Ep. 142: Dr. Bianca Goodrum on the Courage to Cry and Having Favor on the Academic Job Market

Dr. Bianca Goodrum

Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision

University of Texas at San Antonio

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Thank you for tuning in to another episode of the Cohort Sistas Podcast. Here today to share her journey is Dr. Bianca Goodrum, a licensed counselor and assistant professor at Our Lady of the Lake University. Dr. Goodrum’s dissertation focused on the stories of grief counselors’ self-care and wellness practices and, in today’s episode, she shares her findings with us, along with how she has integrated these practices into her own work. She shares why it is important to externalize your experiences and how there is a lot of strength in crying, and we talk about her father’s work as a counselor, and what motivated her to choose the program she ended up pursuing, before exploring what it was like to study her doctorate while working full time. Next, we touch on the dangers of comparison and Dr. Goodrum tells us why she believes there is a seat for everyone at the table. You’ll hear about her experience of transitioning from a student to dissertation writer, to searching for a job, before detailing the rare story of moving from adjunct professor to tenure track professor. Dr. Goodrum believes that the more doors we close, the more the ones we want to go through will open, and her advice to young Black women entering the doctoral space includes being intentional about your decisions and finding someone you can cry in front of. Join us today to hear more!

Connect with Dr. Goodrum on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Key Points From This Episode:

• An introduction to today’s guest, Dr. Bianca Goodrum.

• Her academic background leading up to her tenure track assistant professor position.

• Why she believes the work of counseling is always about integrating. 

• How she cares for her health and wellbeing while walking people through difficult journeys.

• Her dissertation looking at the stories of grief counselors’ self-care and wellness practices.

• The deep work of prayer, meditation, and being honest with herself.

• Cry it out, sweat it out, pee it out: the advice she gives clients to externalize experiences. 

• How there is a lot of strength in crying and maintaining boundaries.

• Why she is in the helping profession: because she wants to help!

• The balance between boundaries and being human that she needs to strike in her work.

• How she came to be in the profession and decided to pursue a doctoral degree.

• Her father’s work as a counselor and how they have the same heart but different clients.

• What motivated her to choose the program she pursued. 

• How she experienced working full time whilst pursuing doctoral studies.

• The intentionality with which she built relationships and understood her limitations.

• Why it was an advantage to be in her mid-thirties by the time she pursued her studies. 

• How we all have different strengths and why it is important not to compare yourself.

• What it was like to transition from student to a dissertation writer to searching for a job.

• Why it is important to be honest with yourself about what you are and are not willing to do.

• The rare experience of moving from an adjunct professor to a tenure track professor.

• How she found serious favor by stepping into that role unexpectedly.

• The gratitude she feels for Our Lady of the Lake University for encouraging women and women of color to apply.

• Why representation matters and how one of Dr. Goodrum’s students told her why.

• Dr. Goodrum’s advice to Black women applying for doctoral studies: be reflective, be intentional about your decisions.

• Why she believes, the more doors we close, the more will open that we want to go through.

• The experience of crying in front of a mentor and the space her mentor gave her to do this.

• How powerful it is to find someone you can cry in front of.

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The Cohort Sistas Podcast brings to life the stories, struggles, and successes of Black women with doctoral degrees and their lives beyond the degree. If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community, sign up to do so here, and if you are looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our partnerships page. Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow The Cohort Sistas Podcast, rate the show, and leave us a quick review.