Tony Mantor: Why Not Me ? - Amira Martin:Believe in Yourself: A Social Worker's Journey to Breaking Barriers

Episode Date: July 16, 2025

Description 2 We explore the mission and approach of MA Therapy with founder Amira Martin, whose practice focuses on providing bias-free psychotherapy to women of color while also mentoring therapists to establish their own practices. • Amira's personal journey overcoming limited representation in professional fields through her sister's encouragement: "Don't stop yourself, let other people stop you" • How MA Therapy serves diverse clients while maintaining a focus on BIPOC women and the LGBTQIA+ community • Common mental health challenges seen across socioeconomic backgrounds, including anxiety, trauma, PTSD, and ADHD • Research-backed strategies for finding happiness through community connection, belonging, and giving back • Three-part approach to managing anxiety in challenging times: connecting with supportive community, establishing daily routines, and taking manageable action • The importance of viewing current challenges through a historical lens and practicing consistent self-care • How mental health needs have evolved, particularly since COVID-19 and through recent political climate changes Tune in and share this episode with someone who needs to know they're not alone in facing life's challenges The content on Why Not Me: Embracing Autism amd Mental Health Worldwide, including discussions on mental health, autism, and related topics, is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not reflect those of the podcast, its hosts, or affiliates.Why Not Me is not a medical or mental health professional and does not endorse or verify the accuracy, efficacy, safety of any treatments, programs, or advice discussed.Listeners should consult qualified healthcare professionals, such as licensed therapists, psychologists, or physicians, before making decisions about mental health or autism- related care.Reliance on this podcast's contents is at the listener's own risk. Why Not Me is not liable for any outcomes, financial or otherwise, resulting from actions taken based on the information provided. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome to Why Not Me, embracing autism and mental health worldwide, hosted by Tony Matured, broadcasting from the heart of Music City, USA, Nashville, Tennessee. Join us as our guests share their raw, howful stories. Some will spark laughter, others will move you to tears. These real-life journeys inspire, connect, and remind you that your needs. never alone. We're igniting a global movement to empower everyone to make a lasting difference by fostering deep awareness, unwavering acceptance, and profound understanding of autism and mental health. Tune in, be inspired, and join us in transforming the world one story at a time.

Hi, I'm Tony Mantor. Welcome to Why Not Me, embracing autism and mental health, worldwide. Today we welcome Amira Martin, the heart and soul behind MA therapy. Amira is a compassionate and skilled therapist whose mission is to empower people to embrace their journey toward healing and self-discovery. She creates a warm, non-judgmental space for clients to navigate life's ups and downs. Known for her authentic approach and deep commitment to mental wellness, Amira is here to share insight, that will inspire and give hope. So before we dive into our episode, we'll be back with an uninterrupted show

right after a word from our sponsors. Thanks for coming on. My pleasure. My pleasure. I was able to read up a little bit about you and look up some of your story, and it's pretty cool. Thanks so much.

I appreciate that. Now, could you give us a little background on what you do? So I am a licensed clinical social worker. So I'm a psychotherapist, so I do talk therapy. But I have a group practice where I have other therapists who also work in the practice and provide services. And we're very specific.

Like, there's a large focus on women. And there's also a large focus on women of color. In my practice, the mission is really twofold, right? I have, like, a few different things that are all through one MA therapy is my company. The most important thing is providing bias-free psychotherapy to women and particularly to women of color. We also work with men. We also have a section focused on LGBTQIA-plus individuals. but our real, like the base of our mission started there.

And so that's where we do most of our work. So not only are we aiming to provide really good high quality care at affordable rate, but also the women who come into the practice, you know, I prepare them in terms of like supervision. We have multiple supervisors on board so they get good supervision. They also gain their clinical hours. And when they're ready, I help them to establish their own practices. So we're also kind of like just spreading and growing people of color, women of color, own private practices by doing that. And they also take their caseloads with them. So that's really

like the bulk, the main thing that I do and the most important thing to me that I do. That's really good. So are you like a school where you teach people to become therapists? Or are they already therapists coming to you to get more exposure and experience? So I'm a therapist and when they come in, they're therapists, but they may not be fully licensed yet. They may not be sure that they can do the sort of work. Some come in with tons of experience. But yeah, so I work with them to get them to the point where they can reach their full licensure and have enough hours and pass their exam and also train them along the way and how to set up their own private practice. So in your therapy, what kind of person would you be seeing walking through your door? Can you expand on that some? Yeah. So anyone who comes through our doors, honestly, but we reach out particularly to BIPAC women and women in general. That's our largest client, And then we also have some LGBTQIA plus folk that go to a mirror for them.

