Training Mind & Body

BY ABIGAIL HOLMES

New faculty member at Richard Bland College leaves counseling career 

to prepare students’ minds and reach a broader audience via a podcast. 

From the time Dr. Tamara Monet Baldwin Williams began preschool at 18 months old, her inquisitive personality pressed her to understand how the minds of people work. At 20 years old, she was equipped with a Bachelor’s in Psychology from Spelman College. She later earned her Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Clinical Psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. 

When Dr. Williams began her career in clinical psychology at a counseling center, she never imagined she would end up teaching college students. Working as a counselor in school, prison, and medical settings left her unsatisfied with the number of people she could help. “I’ve experimented with many methods to try and reach people, even a podcast and a reality tv show, and I’ve found that teaching is the best method.” Williams continues, “Education is teaching people how to fish instead of bringing them the fish.” 

In 2008, she began teaching in her hometown at Hampton University, readying students for their future lives and careers through the exploration of mind and behavior. Williams found that the dynamic of teaching allowed her to share her passion with the most people in the least amount of time. Recently accepting a faculty position at Richard  Bland College, she hopes to continue giving students a step up in their educations and future careers. She comments, “I love what I do! My job is to get students ready, and theirs is to stay ready.” 

Dr. Williams is a huge proponent of accountability, showing her students that their situations do not limit what they can accomplish. She has high expectations and is a stickler for dates because she takes her students’ studies as seriously as they should and wants them to succeed. “There is no growth in the comfort zone,” Williams would remark. Besides, she is also their enthusiastic cheerleader and constant supporter. 

“I like to show students that you can do what you love,” says Williams. In recent years, she has become a motivational speaker and co-host of a podcast called “Sunday Brunch,” airing every Sunday at noon on WHOV 88.1 iHeartRadio. Williams loves helping a broad audience understand psychology and various table discussions in a way that applies to them. 

A few years ago, Dr. Williams wrote her psychology textbook, “The Science of Psychology: An Introduction,” published by Kendall Hunt. The text uses application as a learning tool to help students understand how the material relates to real-world scenarios. She has also published a life coaching talk called “10 Key Steps to Developing a Winning Mindset,” which she employs through her business, Willing a Win Enterprises. 

Out of all her endeavors, Dr. Williams is proudest when she hears that she is a student’s favorite professor or has helped someone with her talks. She firmly believes in helping people achieve healthy and happy lifestyles and serving her family, church, and community. She reminds us, “If we can get our minds right, then our lives will follow.”

“I love what I do. My job is to get students ready, and theirs is to stay ready.” 

Dr. Tamara Williams