Derrick Sebree Jr., PsyD

Dr. Sebree is a Core Faculty member of the MA program. He graduated with his doctorate degree in clinical psychology from the Michigan School of Psychology in 2016. He has since conducted his clinical work in the Ann Arbor area, working with a variety of populations, with a focus on young college students and adults within the University of Michigan system. Dr. Sebree also works with the United Methodist Church as a Ministerial Assessment Specialist, where he conducts psychological assessments for pastoral candidates going for licensure. Dr. Sebree received his MECCA Certificate in Multicultural Counseling from MSU. He specializes in multicultural identity theory and counseling, alongside this is Dr.Sebree’s specialty in ecopsychology/ecotherapy. Dr. Sebree’s dissertation focused on the relationship between racial identity development and connection to nature. In his time during graduate training and prior, Dr. Sebree has worked with various social justice organizations in Detroit around food security and other environmental justice issues. Coupled with organizing group social justice community gardening events, Dr. Sebree has an extensive background in community-oriented social justice work.

Dr. Sebree’s community-oriented social justice praxis is emphasized in his teaching and mentorship. Dr. Sebree has been an active member of the for the Society for Humanistic Psychology, APA Division 32 since joining as a student in 2007. He has undertaken different leadership positions within the division, serving as a Member-at-Large, chair of the EcoJustice Task Force and co-chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee, and Membership chair for the organization. Dr. Sebree has served as a mentor for BIPOC students, promoting inclusivity, hospitality, and scholarly diversity. Dr. Sebree serves as a board member for the 501c3 non-profit, The Humanitarian Alliance, which works to promote psychological, social, and ecological justice.

Education

• PsyD, Michigan School of Psychology (formerly Michigan School of Professional Psychology)
• MA, Michigan School  of Psychology (formerly Michigan School of Professional Psychology)
• BA, University of Michigan                   

Licensure

• Licensed Psychologist – Michigan

Areas of Expertise

• Ethnic & Racial Identity
• African American Psychology
• Multicultural Counseling & Psychology
• Ecopsychology & Ecotherapy
• Social Justice Counseling
• Anti-Racism counseling

  Selected Publications

 Moats, M., Sebree, Jr., D., Belton, G., & Hoffman, L (Eds.). (2019). A Walk with nature: Poetic encounters that nourish the soul. University Professors Press.

 Selected Presentations

McIntosh, D., Craft, A., & Sebree Jr, D. (2020, March 19-22). The Trump effect and the implications for racial implicit bias [Conference session]. SHP 2020 Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA, United States.

https://shpconference.com/s/2020-SHP-Conference-Schedule-1.pdf (Conference canceled)

McKissic, A., Perlstein, J., Ingle, M., & Sebree Jr, D. (2020). Power and vulnerability: experiential workshop on the politics of gender [Conference session]. SHP 2020 Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA, United States. https://shpconference.com/s/2020-SHP-Conference-Schedule-1.pdf

(Conference canceled)

Sebree, D., Kassab, C., & Williams, J. (2019). A Critical approach to equity and equality: Moving towards a humanistic justice orientation [Conference session]. SHP 2019 Annual Conference, Corvallis, OR.

Sebree, D., Bargdill, R., & Ingle, M. (2019). Men’s Group: Addressing Male Vulnerability as a Corrective Action in the #MeToo Era [Conference session]. SHP Annual Conference, Corvallis OR, United States.

Sebree, D. (2017). Investigation of the interaction between ethnic identity and relationship to nature [Conference session]. SHP 2017 Annual Conference, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.

Professional Memberships

• American Psychological Association
• Association of Black Psychologists
• APA Division 32: Society for Humanistic Psychology
  • Member-at-Large
  • Membership Chair
• APA Division 34: Environmental Psychology

Q&A

• Please describe your teaching philosophy.

I feel strongly about pedagogy and teaching philosophy, harking to Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed and many other critical consciousness and liberation philosophies when teaching graduate students. I take a developmental teaching approach, with praxis in social justice and empowerment. I grew up knowing the weight of systemic oppression and being taught education is part of how you get out of that system. I want students to have access to me and my knowledge, with the hope of helping them discover their gifts, skills, strengths, and limitations as they navigate the complexity of graduate education. To me, this means promoting student’s exploration and learning through narratives, experientials, and knowledge. Helping graduate students understand themselves within the context of the systems at play will help them become better clinicians and educators.

“If you have come here to help me you are wasting your time, but if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.” – Lilla Watson

• What advice would you give to a student entering the Michigan School of Psychology?

If you are at this threshold, you have more personal power than you may realize. Trust the process.