"…and when we speak, we are afraid our words will not be heard nor welcomed, but when we are silent we are still afraid. So it is better to speak, remembering we were never meant to survive.” - Audre Lorde
Nyasha Grayman-Simpson
Henry S. Dulaney Professor and Associate ProfessorPsychology; Africana Studies
Dr. Nyasha Grayman-Simpson is the Henry S. Dulaney Professor and Associate Professor of Psychology and Africana Studies. She is also a licensed psychotherapist in the state of Maryland, with certifications in grief counseling and trauma. Dr. Grayman-Simpson completed her doctorate in Counseling Psychology at New York University, and worked as a full-time elementary school teacher, youth and family program director with the YMCA, and research scientist before joining the professoriate full-time. Prior to her arrival at Goucher in 2009, she taught Human Development, Psychology, and Counseling to undergraduate and graduate students at Hunter College, New York University, University of Missouri-Columbia, and the University of Delaware, where she held a joint appointment as a Psychologist in the Center for Counseling and Student Development. Dr. Grayman-Simpson has co-directed multiple intensive study abroad programs in the Caribbean; and at Goucher, she teaches content, methods, and applied psychology courses concerned with issues of power, collective/cultural identity, and subjective well-being. She pursues two related lines of research: (1) collective/cultural identity and subjective well-being; and, (2) critical education and transformative learning.
Publications
Book
Grayman, N. (2021). Seasonal therapeutic encounters with nature journal: 52 experiences for Baltimoreans. Charleston, SC: KDP.
Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
**Grayman-Simpson, N., Doucet, F., & Burgos-Lopez, L. (2019). Critical whiteness education and cognitive frame of reference elaboration: An in-depth descriptive case. Journal of Transformative Education, 17(3), 269–286. https://doi.org/10.1177/1541344618821053
**Grayman-Simpson, N., & Mattis, J. S. (2017). Communalism Scale 2015 cultural validity study. Journal of Pan African Studies, 10(3), 127–135.
Doucet, F., Grayman-Simpson, N., & Wertheim, S. S. (2013). Steps along the journey: Documenting undergraduate White women’s transformative processes in a diversity course. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 6(4), 276-291. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0034334
Grayman-Simpson, N., & Mattis, J. S. (2013). 'If it wasn't for the church…:' Organizational religiosity and informal community helping among African American adults. Journal of African American Studies, 17(3), 243 – 252. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12111-012-9213-6
Grayman-Simpson, N., & Mattis, J. S. (2013). Doing good and feeling good among African Americans: Subjective religiosity, helping, and satisfaction. Journal of Black Psychology, 39(4), 353-369. https://doi.org/10.1177/0095798412461809
Grayman-Simpson, N. (2012). Black community involvement and subjective well-being. Journal of Pan African Studies, 5(3), 26 - 42.
Grayman, N. (2009). “We who are dark…:” The Black community according to Black adults in America: An exploratory content analysis. Journal of Black Psychology, 35(4), 433–455. https://doi.org/10.1177/0095798408329943
*Gaines-Hanks, N., & Grayman, N. (2009). International service-learning in South Africa and personal change: An exploratory content analysis. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 46(1), 72–93. https://doi.org/10.2202/1949-6605.5006
Mattis, J. S., Mitchell, N., Zapata, A., Grayman, N., Taylor, R., Chatters, L., & Neighbors, H. (2007). Uses of ministerial support by African Americans: A focus group study. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 77(2), 249-258. https://doi.org/10.1037/0002-9432.77.2.249
Grayman, N. (2005). Sapphire: Exploring the power of a popular stereotype. Psych Discourse, 39, 10-13.
Mattis, J. S., Eubanks, S., Zapata, A., Grayman, N., Belkin, M., Cooper, S., & Mitchell, N. (2004). Factors influencing religious non-attendance among African American men: A multimethod analysis. Review of Religious Research, 45(3), 386–403. https://doi.org/10.2307/3511993
Mattis, J. S., Fontenot, D., Hatcher-Kay, C., Grayman, N., & Beale, R. (2004). Religiosity, optimism and pessimism among African Americans.
Journal of Black Psychology, 30(2), 187-207. https://doi.org/10.1177/0095798403260730
Peer-Reviewed Book Chapters
**Grayman-Simpson, N., Mattis, J. S., & Tomi, N. (2016). Africana women’s ways of coping with traumatic life events: A meta-ethnography. In E. L. Short, & L. Wilton (Eds.), Talking about structural inequalities in everyday life: New politics of race in groups, organizations, and social systems.
Mattis, J. S., Grayman-Simpson, N., Powell-Hammond, W., Anderson, R. E., & Mattis, J. (2016). Positive psychology in African Americans. In. E. Chang, C. A. Downey, J. K. Hirsch, & N. Lin (Eds.), Positive psychology in racial and ethnic minority groups: Theory, research, and practice.
Mattis, J. S., & Grayman-Simpson, N. (2013). Faith and the sacred in African American life. In K. Pargament (Ed.), Handbook of psychology, religion, spirituality.
*Gains-Hanks, N., & Grayman-Simpson, N. (2011). Intercultural tensions within international service-learning: Reflections
on Barbados. In T. Stewart & N. Webster (Eds.), Exploring cultural dynamics and tensions within service-learning.
