Episode Summary
In this episode of Mental Health Trailblazers: Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up, host Indrias Kassaye sits down with Dr. Shaquita ‘Hanifa Matuko’ Starks—a nurse practitioner, educator, MFP/ANA alumna, and spiritual minister who’s challenging the way we think about mental health care. Drawing from her clinical practice, research, and life experience, Dr. Starks offers a grounded and deeply human perspective on what it takes to truly support people who are navigating stress, trauma, and the everyday weight of caregiving—especially in communities where support can be hard to come by, and mental health struggles are often carried in silence.
Episode Notes
In this episode you will hear:
- Why so many caregivers fall through the cracks when it comes to mental health support
- How stress and trauma show up differently in different communities—and why we need better tools to recognize it
- What it means to bring faith, ritual, and spirituality into the healing process
- How nurses and future mental health professionals can show up with compassion, curiosity, and cultural humility
- What it looks like to truly see your patients—not just their symptoms
Dr. Starks is proof that there's more than one way to care—and that healing is about more than just medication and diagnosis. It’s about listening, respecting people’s full humanity, and tapping into what already keeps them strong.
Whether you’re a nursing student, an aspiring therapist, someone who’s been through hard things and exploring your own path to healing or supporting a loved one, or just curious about what real, inclusive care looks like—this conversation will stay with you.
Dr. Starks’ insights are a reminder that care doesn’t have to look one way—and that honoring the whole person is essential to helping them heal.
Nurses can earn free Continuing Nursing Education (CNE) credits for listening to this episode. Full details will be announced at the end of the season.