Psychologist, scholar, and activist Dr. Makungu Akinyela explores Testimony Therapy, an African-centered approach that emphasizes storytelling, cultural identity, ancestral wisdom, and community connection. Alongside co-host Sue Marriott, they examine how colonialism and systemic oppression shape mental health, the power of oral traditions in healing, and why meaningful change requires moving beyond individual treatment toward collective healing and liberation.
“The story is not just one person’s story. It’s a shared story.” – Dr. Makungu Akinyela
01:09 Dr. Akinyela’s background and activism
02:22 The influence of Western psychology and decolonial thought
03:56 Fanon, Du Bois, and the roots of testimony therapy
10:32 Testimony therapy and the question of cultural narratives
13:40 Double consciousness and the experience of Blackness
17:58 Colorism, internalized racism, and social trauma
21:28 Fanon’s zone of non-being and political realities
28:10 African-centered worldview and community healing
34:04 Orality, storytelling, and the power of testimony
42:53 Signification, rhythm, and body in oral traditions
48:41 Cultural practices and healing modalities
58:13 Decentering the therapist and collaborative healing
01:02:03 Global resistance and decolonial mental health movements
Dr. Makungu M. Akinyela (Mah-koon-goo Ah-keen-yay-Lah) is a leading authority on cultural democracy, narrative practice, anti-racist resistance, and mental health. He is a licensed psychotherapist practicing in Atlanta, Georgia, and an Associate Professor of Africana Studies at Georgia State University. He is the creator of the African-centered approach to narrative practice called testimony therapy and the author of the book Testimony Therapy: Decolonizing Mental Health for Black Therapists and Clients, published by W.W. Norton. He is also the author of the book Culture, Politics, Spirituality and Practice: A book of resistance and critical theory for disturbing times, published by Dulwich Publications. As a scholar activist and a therapist. Dr. Akinyela is a lifelong committed social justice organizer with a focus on struggles for human rights and justice for Black people in the United States and the African diaspora. His research and writing include such subjects as cultural democracy and mental health care; cultural domination and therapeutic resistance; reparations and the role of mental health workers in repairing oppressive wounds; and African-centered family therapy. He is a Clinical Fellow and an Approved Supervisor of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT).
Testimony Therapy: Decolonizing Mental Health for Black Therapists and Clients – Get your copy of Dr. Akinyela’s book
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