Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion with Dr. LaMisha Hill Weller
Listen to Full Episode Here
About My Guest
Dr. LaMisha Hill Weller is a Licensed Counseling Psychologist originally from the Chicagoland area. She completed her doctorate in Counseling Psychology from the University of Oregon, her Pre-Doctoral Internship at UC Riverside, and her Post-Doctoral Fellowship at UC Berkeley. LaMisha began her professional career at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) in 2013 with the Office of Diversity and Outreach.
In 2022, LaMisha joined UCSF’s Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, & Reproductive Sciences (OBGYN-RS) as an Associate Professor and the inaugural Vice Chair for Equity, Inclusion, and Structural Change. Within her professional scope of work, she also serves as the Diversity Advisor to the Birth Center (UCSF Health) and leads various initiatives to support belonging and health equity.
Anchored in the Spirt of Service, LaMisha works collaboratively to help individuals and organizations move towards their values of inclusion. Her skillset includes strategic planning, education and training, individual coaching, facilitating, and keynote speaking.
You can find Dr. Hill Weller on her website at https://www.drlamishahill.com/
In This Episode
Dr. Hill Weller deftly educates us about the interconnection of our individual stories and the systems and contexts that we function within. She provides a primer on the Ecological Systems Theory of psychology and invites us each to explore how our own experiences, contexts, and development continue to shape us.
From navigating racism on the playground as a child to dealing with fallout from culture wars to the mutual condescension in today's political realm, Dr. Hill Weller holds compassion and understanding for the universal human experience. She brings in growth mindset as a useful tool in reframing difficult experiences and reflects on ways trauma disrupts our ability to connect with others. Failure can occur at all levels of the ecological model and we must examine how we can contribute to growth, learning, and repair when this happens.
Finally, Dr. Hill Weller shares examples of professional failures that formed her into the person she is today. She describes looking back on these examples with more gratitude than shame. Reframing, big-picture awareness, and moving away from binary thinking are all tools Dr. Hill Weller references as she discusses DEI, the political exploitation of DEI, and how we find constructive paths forward individually and collectively.
References
We discuss how wealth and power alter the brain and our ability to be empathic toward others. This is data that people often question because it challenges our assumptions, so here are some articles that review the research from the past 15 years.
How Money Changes the Way You Think and Feel by Carolyn Gregoire
Power Blocks Empathy by Elizabeth Segal, PhD
6 Studies on How Money Affects the Mind from TEDx and Paul Piff
Higher Social Class Predicts Increased Unethical Behavior by Piff et al.
How Wealth Reduces Compassion by Daisy Grewal
When Power Goes to Your Head, It May Shut Out Your Heart by Chris Benderev
