Dr. Barbara Ford Shabazz

Dr. Barbara Ford Shabazz
Dr. Barbara Ford Shabazz is currently the Psychology Program Director at South University, author of Intentional Balance, and the owner of Intentional Activities. For over 20 years, she has served students, clients, and the larger community as an instructor, advisor, speaker, consultant, therapist, and coach. Her clinical training commenced during an undergraduate practicum, where she initiated a collaborative partnership among the community elementary school teachers, parents, students, and university practicum enrollees. She has worked primarily in the Hampton Roads Virginia area with the community services board, various high schools, therapeutic foster care agencies, a pediatric medical practice, and a non-profit organization. Dr. Shabazz had the opportunity to hone her expertise in the mental health field through participating in her doctoral internship with Kern County Mental Health and practicing as a Resident in Psychology with a local psychotherapy practice, which provides services to a broad spectrum of clients. Close relationships with community organizations have helped to inform this educator's roles and responsibilities in academia. Dr. Shabazz not only facilitated a myriad of psychology courses for her alma mater's undergraduate and graduate programs, participated in student advising, and created a student-led colloquium series for the senior citizen neighbors, but she also had the honor of being recognized as favorite faculty. Additional classroom experience has offered invaluable lessons for practical application. Her position as an online professor helped to ensure competence with current trends and best practices in the field. More recently, Dr. Barbara has been drawn to the study of positive psychology, which was the impetus for seeking certification with the Coaching and Positive Psychology Institute. As a practicing certified personal and executive coach, her goal with Intentional Activities is to tap into the inherent strengths of each client, equipping them with the tools necessary to live a more action-oriented and authentic life. Dr. Shabazz earned her B.A. in psychology from Norfolk State University. She subsequently attended Regent University where she completed the requirements for her M.A. in Community and School Counseling , and Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. She is in a unique position to effect change from the classroom to the community, as she adeptly bridges theory and practice in her work with diverse populations. BARBARA FORD SHABAZZ PSY.D. , CPEC CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST, CERTIFIED PERSONAL AND EXECUTIVE COACH 757.305.7656 [email protected] www.intentionalactivities.com

Blogs by Dr. Barbara Ford Shabazz

denial and unresolved trauma

Denial: The Danger in Rejecting Reality

“Denial was a weapon; it killed truth, numbed the mind, and I was a junkie.” – John Hart If you read the title and thought, “Oh, I don’t struggle with that,” then this post might be for you. In fact, one of Western society’s biggest problems is rooted in the defense mechanism theorized by psychoanalyst… Read more »

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Resolve over Resolution 

It’s almost trendy for people to say that they don’t make resolutions and rightfully so, as we’re overwhelmingly likely to abandon those resolutions by mid-February. Resolutions are external statements that we typically bring up at cocktail parties. Conversely, having resolve is taking a raw, honest look at a situation and saying, “I am going to… Read more »

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celebrating the holidays

How to Have Happy (“Covid-Free”) Holidays! 

Whether you choose to celebrate during the holiday season or not, it can be a stressful time of year for various reasons. To further complicate the logistics of celebratory planning, the pandemic serves as an extra layer of angst to navigate. For some of you, this is a welcome inconvenience, especially if it allows an… Read more »

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control what you can control

“Control What You Can:” Breaking Down This Not-so-easy Action Into 5 Manageable Steps

Terrified, exhausted, super scared, fearful, bracing, holding, preparing, anxious, fatigued, dreading, panicked, hopeful, fierce, steady. These are the words that people have used to describe their visceral feelings in this moment. ‘Control what you can’ is a prescriptive offered by many helping professionals to take the focus away from what is outside of our power and… Read more »

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I see you. I hear you. It is so: The powerful tool of acknowledgment in achieving self actualization

Have you ever worked hard to complete a task, and your efforts seemed to go unnoticed? Have you ever been the one who was guilty of not being cognizant? As the receiver, it can feel incredibly frustrating and dehumanizing not to enjoy the privilege of receiving acknowledgment. According to Abraham Maslow (1943), our psychological health… Read more »

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An Apple (computer) For the Teacher: Navigating Homeschool, While Keeping Your Social Distance and Sanity

“You can’t always know the end from the beginning.” This is advice that my mom has been giving me for years. My inclination, as a planner, has always been to shrug it off and roll my eyes…until I had to start telling my college sophomore and rising high school senior the same, in preparation for… Read more »

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why performative allyship isn't enough

Box, checked!: Why performative allyship isn’t sustainable

“Hey, would you mind getting off the line so the VP can speak freely…He likes to speak without being censored.” These were the words from a White colleague to my Black friend, on a conference call last week. Instead of dealing with the organizational backlash for the racially insensitive comments he knew would ensue from… Read more »

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Nmuted: The Necessary Discomfort in Acknowledging America’s Racial Pandemic

UNmuted: The Necessary Discomfort in Acknowledging America’s Racial Pandemic

When Africans arrived in the New World, they weren’t allowed to read or write. Transmitting information orally was the only way that the slaves were able to retain their culture from generation to generation. Today, that oral tradition is reflected in storytelling, rap music, and spoken word performance. This type of expression is normatively accepted… Read more »

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emotional contagion covid-19 coronavirus

Emotional Contagion and the COVID-19

If you’re concerned about your health and safety, you should be. It’s human. But be cautious that your anxiety isn’t playing into a psychological phenomena. At this point, many of us could probably be employed as reporters to give detailed updates on the coronavirus. The informal running commentary, coupled with witnessing the headlines that stimulate… Read more »

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Losing Kobe: Why We Experience Grief and Sadness for People We’ve Never Met

When my oldest son called to share the devastating news with us, my mind wandered to memories of Lakers games we’d taken him to in Bakersfield, L.A., and Charlotte. At the time, we were ‘Californians’ and a trip to the Staples Center was quality family weekend time. Kobe was always there.  My youngest, a California… Read more »

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