That's another division that we have. And then a mirror for him, which is our male BIPOC focus group. Okay, so when a person comes through your doors, how do you start? What's your situation in where you try to get them to relax, to open up so that you can help them? Because needless to say, going to a therapist could be very intimidating. for most people. Absolutely. So a couple of things.

I mean, I think when people first start, they are very often, very nervous, right? They're afraid of being judged. They're afraid of saying the wrong thing. They're afraid of suddenly seeming like a psychopath, right? Like, all these anxieties are just kind of come up for them because they know that they're kind of being watched and looked at and observed. And that's a pretty scary feeling. Sure.

So the first thing is really just explaining to them that everything's private, everything's confidential unless there's like some major form of risk, right? Like they're going to commit suicide. or something like that. And then after that, just welcoming them into the space and talking with them about what's been happening for them. Like, why did they decide they wanted to start therapies or anything pressing for them? And I think just giving them that level of consideration of really turning it into, like,

I'm here to assist you and what your needs are. I think that kind of helps. And also them knowing that, you know, this is not something that's going to be shared. It's literally illegal for me to share this. And then, like, once I start with that, it's a little easier to get into, like, the full assessment and figuring out what their whole. history is and different mental health challenges that man have come up for them or emotional states, how they were raised, all those sorts of things to really get a really layered look at them.

Now, you work with people in the mental health community. What conditions is it that you see? Is it schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, ADHD, or anxiety? With all the individuals that you work with, what would be the most common scenario that you would expect to see walk through your door? They're definitely spread out. I'd say I definitely get a lot of clients with ADHD, a lot of women with ADHD. In terms of bipolar disorder, we do have some clients with bipolar disorder for sure. Gizophrenia, not so much because that's really more of a particular clinical style and they also need more support than we're able to give. So we really weed through and assess carefully to make sure that we can provide them with the proper care and the services that they need when they reach out. I'd say our most common diagnoses that we see in people are like generalized anxiety disorder.

disorder, anxiety disorder, trauma, a lot of PTSD, a lot of trauma. Those are really the more common ones. And then yes, also definitely ADHD, bipolar disorder. Those are probably the most common ones. Okay. Now, do you see autistic people? They can have issues of trying to fit in, masking, all the things that go along with that. Do you see them at all? Yeah, we do see them. Like, that's not our particular focus, but it's become something that we've had to learn and really learn how to do and understand and assess and a population we've had to learn to work with more. Just because I think that not that there are more diagnoses, but I think that there's just a little bit more of an awareness around it now. So when we have couples coming in with

communication issues or challenges or somebody's coming in and they've had like repeated relationship challenges at work, at home and all these different areas of their life, as we kind of peel back the layers and like really get to know them and understand them. A lot of times you do see that someone's somewhere on the autism spectrum, you know. Do you find yourself working with a lot of therapists that are trying to expand themselves? Or do you find yourself working with a larger group of people that could walk in off the street? Or do you find yourself doing both? It's really, well, I'd say I'd do more direct client services to people who want care than anything else.

But it is definitely part of my mission to train other therapists and help them to get into this field, especially women. And also, in addition to that, especially women of color, only because through my own journey, that was very challenging. Getting into this field, a lot of times when you're in, you know, these different careers, it's hard to get a mentor. It's hard to get somebody to help you take your stuff to that level or understand what those steps would look like, even if you have the licensure, you know. So that's always been something really important to me.

That makes total sense. I think it's interesting you bring up challenges because everybody faces their own challenges. Absolutely. Yeah. What were some of the challenges that you face? and are you able to use those challenges that you face and overcome to help people overcome their own challenges? Yeah. So you mean like life challenges in general? How far do you want me to go back, Tony? Yeah. I guess a good place to start is some of the challenges that you faced that you might

have thought held you back some or in your mind you thought held you back. But then when you faced them, you found out that it really didn't help you back and you move forward. Yeah. You know, this is an interesting one. I think the biggest challenge that held me back was for me growing up in a community where I didn't see success that looked like me. I didn't see people that look similar to me in professional roles. Nobody in my family except for one aunt, my aunt Lauren, had a college degree.

So it was like, can I really do this? Can I really go to college? Can I really, you know, do these things? Am I smart enough? Am I capable enough? And I have to say, in all honesty, it was probably my sister, Gail, who really believed in me the most,

my older sister, and I'm one of seven. Okay. My sister Gail believed in me the most. And she was like, absolutely, you can do this. You've got this. If anybody can do this, Amir, it's you.

