For Martha Njoku, arriving at the home of a new mother — often someone who arrived in Canada only months earlier — bringing food is more than a courtesy. It is a way to create comfort and safety from the moment she steps in.
“For many cultures, food is a bridge. When I show up with a warm meal, it signals: ‘This isn’t a stranger. This is Martha. I’m safe here.’ It’s a simple gesture, but it opens the door to trust.”
Njoku’s private practice both shapes and is shaped by her PhD research, which explores how Canadian mental health care often fails to meet the needs of Black and racialized Canadians, particularly individuals living with psychotic disorders.
Her path into this work crystallized while volunteering at Montreal’s Douglas Mental Health University Institute, where she saw firsthand how existing systems were falling short.
“Everything I saw was curated through a Eurocentric, Western lens. Many of the people I supported couldn’t connect with it — it didn’t reflect their reality, their history, or the way they made meaning of their experiences.”
That realization became the foundation of her doctoral studies.
“I began to see a significant disconnect — the policies looked good on paper, but they didn’t align with people’s lived realities. That gap stayed with me. I felt an urgency to shift the lens. We needed to look at mental health care beyond Eurocentric frameworks and truly see people through their own cultural and lived experiences.”
Throughout her research, Njoku has interviewed social workers, service providers, and service users to better understand how new immigrants and refugees interact with mental health services. She also examines census trends to identify which groups may be underserved or silently struggling.
Something as simple as the phrasing of assessment questions — such as describing sadness as feeling “blue” — can be inaccessible or culturally irrelevant to non English speakers.
“There’s a real disconnect here. Mental health care can become so focused on pathology that it forgets the person. My work is about centring the individual — their story, their context, their strength — not just their symptoms.”
In her private practice, that person-centred approach often includes adapting the environment itself. Walking sessions can support clients who process emotions physically. Home visits can soften the formality of care and help trust develop more naturally.
Njoku has broadened her advocacy through OASW’s Board of Directors, joining as a Student Director in 2025. Supporting social work students and emerging scholars is one of her priorities.
“I genuinely believe students and emerging scholars are essential to shaping the future of our profession. Their perspectives, questions, and energy push the field forward.”
Mentorship has always been woven into her work. As her own learning deepens, she continues to think about how mentorship can happen not only within organizations, but also within and across communities.
As an OASW member, she highlights how webinars — such as a recent session on ADHD — and access to insurance benefits strengthen her ongoing professional development.
Advice for Students: Start with the need
“I’ve been practicing for some time, and choosing to return to school wasn’t about pursuing credentials — it was about responding to a real need in my community.”
For Njoku, that need was clear: culturally grounded support for Black and African individuals living with psychotic disorders. That focus guided her research and kept her grounded through her academic journey.
Without a clear focus, she says, it’s easy to get pulled in too many directions.
“Reach out to professionals who can help you narrow your topic and refine your question. That clarity will protect your energy and help you stay grounded during your program.”