From Struggle to Strength: My Path to Clinical Psychology - Artlyn Zakama

Hello, my name is Artlyn Zakama! I am a junior at UNC, majoring in Psychology and double minoring in Neuroscience and Statistics and Analytics.  

My passion for psychology began during my junior year of high school. Leading up to this point, I struggled with depression and did not receive the support I needed from my community. After this experience, I became passionate about reducing the stigma of mental health and serving underrepresented communities due to their lack of mental health resources. Due to this, I took an introductory course on psychology through the University of Minnesota. During this class, I learned about the various aspects of psychology, reaffirmed my aspirations for a career in mental health, and developed my ambitions of becoming a Clinical Psychologist.  

Once I set my eyes on becoming a Clinical Psychologist, I came to college with the idea of furthering my knowledge in research and clinical settings. During my first year, I worked at the Carolina Institute of Developmental Disabilities (CIDD) as a Data and Research Recruitment Assistant to learn about the behind-the-scenes aspects of research. After developing a research framework, I joined Dr. Kelly Caravellas' lab. Here, I contribute to the assessment of a new intervention called Family Navigation, to compare with the current education materials given to families who have a child diagnosed with autism. In this lab, we specifically focused on Black families and their experiences with getting care as a marginalized group. To expand my knowledge of the clinical setting, I began volunteering in the Behavioral Health Unit at UNC Hospitals. There, I provide companionship and emotional comfort to patients during their stay. One aspect of psychology that I have recently taken on is advocacy. This year, I joined North Carolina's Black Youth Wellness Advisory Board to work on suicide prevention within Black youth due to the increase in this group's suicides in NC.   

Now, as a Gil intern at Threshold Clubhouse, I am merging some of my experiences. At Threshold, they use an evidence-based treatment model called Clubhouse. This model's framework is a work-ordered day where members assign themselves to different units of work in the Clubhouse. That prevents members who suffer from severe and/or persistent mental health issues from psychiatric hospitalizations. At Threshold, my daily tasks include attending weekly member check-in meetings, producing and presenting psychoeducation materials, assisting with the operation of assigned work units, and working with members on tasks. These daily tasks help me learn more about the community that Threshold has cultivated and different mental illnesses. As I continue my internship, I will learn to advocate for members using various mechanisms, assist members in accessing services, and recognize and apply person-centered and strength-based mechanisms.   

As an aspiring clinical psychologist, I am passionate about underrepresented groups receiving access to mental health services and involving these groups in research. My experience at Threshold has shown the result of research in a clinical setting in a community that is predominantly Black. It shows that culturally competent care and treatment models can be developed, researched, and given to these communities. How the members have developed friendships and a community with each other is one of the most rewarding parts of my internship. They have somewhere to go for holidays and any day that they may feel lonely. You can feel the love and care they all have with one another and in keeping Threshold running smoothly. Thank you to Dr. Steven Buzinski and Emily Dolegowski for allowing me to experience this opportunity, and Richie Gray for being available for tips on professional development and assisting in setting up this cohort for success.