And so I think she said something to me that has stuck with me all my life, which was, don't stop yourself, let other people stop you. So just that belief in self, trying, even when you're afraid, and you haven't seen it done before. I think that that's probably one of the biggest obstacles,

the personal deep work that I had to do for me just to believe that it was possible for me. I think that's great. It just shows everybody that something can happen if you try. So what college did you go to? So I went to all uni all the way, so City University of New York, the least expensive systems that I possibly could find.

Lehman College is where I got my bachelor's degree. I graduated magna cum laude. I had an amazing experience with the social work faculty there. And then I went to Thilberman School of Social Work at Hunter College, an advanced program, which is really incredibly competitive and also incredibly inexpensive, which is also part of CUNY. So those were the two schools that I went to for my education and training. Wow, that's great.

Now, you say you focus on women of color and sometimes you will get men. What are some of the challenges that you see or they may see that they are going through? I think a lot of the self-belief across the board for Bipak folk and also for women and also for poor white folk, I think belief in oneself is a massive challenge for lots of populations that are not considered the ideal population. Right. So I think that's one, but I also think that just having the multiple demands, right? So having a family where you might be the only one to go to college or one of a couple and then having to take care of parents, grandparents, siblings, these of the nephews need help. So lots of like financial and personal obligations that other people might not have who are also in the field or in the profession. Okay.

I think that's one. Then also, I think, finding the opportunities and opportunities that they can actually do, right? Because a lot of the people that I work with in my practice as like clinicians coming in and also buy-ins are dealing with some of the same similar stuff, which is like not enough income and not enough opportunity and trying to figure out how to create the best out of a situation where they're just, were there maybe, you know, really challenged with finding what they need? Sure. That makes perfect sense. Now, do you see most of your clients in the city? What locations are you finding them from?

Yeah, well, it's in New York. New York State we cover all of New York State. We see most of our clients virtual, but we started in Brooklyn in bedside. We were in person there until the pandemic had. We had a few offices there. And then we've gone online, haven't gone back. Yes, the pandemic changed everything. for sure. So where do you find that your clients fall into? Is it middle class, lower middle class,

working class with a little higher income? Where do they fall? Or is it a combination of everyone? I would say it's a combination of all. We definitely have a combination. I'd say we get the most of our clients are probably working class. After working class, middle class and after middle class upper income folk. But I'd say the bulk are working and lower middle class people. So do you see a lot of the same challenges across the board? I mean, a lot of people think that if you make a lot of money, that everything's okay. And we know that that's not the truth. Absolutely.

So do you see a lot of those things coincide with everyone, no matter what the income range may be? I think, you know, it's really hard when a person has lots of means and still can't find satisfaction in life and has to do a lot of work to find joy and satisfaction. In one way, that's an incredibly difficult challenge, right? Like having all the means that you can possibly have and still not being able to find joy. So I think that's definitely one that I've seen. And then I think in terms of the working class group,

I think really finances, child care, understanding trauma, understanding the impacts of trauma, police brutality, poor housing, understanding all of these different things and the impact on their lives, living in rural areas. We have clients who live in rural parts in New York. So just really understanding how the environment has impacted them and what those challenges have meant for them and how they can make changes. I think that's also been incredibly hard. Okay, so I've always been interested

when you have someone that comes to you. They seem to have the perfect life, good job, good family. Everything seems to be in place, yet they just are not happy. How do you approach that? I mean, it's an internal thing. They are going through something, but you got to dig it out. You got to find out what is causing it. What is the root cause? So I would think that that could be very challenging as well. So how do you approach that?

It absolutely is. It absolutely is. So I really use a lot of literature and research in my work sometimes with those sorts of clients. And so what we know from studies is that happiness comes from being part of community, happiness comes from a sense of belonging, happiness comes from generosity. connection and giving. That's what all the studies have shown. So I challenged them to do things like, well, how are you connecting with your family? Is there a church or a spiritual group or a mission that you'd like to be part of where you'd feel a sense of connection? How can you give to the community

that you're part of or the community that you care about? How can you give and stay connected or get connected if you're not feeling connected? Literally finding ways to be part of a group and also to be an active, useful part of a group in terms of giving and having that role of like connecting through care for others. That's what research has shown is part of what makes people happy. So I work with them on having them take those actual steps. How do you get them to do that? I mean, sometimes they could be afraid to come out of that shell for whatever reason it may be. They might have that preconception that the more they open up, the more vulnerable they are. They might feel like because of that they'll get taken advantage of.

