To many, Dr. Diem Mooney’s story may seem extraordinary, but he believes others could be just as successful if they are evaluated in a better way.
He is a psychologist and human experience advocate who completed his bachelors, masters, and doctorate degrees each in one year. This all happened in spite of dropping out of college three times and having to leave his position as a midshipman in the Naval Academy after recording a perfect score on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). “I faced the same challenges in all those situations. I could not focus or produce in such structured environments,” stated Mooney, whose autism means that he learns and processes in a non-traditional way.
Disconnect Between Ability and Schooling
His interest in psychology began early as he navigated through the educational system. “I was diagnosed with autism at about age four or five so psychology has always been around me. I had RBT (rational behavior therapy) therapists through special needs classes I was placed in throughout my early schooling because I was considered low functioning and slow,” he explained. “Psychology is a specialist profession that I was always interested in. I don’t process social norms or emotional situations like others do. I had to study it and look at it from a theoretical perspective to interact with others more effectively. I actually needed to study it to understand people and live around others. Emotional intelligence and behavior modification are things I know very well from my own experience.”
After being labeled as a slow learner in grade school, Mooney skipped two grades and graduated high school early, earning an academic scholarship to college based on a nearly perfect ACT score. “I was very advanced in some areas like math and reading, but I could only learn in a special way. I don’t learn from complying with what I am told to do,” Mooney related. “Subjects like physics were ideal for me because of the critical thinking needed. I always knew I learned differently from others, so I kept my mind occupied with special interests.”
The key to Mooney getting his college degrees came in the form of online learning. “That worked better for me because of the customized programs. Also, I only had to talk with teachers if I needed them, which I rarely did,” he laughed. “It started with me getting my associates degree in eight months and then earning the other degrees quickly. I plan to get my DBA (Doctor of Business Administration) next summer. I have to be able to do it my way and am more successful when I can interpret information and perform my way.”
Finding His Niche in Psychology
Through his residency program, Mooney discovered that clinical work was not what he wanted to do. “Then I did some BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst) healing with autism, but one-on-one interactions were not my strong suit at the time. Without the empathy and social capability at the time, I didn’t have the appropriate skill set,” he acknowledged. “Through self-reflection, I realized my strengths are critical thinking, problem solving, and creating strategy. I like aggregating big data and looking at interventions to see what is most effective to develop models for individuals and organizations.”
That discipline of social psychology in research appealed to him not only as an interest, but something he had enjoyed experientially. “In my time in the military, I enjoyed working in career counseling and business analytics. I designed processes and interventions for military members and so I needed to transition from that work in the military to everyday work,” he described. “I want to make an impact on people and psychology in the workplace, narrowing in on that population.”
Mooney, who has worked remotely his entire career, has combined his technological knowledge and accessibility with his own lived experience to make a difference. “I started with consulting and seeking new opportunities in multiple fields and industries, living in many states and even countries. That was particularly great for me financially, but not as much in terms of stability,” he commented.
“Teaching is always something I have thought about, which would require overcoming my own doubts. I have heard those internal voices that say, ‘You can’t learn so you can’t teach’ or ‘How can I teach another person when I can’t learn?’ I have faced that anxiety head on and have accepted a role as a professor in the fall,” he continued. “This gives me the opportunity to have an impact on individuals instead of vast numbers. I want to engage with these 20 or so people and evaluate them more effectively than I was evaluated.”
Presenting Outside of ‘The Norm’
Being Black and Latinx, and with his tattoos and dreadlocks, Mooney not only acknowledges that his appearance differs from the mostly homogenous spaces he enters, but he celebrates that. “From my perspective, psychologists have the opportunity to make change and be a voice for those whose voices have often been silenced or not heard. I can connect to others and relate to them through a multitude of experiences in very specific ways,” he pointed out. “I want to be that splash of color and change of perspective. I want people to know things don’t have to be done the way they have always been done.”
He is adamant about using the privilege he now has to benefit others. “I know I am privileged to be in these spaces without having to worry about finances. I can push the envelope. I am always that person who is willing to face rejection so that the next people in a similar role won’t face as much pushback because those in the majority have heard it before,” he expressed.
Another way that Mooney presents differently from preconceived notions of what psychologists should look like or be like is identifying as nonbinary. “In our household, we don’t align with, or follow standards of, gender roles. We have our own personalities and that works for us. As a couple, we allow our (kindergarten age) son to express himself in whatever way he wants to present to the world,” he articulated. “At one time, our son wanted his room pink with superheroes, so I was there painting away. Then he shifted to wanting his room blue with dinosaurs. We want to allow children to be themselves in ways we never were.”
Mooney was always far more comfortable with himself than others were with him. “When I was growing up in Alabama, I was always told to be less of myself. Once no one was directing who I had to be, I took off by doing my own thing,” he communicated. “I understand that I have the privilege to be myself and be successful, while some have to choose one or the other. It can be debilitating to make assumptions about others and ourselves. It is when we see how flawed our social cognition and our biases are that we truly learn and grow, challenging ourselves. When someone makes assumptions about me, it is not relevant to my life. They have boxed themselves in, not me.”
Turning Neurodiversity into Strength
Mooney stresses that having neurodiversity, a different way of doing things and thinking, is something to work with and make an asset. “I am very oriented to scheduling and set a time for everything, even for engaging on LinkedIn. I do one-on-one sessions with CEOs (Chief Executive Officers) and entrepreneurs, but I have to prioritize that and manage my time effectively,” he stated. “Allocate what is most important to you and implement that into your life.”
He makes sure that if he does post on social media that he has time to answer questions that may follow. “I block off one or two hours to be available for discussion after I post. It is also why I generally post once every week or every other week,” he conveyed. “If I don’t have time to follow up, I won’t post. I don’t want to put something out and not be receptive. It is a learning opportunity.”
Though he overcame the negative assessments of his intellect and abilities attributed to him in traditional educational settings, Mooney is all too well aware that many do not find their way through it. “My siblings continue to have a lot of challenges because of our upbringing (including homelessness). They took to heart the negative things they were told,” he disclosed. “Of the four of us, I am the only one who made it out defying those limitations. How many others are not able to make it out?”
“We are all good at certain things and look at things in a way that may not fit conventionally. When we see people from that perspective, we open the door for their success, particularly for non-heard populations, including many of my own identities — a young (I am much younger than most of my colleagues), Black, non-binary, autistic, veteran,” he concluded. “In psychology, we don’t say that the participant is bad or wrong, but we figure out how we can effectively evaluate and help them. That is how I would like to approach everyone.”