Peer-Reviewed Encyclopedia Entries
Grayman-Simpson, N. (2017). Cultural identity. In A. Wenzel (Ed.), The sage encyclopedia of abnormal and clinical psychology.
Grayman-Simpson, N. (2017). Culturally competent treatment. In A. Wenzel (Ed.), The sage encyclopedia of abnormal and clinical psychology.
Peer-Reviewed Teaching Manuals
**Grayman-Simpson, N., & Finley, M. (2017). Qualitative Research Methods for Psychology Syllabus. Society for the Teaching of Psychology Project Syllabus. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Grayman-Simpson, N. (2017). Cultural Psychology: Black Psychology Syllabus. Society for the Teaching of Psychology Project Syllabus. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
** = Goucher Student, Alum, or Student Affairs Staff Contribution
* = Equal Contribution by Authors
External Awards, Honors, Grants
"Black Traumatic Grief Therapy Education," Baltimore, MD CLLCTIVLY Adaptive Village Grant ($5000 awarded 2022).
"Black Psychology Course," Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues Teaching Resource Award (Awarded 2017).
“Transition to America Immigrant Youth Psychoeducational Program,” New York City Department of Youth and Community Development ($25,000 Awarded Pre Goucher).
“Boys II Men Psychoeducational Program For At Risk Youth,” YMCA of Greater New York ($8,000 Awarded Pre Goucher).
Conference Papers & Panel Participation
Selected Presentations
**Grayman-Simpson, N., McKinley, J., & Njie, Z. (2019, June). Integrating case study method, experiential method, and interpretative phenomenological method to teach psychology as a human science and qualitative research methods for psychology. Poster presented at the American Psychological Association Division 5 Society for Qualitative Inquiry in Psychology Conference, Boston, MA.
**Sejour, K., & Grayman-Simpson, N. (2018, February). The power of mentorship: Face validity of Black female student-faculty mentor relationships. Poster presented at the Teachers College, Columbia University Winter Roundtable Conference. Theme: “Nevertheless, She Persisted: Power and Patriarchy in Psychology and Education,” New York, NY.
**Grayman-Simpson, N., & Sejour, K. (2014, August). Communalism scale cultural validity study preliminary findings. Poster presented at the Association of Black Psychologists Annual Convention, Indianapolis,
IN.
** = Goucher Student or Alum Contribution
Invited Talks
Take Back the Night Panel Discussion, TurnAround Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD (2019)
“Faith, Hope and Healing” Panel Discussion, San Francisco Human Rights Commission and American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting, New York, NY (2018)
Black Communalism and Mental Health in the Black Lives Matter Era Research Talk Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD (2017)
Academic or Professional Associations
- Association of Black Psychologists
- American Psychological Association Division 5: Quantitative and Qualitative Methods
- American Psychological Association Division 17: Society of Counseling Psychology
- American Psychological Association Division 29: Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy
- American Psychological Association Division 56: Trauma Psychology
- Maryland Association for Mental Health Counseling
- Maryland Association for Counselor Education and Supervision
Other Professional or Scholarly Activity
Selected Media/Community Talks
Virtual Author Series: Therapeutic Encounters with Nature Journal, Goucher College, 2022
Amina, Netflix, and African Women, I Mix What I Like Show, 2022
Complicated Grief + Nature Therapy with Dr. Nyasha Grayman, Therapy Chat Podcast, 2022
Is There Room for Spirituality, Religion, and Wellness in Revolution?, I Mix What I Like Show, 2022
Understanding Grief: A Conversation with Dr. Nyasha Grayman, MommiNation, 2022
The Banker, Black Capitalism, and the Myth of Black Buying Power, I Mix What I Like Show, 2022
A Grief Observed: Collective Grief & Trauma, The Benjamin Dixon Show, 2022
What I Missed In Colin in Black and White, I Mix What I Like Show, 2021
When One Twin Dies with Dr. Nyasha Grayman, Shapes of Grief Podcast, 2021
From bell hooks to the Boondocks, I Mix What I Like Show, 2021
Revolution Is Good for the Mind, Body, and Soul, Atlanta's WRFG Revolutionary African Perspectives Show, 2020
Baltimore College Professor Will Only Teach Remotely This Fall, NPR Press Play with Madeleine Brand Show, 2020
Psychology of White Racism, Goucher College Community Lecture Series on Race, 2017
Do Things Happen for a Reason?, 88.9 FM WEAA Marc Steiner Show Philosophers' Roundtable, 2014
Commentaries
Grayman-Simpson, N. (2017). In defense of the echo chamber.
Grayman-Simpson, N. (2016). Statement to my students regarding the election of Donald Trump as POTUS.
Reviewer Contributions
William T. Grant Foundation Reviewer
Palgrave Macmillian African Psychology and Counseling Textbook Reviewer
SAGE Phenomenological Dissertation Textbook Reviewer
Oxford University Press Psychology of Racism Textbook Reviewer
Journal Reviewer for: Religions, Review of Religious Research, Journal of Black Studies, Journal of Black Psychology, Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, Psychology of Women Quarterly, Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Journal of Family Issues