So that's a tough thing to overcome. How do you approach that? Yeah. I mean, I talk about it very transparently, right? And also there are ways to give and connect without having to become like a mark, right? There are ways to do things where you don't feel like you are going to be used or misused. You might feel like you are, but you won't allow it to happen. So I talk also with them about boundaries.

But I think that once we get to about session four or five, they usually feel pretty safe and vulnerable enough to really speak to those things. And I just address them authentically and honestly, well, yeah, you know, you feel this way and I can understand it, right? Usually I can fully understand it and what their experiences have been or why they may feel that way. But you're not happy. And if we're going to get you to the next step, then something has to change. So these are the things that I know can help that usually do help. Do you want to try them or do you want to try something else? Or are you just kind of content where you are? And I just kind of lay it out there really honestly and transparently and let them make the decision that's going to work for them. Yeah, totally makes sense. Now, we're living in a society that's changed over the last five or ten years. Yeah. Some of that has put a lot of pressure on people. They're afraid of losing their jobs.

All the social change is happening. I mean, we can create a list of things. Yeah. How do you address something like that? I mean, that's not anything that anyone can control. Then when we look at things that's going on in the world, and then what's going on in our little part of the world, it's still something we can't control.

So how do you help them get to a better place? So at least they are not stressing out about things that are out of their control. Yeah, I think that's a great question. And I just want to add, I've had clients who have already lost their jobs on the changes that have happened. My husband's about to lose this job based on the change that has happened. And my clients, many of my clients, get on and are like, this is horrible, my cousin just lost her job. I don't know what's next. Will I have health care?

I can't control it. I'm spiraling. Like that, I have a good number of clients who are going through that and jump on every session and want to start there. And I'm open for it because they're really in crisis. But the way to really look at that sort of a situation is it's true. Validate that. We don't have control over that, right?

So what are we doing? We don't have control over a situation where we are really at risk, right? First of all, we express ourselves. We find people that we can talk to who share a common belief system where we can express how we're feeling on a regular basis and get empathy and understanding and just that. shared sense of expression and understanding with each other helps. Second thing that we do is we find the ways to take care of ourselves on a daily basis every single day to provide ourselves with a sense of calm and peace going through the world. So I may not be able to change what's funded or not

funded throughout our country and the world, but I can take control over my day. I can control getting up at the same time. I can control meditating in the morning. I control having tea. I can control calling my aunt in the afternoon. I can control certain things. I can control going to bed. I can control the sense of normalcy in my life. Those are really great points. Are there any other subjects that you add to that to help them feel better about themselves and what they're going through? The third thing that I think is really important is to find a way to be active. Find a way to be active with these things that are causing you pain, that are causing you this trouble, that you're worried about that you're saying, are you going to, whether it's writing a letter or writing two letters

or signing up for one of those email, one of those systems where they send you an email and ask you to, you know, send this to your congressperson, whether it's that you want to march, whether it's that you want to go to church and pray with a group about these issues. whatever's going to work for you, finding a way to be active in it. So those three things. One is taking care of yourself day to day and having your routine. The second is doing the things that are connecting with community. And the third is, you know, really making sure that you find the way that you can be active and work against the things that are harming you or that you feel harmful in a way that are manageable, right? Because I'd never tell people like, oh, yeah, go out and protest. But what feels okay for you and the reality of your 40 plus hour a week and your wife and your three

kids, right? Yeah, those are all great, valid points. Now, if a person needs meds or they just need some little help, are you in a position where you can help them? Do you write them or do you just turn them on to someone that can help them get what they need? Yeah, so we do turn them to someone else to do that. So we have a few someone else's, though. We have three psychiatrists that we work with on a regular basis and have built relationships with. So we have those individuals that we refer directly to, and we usually share information, and, you know, it's helpful, right? Because a lot of times with the prescription, it's not a one-time deal. They have to go back. They have to get it refined. Is medication working? What are the side effects? Is it too strong? Is it too weak? Do they need something

else altogether? Like, it's a whole process. So we've built relationships with a few specific providers to make that process easier for them and for us. Yeah. Everything you said is just so true. So how long have you been doing this with your practice? So I started my practice in October of 2011 in the basement of my home in Brooklyn. So it's been almost 14 years. Wow, 14 years. So what are some of the changes that you've seen from when you started to where you are now? In terms of the practice?

