Dr. Mercedes Samudio, LCSW

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Dr. Mercedes Samudio, LCSW

AfroNerd | Scholar | Founder of & | Host of | Empowering Black families with mental wellness!

Advancing through innovative research and clinical practice

11/26/2025

The things James Baldwin said…

…they true tho!

11/24/2025

Hey y’all…

…it’s your friendly neighborhood MCU mythologist here to let y’all know my chapter in a new anthology about the psychology of the MCU is finally published!!!

It’s titled: “On Your Left: Resilience, Legacy, Mentorship, and the Psychological Evolution of Secondary Characters in the MCU”

And guess what?!

It’s open access so you can read it digitally (and purchase the hard copy if you’d like)

Check it out here: https://playstorypress.org/books/the-psychgeist-of-pop-culture-marvel-cinematic-universe/

My chapter starts on page 176 in the digital copy!

11/08/2025

I HAVE LIVED. It means you have a past, and it got you here.

I AM LIVING. It means you are currently living, which means you got here.

I WILL LIVE. It means you will continue to live, which means you’ll move from here.

11/05/2025

Brainspotting has become a lifestyle because it gave me back my life after years of surviving and living in hypervigilience.

05/01/2025

As a healing person supporting others healing, I appreciate this month as it highlights how important our mental wellness is and will always be!

I’ve survived trauma and abuse. I live with depression. I experience suicidal ideation and thoughts. Sometimes my emotions overwhelm me and I need to take a break. I live a full life, with folks who care for me. I speak up about mental wellness because it’s a life or death conversation for me, and many others.

11/29/2024

Embracing inclusivity & learning from folks is more important than ever…

…the idea of being Woke is becoming a term that brands folks who are progressive, anti-racist, anti-oppressive, and culturally expansive…

…for my part, I’ve been bringing folks over to the WokeSide: where we believe that everyone’s knowledge and experience contributes to the tapestry of humanity, and it’s in those uniques experiences and ancestral knowledge that we find the oaths to heal together…

…in other words WOKE = Welcoming Our Knowledge & Experiences

This acronym reflects a mindset that values cultural expansiveness (a combo of humility, competence, and awareness), community building & connectedness, and a respect for for the historical and ancestral wisdom we all possess...

…in a sense, if you’re tired of being, tired of hearing, tired of seeing the revolution that is being WOKE, then you might want to check in with yourself because you’re part of the problem…

Research shows that cultural expansiveness is a lifelong process of reflection & (un)learning: a practice of mutual respect that bridges cultural gaps, especially in healthcare, to create equity (Foronda et al., 2016)…

… community building & connection also require being WOKE: embracing the attitudes, knowledge & skills to navigate across cultures (Deardorff, 2015; CDC, 2023)…

…TL;dr: Being WOKE is part of the work!™️

Allowing ourselves to evolve into cultural expansiveness aligns with the WOKE mindset…

…it empowers us to build meaningful connections & champion equity by understanding and honoring the diverse narratives that shape our communities…

…in a sense, we do this because it’s how we thrive; when we remain WOKE, we foster a world where every voice matters, every story is valued, and every experience is a chance to grow.

✨ Follow .mercedessamudio for all things Black family, parenting, mental health, Black health equity, and AfroNerd realness! ✨

11/22/2024

When raising healthy Black tweens, it can feel like they’re at a level to understand and process a lot…

…but in actuality, they’re coming online cognitively and emotionally while also learning how to connect with those around them.

As they’re learning let’s remind ourselves to do…

…LESS: teasing, shaming, labeling, enabling, and blaming…

…and MORE: listening, honoring, noticing, supporting, and understanding.

✨ Follow .mercedessamudio for all things Black family, parenting, mental health, Black health equity, and AfroNerd realness! ✨

11/20/2024

Reminders for Black Families raising Black Trans Tweens
✨ Let Black trans tween be themselves.
✨ Let Black trans tween exist.
✨ Let Black trans tweens use their pronouns
✨ Let Black trans tweens bloom
✨ Let Black trans tweens share their identity

This Trans Day of Remembrance let’s embrace our Black trans tweens as they navigate a world that is not designed for them. Black transgender and nonbinary youth face higher rates of depression and suicidal ideation, compounded by experiences of intersectional discrimination and a lack of affirming environments (The Trevor Project, 2023).

Let them they are loved and that do deserve to be here!

Here are some resources to support your Black trans tween:
specialist

✨ Follow .mercedessamudio for all things Black family, parenting, mental health, Black health equity, and AfroNerd realness! ✨

11/18/2024

Reminders for Black Families raising Black Tweens: Part Two

✨ Let Black tween rest
✨ Let Black tween dream big
✨ Let Black tweens explore freely
✨ Let Black tweens know they’re enough
✨ Let Black tweens express their creativity

Would you add to this list?

Follow .mercedessamudio for all things Black family, parenting, mental health, Black health equity, and AfroNerd realness!

11/16/2024

“When someone dismisses your dreams, anticipates your doom, or acts harshly towards you in any way, remember they are telling you their story, not yours.”

As a Black tween, I got used to being ignored. My voice, my feelings, my dreams: they were dismissed, overshadowed, minimized. That dismissal didn’t go away as I grew up. Instead, it planted a seed: I started believing other people’s stories about me more than my own.

Years ago, a friend said something that shook me: “The only reason you’re married is because he was the first person who was nice to you.”

It hit like a brick. I felt anger, then doubt: Were they right? Did I settle? Was my life a mistake? I said nothing! Not because I wasn’t hurt, but because it felt familiar. That comment mirrored the dismissal I’d known as a tween.

I let their words haunt me for years, questioning my choices, my worth. But here’s the truth I eventually realized: They weren’t talking about me. They were sharing their own story, their fears, insecurities, & doubts.

Healing began when I stopped carrying their story, and all the others I’d picked up over the years. To the younger me who thought she had to accept being dismissed, who thought shrinking was the only way to be seen: I love you. You didn’t know you could say, “That’s not about me.”

Healing isn’t about perfection. It’s about reclaiming your voice and letting their story go.

Address

1510 W Whitter Boulevard , Ste 95
La Habra, CA
90631

Telephone

+17147585988

Website

https://solo.to/dr.mercedessamudio

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