ÀÏÍõÂÛ̳

, a licensed therapist and BIPOC mental health expert, will give ÀÏÍõÂÛ̳'s 2023 Black History Month keynote address at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 28, in the Great Hall of Old Library.

Douglas' talk is titled, "Why I Am Not Allowed to See The Color Red."

"The keynote will highlight the struggle of individuals in the Black community not being able to embrace their vulnerability and emotions due to society stereotypes regarding their emotions," says Douglas. "I'll be discussing the importance of anger and why Black people should embrace their anger and emotional connections instead of being ashamed of them; as well as how it impacts our mental health. Students will feel empowered to wear the label of anger and understand the historical perspective as to how our anger and vulnerability has created the changes we see today in this generation."

Douglas' world view and understanding of Black and brown issues has stationed her as a leading expert whose words and work are referenced by such publications as Forbes, Cosmopolitan, VICE, Oprah Magazine, HelloGiggles, and many others.  She was featured in Cosmopolitan as one of the Black relationship experts to follow on Instagram. Douglas received a 2022 Borris Lawerence Henson Foundation Joy Award for her work with Black Men and for creating ; a virtual multi-state practice catered to Black and Brown males.

Douglas has extensive experience dealing with a wide range of medical conditions including substance abuse, depression, anxiety, bipolar, addictive behaviors, relationship issues, women/men’s issues, and multicultural issues. She is dedicated to ending stigmas in minority communities such as the Black and Native American communities through education on the importance of mental health. Though she is knowledgeable about a variety of mental health conditions, she is particularly passionate about addressing anger issues. She seeks to eliminate the stigma associated with anger and mental health and wants to educate the public at large that it’s okay to express your emotions. Douglas focuses on addressing the root cause of the anger, so that her clients can begin to make the necessary changes needed to heal.

"I am excited to hear Dr. Patrice speak on mental health as it pertains to African American communities, considering that it is a growing issue and often goes unnoticed, misdiagnosed, and untreated," says Alloyah Abobi ‘24, who, along with Bintou Dembele ‘24, is co-coordinator for Black History Month programming. "Having professionals in the field who represent these communities is pivotal in addressing the issues surrounding mental health in African Americans."

"Just from reading the title, I already know that Dr. Patrice will sweep us off our feet and leave us with a deep understanding of how it's okay to be angry sometimes," adds Dembele.

Douglas is a licensed marriage and family therapist and has a Psy.D. from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology in Los Angeles.