Yeah, your practice, the type of people you're seeing, the challenges, are they any different? the emotions of the way people are handling things. Just overall, have you noticed a difference between the way people acted and reacted when you started to where you are now? I'd say yes, there has been a dramatic change. I think probably about eight years or so ago, there became a really big change where people, anxiety started. I'd say probably actually around COVID, about four years ago. When COVID started, that was a more significant shift in terms of like the, amount of anxiety and trauma and loss that people were dealing with. And then with the current

political climate, that's been stepped up again. Now it feels very similar to that time where people are like, every day I'm getting calls and people are reaching out and my client base is, you know, worried and afraid and uncertain and having to intentionally, I'm having to intentionally work with them on finding peace and finding some sense of control in their environment. Yeah, I see where so many people have been affected by so many different things. Now, you work with you. with men, you work with women, you work with any children at all. Me personally, I work with adults. I have worked with children in the past, but it's really challenging for me for lots of reasons, just in terms of like a lot of times with children, the issue really lies in like they're parenting

and the way they're being parented and the situations around them. Sometimes they have their own specific issues, but it's really a family approach is needed a lot of times when children are involved. Parents are working or busy or uncertain of how to deal with it. So I find that dynamic really challenging. And I also just love and enjoy working with adults. So I focus more on adults, some adolescents, but I'd say my prime group is 18 to 75, probably. Wow, that's a wide age variance there. Now, what percentage of women versus men do you work with? Oh, I'd say at this point, earlier in my practice, that's one change that has happened. I probably had maybe 40% men, 60% women. Now I have about 90% women, 10% men. And I market more directly and explicitly to women now.

Okay. So earlier you mentioned you worked with more women of color than others. Does that still hold true? Or are you expanding to many different people? We have a blend, but it is more women of color. But we do have a blend. We definitely have a good percentage of women or not. Yeah. And that's the main thing. If you can help someone, I mean, that's your goal is to help everybody that you can help. Now, I understand that you have something else on the side that's kind of like a course to help people. Can you expand on that a little? Well, one thing that I do, but I feel like almost embarrassed to mention it. I have a private practice course that I also give my clinicians for free when they work with me. And I also do have some trainings that I do around private practice building.

So that's one other thing that I do. I think that's great. The more people you help, the more people they help. So it's a really great thing that you're doing. Now, when you get into subjects with people, I'm sure it can get pretty dark at times. So when that darkness starts coming out and you feel their pain, how do you turn it around to help them? Yeah. So I explore the ugly part with them too. And I talk about the ugly part and then I talk about and I compare and I have them think through with me creatively. Like, well, who do you, who else might be dealing with this sort of a challenge? What about this group? or what about that person you know? Or could you see this happening to someone who was dealing with X, Y, Z? And they're able to usually kind of like normalize the struggle and some of the challenges that they deal with, for sure. Yeah, I think that's a good way to handle it.

I mean, this is a tough world right now. It's probably one of the toughest we've ever seen. It definitely triggers people's anxieties and touches on so many things. So with all the anxieties just happening, we just have to find a way to get it back to at least, more structured, peaceful form of living so people can build their lives, move on with the lives, and then hopefully thrive. Absolutely. So what would you like to tell the listeners that you feel they really need to hear? Something that tells them what you're doing, what you're

trying to do, what you're accomplishing, maybe things that can give them hope that their lives can change as well. Yeah, thank you. I love that question. So I think a couple of things, one is to look at things from through a historical lens. There have always been, and every, you know, a couple hundred or so years, there are all sorts of different challenges that tend to pop up. So, you know, we're not dealing with any challenges except for the global warming stuff that are brand new, right? Like, these are things that have happened and they've happened in the U.S., and they've happened all in other parts of the world, and we get through them. And it's not easy, and it's not saying that no one's going to suffer or there won't be harm done,

but we managed to get through and get to a sense of a normal place again, right? It can take a while, but it will likely happen. And the other thing I think that's really important is that people understand that their fears and their feelings, their concerns are normal, and that they should connect with others who they feel understand them, and they need to take good care of themselves nowadays, right? take really good care, take an exercise class, or do a YouTube video, work out, or go for a bike ride, or, you know, go to bed at the same time every night at the very least. Like, take care of yourself because it is a challenging time, and you can come through at less skates.

Or you don't skates, who knows, if you do some of those things. Yeah, that's absolutely true. Well, this has been great. Good conversation, good information. I really appreciate you taking the time to join us today. Terrific. Thank you so much. I really appreciate you having me. I really, really do. So thank you. Oh, it's my pleasure. Thanks again. Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to listen to our show today.

We hope you enjoyed it as much as we enjoyed bringing it to you. If you know someone who has a story to share, tell them to contact us at why not me. One last thing. Spread the word about why not me. Conversations, our inspiring guests, this show, you are not alone in this world.