In this episode, Patrick Casale talks with Marvin Toliver, LCSW, TEDx speaker, and founder of Dear Black Man, You Good?, about the realities of mental health work, decolonizing therapy, and building healing communities outside of traditional systems.

3 Key Takeaways:

Reclaim Your Accomplishments: As Marvin emphasized, marginalized clinicians are often taught to shrink themselves—owning your achievements creates space for others to see what’s possible.
Therapist Sustainability is Essential: The mental health field can leave therapists depleted, and viewing burnout as a sign of systemic issues—rather than personal failure—is so important. Therapy shouldn’t cost you your well-being.
Healing Goes Beyond the Office: Community-centered approaches and peer-led spaces (like Marvin’s men’s groups and the Train the Trainer Academy) acknowledge that powerful healing can happen outside of conventional therapy rooms.

More about Marvin:

Marvin (he/they) is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), speaker, and movement worker based in Philadelphia with over ten years of experience in mental health, community healing, and group facilitation. He is the owner of Reimagine Culture, LLC and founder of the nonprofit Dear Black Man, You Good?, where he advances decolonized and community-centered approaches to care. Marvin is a TEDx speaker and was featured as a cycle breaker in The Color of Care, a documentary produced by Oprah Winfrey. His work is grounded in reimagining mental healthcare beyond systems rooted in white supremacy.

Website: marvintoliver.com
Instagram: instagram.com/mtoliver_lcsw
Instagram: instagram.com/reimagineculture_llc

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Thanks to Our Sponsors: The Receptionist for iPad, Alma, & Portland, Maine, Summit 2026!

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Thanks to The Receptionist for iPad for sponsoring this episode.

The Receptionist for iPad is a HIPAA-ready digital check-in system that eliminates the need to walk back and forth from your office to the waiting room to see if your next appointment has arrived. Clients or patients can check in for their appointments, and you'll be immediately notified by text, email, or your preferred channel. Break free from interruptions and make the most of your time, because it is valuable. Start a free 14-day trial of the Receptionist for iPad by going to thereceptionist.com/privatepractice. Make sure to start your trial with that link to get your first month free if you decide to sign up.

✨ Alma

Thanks to Alma for sponsoring this episode.

Alma empowers you to confidently accept insurance backed by an all-in-one EHR that simplifies scheduling, documentation, and day-to-day practice operations. With a network of engaged providers and free CE courses, Alma makes it easy for you to build the practice of your dreams on your terms. Alma believes that when therapists get the support they need, mental healthcare gets better for everyone. Learn more at helloalma.com/ATPP.

✨ Portland, Maine, Summit 2026

The 2026 Doubt Yourself Do It Anyway Summit is happening for the first time in the United States in beautiful Portland, Maine, on September 1st–3rd, 2026. Portland, Maine, is a beautiful coastal city in the Atlantic Ocean. There's a lot of history there, and it's a very funky, creative, safe, walkable, diverse, and progressive city. You will get 9 NBCC CEs. We have ASWB pending—we'll make an announcement when that's finalized—and have 13 prolific industry leaders. This summit has always been about showing that our skills are applicable in so many different ways, and to motivate you to think bigger, grow in this profession, take more risks, work through self-doubt, and really embrace the doubt-yourself-do-it-anyway mentality. Spots are limited. Reserve your spot here: empoweredescapes.com/portland-maine-summit

Doubt yourself. Do it anyway. See you in Maine.

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Mentioned in this episode:

The Receptionist for iPad

The Receptionist for iPad is a HIPAA-ready digital check-in system that eliminates the need to walk back and forth from your office to the waiting room to see if your next appointment has arrived. Clients or patients can check in for their appointments, and you'll be immediately notified by text, email, or your preferred channel. Break free from interruptions and make the most of your time, because it is valuable. Start a free 14-day trial of the Receptionist for iPad by going to https://thereceptionist.com/privatepractice. Make sure to start your trial with that link to get your first month free if you decide to sign up.

Alma

Thanks to Alma for sponsoring this episode. Alma empowers you to confidently accept insurance backed by an all-in-one EHR that simplifies scheduling, documentation, and day-to-day practice operations. With a network of engaged providers and free CE courses, Alma makes it easy for you to build the practice of your dreams on your terms. Alma believes that when therapists get the support they need, mental healthcare gets better for everyone. Learn more at https://helloalma.com/ATPP.

Portland, Maine, ...

Episode 242: Advocacy Beyond 1:1 Therapy: Equity, Access, and Healing for Marginalized Communities [featuring Marvin Toliver]