Let’s Talk Basics and a Q&A of Afrocentric Psychotherapy – Part 1

 

As a dedicated fan of starting from the beginning, I figured we might as well start with the basics of Afrocentrism. I also wanted to answer the most common questions I get when I attempt to describe my theoretical orientation to folks who are unfamiliar.

So first, let’s get a few details out of the way.

Q: What is African-centered psychology?

A: I will begin by saying there are many many scholars who have formed words, ideas, and concepts around this topic. Forefathers and mothers like Akbar, Ani, Nobles, and James Myers.  All these folks (and more) have contributed to the conversation of what it means to be an African-centered psychologist. I acknowledge that I am just ONE more, attempting to carry forward the foundational work of these and other African-centered psychologists.

With that said, I like to think of African-centered psychology as a broad term that tasks its practitioners with conducting therapy and conceptualizing their clients from an Afrocentric worldview. For me, I use a specific African-centered theory that functions under the broader umbrella an Afrocentric worldview of psychology.

Linda James Myers (one of the foremothers mentioned above) created a theory called Optimal Conceptual Theory (OCT), sometimes called Optimal Psychology. Her theory, at this point, provides the most comprehensive way for me to understand my clients’ presenting concerns, and for me to design interventions that facilitate healing.

Q: So what are the basics of OCT?

A: Without getting too long winded here (James Myers has written a whole book on her theory and many scholarly articles- see “additional reading” below) there are three tenets that I’ll lay out.

The first is that the theory maintains that all humans are both spiritual and material beings all at once.

You ever hear religious elders say things like “I’m a child a God?” Well its kind of that premise. And because you, me, and everyone, are children of God (spiritual beings) we are all worthy of goodness.

This part is super important!

We are ALL worthy of goodness. A good life. Civil rights. Respect. Being treated like humans. You know - the general stuff of living and thriving.

This bit becomes super important at healing the wounds in therapy of clients who are marginalized.

Why?

Because when the culture marginalizes you because of your race, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, or anything else, the message they are sending you is “you are unworthy” the way that you are. By its very nature racism and marginalization teaches us that we are somehow less than human and deserve to be treated that way.

So, the first tenet of OCT that we are spiritual and material beings, who are worthy of goodness is the healing balm to the dehumanization of discrimination.

Tenant TWO

Because we are all spiritual beings then we are all boundless and therefore connected to all things. And I mean ALL things!

This is a very transpersonal aspect of the theory. It basically holds that the Self goes beyond the limited notion of this body, and the limited notion of this time period.

In other words, you are intricately connected to your own spiritual source, AND your ancestors, AND the person next to you, AND all of nature, AND all the other beings that are human and non-human in the universe.

What this means in therapy is that the sense of aloneness that leads to isolation and depression can be mitigated.  Why? Cause we are actually never alone.

Last premise of the theory I’ll speak about is the notion of order and purpose. OCT contends that nothing in our experience or our world is random. We live in an orderly universe, and as extensions of that universe our lives are also orderly and purposeful.

But wait. Things are looking a little chaotic out there in the social political realm!!

Indeed, they do look chaotic. But think of it this way. There are always several levels of understanding.

On the ground level a hurricane as it pours down rain and blows debris here and there is a scary and chaotic experience.

Up in the satellite above the clouds the same hurricane is an orderly mass of clouds. It’s so orderly in fact that meteorologists can predict its movement and save the lives of those of us on the ground.

OCT says Life is like this. In our small, limited human perspective we often do not see the order that is obvious, from higher levels of awareness.

How does this help us in therapy?  For the client it may not help them at all at FIRST.  That is, until they develop that higher level of awareness.

As the therapist it challenges us to take this more 20,000 foot view of our clients’ lives. This, hopefully, allows us to attempt to target our interventions from a higher place of understanding, instead of problem solving with our clients at the ground level.

Okay. This is getting long so I’ll take a break for now. Next time I’ll answer some more of the common questions I get when I introduce OCT. Specifically, I’ll address that challenging question of “Is African-centered psychotherapy only for Africans or Black people?”

Stay tuned!

OH – And if you really want to stay tuned, be sure to click the link below to subscribe to my African-centered psychology community. I’m so not tech savvy so the only thing I email are the links to this blog post. If I happen to be hosting a workshop or something about African-centered psychology, I might add that to the community email as well.

Join the community!

Until next time,

Keya

Additional Reading

1.       Akbar, N. (2003). Akbar papers in African psychology. Mind Productions & Associates.

2.       Ani, M. (1994). Yurugu: An African-Centered Critique of European Cultural Thought and Behavior. Africa World Press.

3.       James Myers, L. (1993). Understanding an Afrocentric world view: Introduction to an Optimal Psychology (2^nd ed.). Kendal/Hunt Publishing Company.

4.       Nobles, W. (2015). From Black psychology to Sakhu Djaer: Implications for the further development of a Pan African Black psychology. Journal of Black Psychology, 41(5), 399-414. https://doi.org/10.1177.0095798038