign films/comedies, and being a part of the healing journey…being a part of your healing journey.
If I know anything, I know this—healing is real, and it is possible.
It is a courageous thing to sift, shed, and connect to our true selves, our inner gold. It is also a vulnerable process to see and be seen.
So, from me to you, Here-I-Am.
"
Shyma is such a love warrior!
/ j.d. ‘18 /
Experience.
As a Licensed Clinical Psychologist (PSY #27890), I molded my career early on as a Fine Arts major at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York City. I loved art and during this time my curiosity to know and truly understand others grew. This interest attached itself to psychology when I read J.D. Salinger’s Nine Stories and in particular Banana Fish; an intricate and nuanced short story about a man with PTSD. My love for art and psychology continued to flourish in college where I received a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Fine Arts from the University of Texas, Dallas.
I received both my M.A. and Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology with a Child and Adolescent focus from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology in Chicago. My dissertation integrated trauma healing and creativity by developing a program entitled Re:Author – An Empowering Narrative Art Therapy Program for Adolescent Survivors of Childhood Abuse.
Following graduate school, I completed my pre- and post-doctoral residency at the University of California, Davis, Student Health and Counseling Services, where my emphasis was the Multicultural Immersion Program, which integrated micro- and macro- Sociology with psychological applications of having difficult dialogues around intersecting identities and power structures.
Throughout my career, I have worked with individuals across the developmental spectrum, couples, families, and groups. I have led many intensive discussions centered on diversity with adolescents, adults, and mental health professionals. In addition to my clinical work, I have taught undergraduate courses such as: Introduction to Psychology and Multicultural Fundamentals of Leadership. I have also taught graduate courses such as: Child, Adult, and Elder Abuse Issues; Counseling Across Cultures; Group Therapy; Psychopathology; Psychopharmacology; and Research Methods. I have also taught and supervised master’s level clinicians during their applied practicum traineeship. Lastly, I conducted psychological assessments for Social Security Disability Services.
Presently, I am coming into my purpose of leading a private practice while building a holistic, creative healing space centered around multicultural and indigenous healing of trauma. This contributes to channeling my creativity into offerings that support self-care as well as the development of deeper journey work to come.