Masterclass Series by Distinguished Psychologists in African Psychology.

Dr Edwin J. Nichols, is a Clinical/Industrial Psychologist and one of the Founding Fathers of the Association of Black Psychologists (ABPsi). He specialises in Organization Development and is Director of Nichols and Associates, Inc., an applied behavioral science firm. 

The Philosophical Aspects of Cultural Difference affords insights into the essence of ethnic difference from the philosophical disciplines of Axiology, Epistemology, and Logic.

The awareness of self and others facilitates cultural competence in leadership, which affords the full utilization of a multiethnic, pluralistic and linguistically diverse workforce. This philosophy is now brought to the age of COVID-19 for us.

He has provided his model to Fortune 500 corporations, foreign governments, national government agencies, parastatals, associations, health and mental health systems.

Dr. Nichols served in the U.S Army during the Korean War, he has two adult children, Lisa Nichols, Phd Psychologist; Edwin-Louis Nichols, Shanghai broker and two grandchildren. We warmly welcome him to our first Masterclass series in the UK. We thank him for his service then and for the future. 

For over 40 years, Dr. Nobles has studied classical African philosophy (Kemet, Twa & Nubian) and traditional African wisdom traditions (Akan, Yoruba, Bantu, Wolof, Dogon, Fon, Lebou, etc) as the grounding for the development of an authentic Black psychology.

His professional career and life’s work has been no less than a formal engagement in the on-going theoretical development and programmatic application of African (Black) psychology, African centered thought, and cultural grounding to address the liberation and restoration of the African mind and world-wide development of African people. He has conducted eighty nationally funded community-based research, training and development projects.

He states, “I am a seeker of the Sakhu (illumination) because the African spirit is constantly with me and continually directs my path and purpose" He believes that the ‘community intelligence’ of the collective wisdom of those who currently call themselves Black, African, or Pan-African psychologists should consider the adoption of Skh Djaer as the proper nomenclature for the science of African human functioning.

He brings this expertise to the issue of COVID-19. We thank him for his many years of service and warmly welcome him to our first Masterclass series in the UK.

Dr Erica Mapule McInnis is a Chartered Clinical Psychologist (U.K.). She gained a Churchill Fellowship in 2016 to travel to the USA to study African Psychology. She is Black British of Jamaican parentage and founded Nubia Wellness and Healing in 2016 to disseminate her findings.

Speaking engagements include Kensington Royal Palace (2019), The High Commission for Trinidad and Tobago, Belgravia, London (2019) and the Association of Black Psychologists (ABPsi) annual convention (2015). She is an ex-International Relations Rep on their National Board. She has publications in various peer reviewed journals and books.

She completed Supervisor Training provided by the University of Manchester Clinical Psychology Doctorate Programme and is on the British Psychological Society  

Dr Àdisà Àjàmú is the inaugural Director of the Center for Black Cultures, Resources & Research (CBCRR) at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) (USA). Before joining UCI, he served as the Deputy Director of the UC Riverside STEM Academy. He served on the faculties of San Franscisco State University in the Department of Black Studies and Virginia Commonwealth University, in the Department of African American Studies as well as in a number capacities with the Association of Black Psychologists (ABPsi).

Àdísà is the co-author of two books, 

1. The Psychology of Blacks: an African Centered Perspective 
(1999) and

2. the 4th edition of The Psychology of Blacks: Centering our perspectives in the African consciousness (2010).

He also contributed to Black Psychology (2004) edited by Reginald Jones. We warmly welcome him to our first Masterclass series in the UK and thank him for his ongoing support to Nubia Wellness and Healing online courses. 

Dr. Rowe is a licensed psychologist and Professor Emeritus of Psychology, Graduate School of Education and Psychology, Pepperdine University; Past-National President of The Association of Black Psychologists (2013-15); and one of the chief developers of the Emotional Emancipation: Defying the Lie of Black Inferiority and Embracing the Truth of Black Humanity initiative, under the stewardship of The Community Healing Network (valuingblacklives@communityhealingnet.org). 

Dr. Rowe has published on topics such as African-centered theory, treatment and training, inter-ethnic and marital relations, cultural competence, and religious leadership and diversity; and his scholarly work has appeared in a number of journals, including the Journal of Ethnic And Cultural Diversity in Social Work, Journal of Pan-African Studies, Drugs & Society, Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, and the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, as well as book chapters on a variety of topics related to psychological interventions and clinical training with persons of African ancestry. As a psychologist and consultant, Dr. Rowe has maintained a 35-year private practice – The Nubian Psychology Group, based in Los Angeles - emphasizing the psychological needs of persons of African ancestry, focusing on marital and family relationships.

We warmly welcome Dr Rowe to our first Masterclass series in the UK and thank him for his ongoing support.

Dr. Benson George Cooke is Professor of Counseling and Psychology and Clinical Coordinator for the Graduate Mental Health Counseling Program at the University of the District of Columbia in Washington DC (USA). He is the author of numerous articles and co-authored the following textbooks titled 'Personal Empowerment for People of Color': 

1. Keys to Success in Higher Education (2001);

2. All About Depression (2019); and 

3. Socio-Economic and Education Factors Impacting American Political Systems: Emerging Research and Opportunities (2018), 

4. Selected Aspects of Mentoring: Advice, Challenges and Approaches (2019), and 

5. All About Depression: Issues, Treatment and Resources, 2nd Edition (2019).

He is the former National President of the Association of Black Psychologists, (ABPsi) (2009-2011) and in 2016 received the ABPsi Distinguished Psychologist Award.

Dr Cooke made significant contributions to the national guidelines intended to provide culturally competent therapeutic responses to disaster relief following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and brings such expertise to the issue of COVID-19. 

We thank him his ongoing support, years of service leading the next generation of practitioners and warmly welcome him to our first Masterclass series in the UK'

Dr. Robertson is an Associate Professor (currently with Department Chair duties) and the director of the Community Psychology Program in the Psychology department

His research focus is on racial and cultural identity and how these elements impact the development of various psychological and behavioral issues in African descent populations. He was one of the organisers of 'The 10th National African/Black Psychology Conference 2019', presented at Association of Black Psychologists (ABPsi) conferences and events in response to COVID-19, and is Student Circle Co-Adviser to the National Executive Board of the Student Circle of ABPsi. 

We thank him for many years service leading the next generation of practitioners and warmly welcome him to our first Masterclass series in the UK