Dr. Tahirah Abdullah received her B.A. in Psychology and Africana Studies from the University of Miami in 2006, and obtained her M.S. (2008) and Ph.D. (2013) in Clinical Psychology from the University of Kentucky. Dr. Abdullah is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Boston. She is also Core Faculty at the Center for Multicultural Training in Psychology at Boston Medical Center/Boston University School of Medicine. In addition, she is co-founder of BARE Mental Health and Wellness, through which she provides workshops to promote mental health and wellness within Black communities, while also providing consultation on implementing anti-racist practices for systemic change in mental health centers and other businesses and institutions.

     At UMass Boston, Dr. Abdullah mentors students, conducts research, and teaches undergraduate introductory psychology and race, culture and relationships classes, as well as doctoral-level clinical intervention strategies and culture and mental health courses. 

     Dr. Abdullah’s research focuses on mental health and mental health treatment among Black people in the U.S. Specifically, she is interested in the impact of racism and discrimination on mental health, resisting racism, the relationship between ethnocultural factors and mental health outcomes, barriers to help-seeking for mental health care, mental illness and mental health treatment stigma, and understanding Black Americans’ mental health treatment experiences. She aims to use the knowledge gained from her research to improve the quality and accessibility of mental health services and reduce the stigma associated with mental illness and mental health treatment in Black communities.