African Psychology :Going Beyond the Psychology that Enslaved Us

Speaker

About this talk

Dr Erica McInnis challenges dominant Western psychological frameworks that have historically ignored, pathologised, or harmed African and Black communities. She calls for a conscious shift toward African-centred psychology one that honours culture, collective identity, spirituality, and lived experience. The talk is a powerful invitation to decolonise the mind, reclaim psychological agency, and embrace healing approaches rooted in African wisdom, dignity, and self-definition. Dr Erica McInnis is a Chartered and Consultant Clinical Psychologist born and raised in Manchester to Jamaican parents who met in Trafford in the 1960s. With over 20 years’ experience across NHS, academic, and community settings, she specialises in African-centred psychological healing and community-rooted care. A visiting university lecturer, Dr McInnis teaches on how to embed psychological practice within cultural and community contexts. In 2025, she addressed the psychological legacy of enslavement at an international Restorative Justice forum in Nantes, France, and previously spoke at the High Commission for Trinidad and Tobago on the Windrush Maafa. Founder of Nubia Wellness and Healing CIC, Dr McInnis delivers culturally syntonic therapy, healing groups, and wellness tools inspired by African Psychology. Her work honours ancestral wisdom while empowering collective resilience, grounded in heritage, rising toward wholeness. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx