We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dr. Adwoa Akhu a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Dr. Adwoa, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?

The defining moment that focused my career on Black women’s mental health was experiencing overwhelming toxic stress in 2008. In that one year, I: got remarried, bought a new home, and relocated; I could not sell my old house, so I became a landlord, relocated my private practice, got pregnant, went on bed rest (which is not restful), had a premature baby and, if that was not enough, someone in my nuclear family was diagnosed with cancer. I was overwhelmed and found myself managing by, imbarrising to say, eating Orio cookies. I soon weight more than the day I gave birth and realized that I needed to practic what I preach. I returned to therapy and figured out how to integrate stress management into my busy life, making 2009 a year full of inner peace even though the objective reality of treatment for the premature baby, the family member that had cancer, parenting a teenager, and navigating renovations. The stress did not end, but I became better at managing stress. The woman who helped my 19-year-old mom raise me, my “aunties,” died early of stress-related conditions. My personal experience helped me decide to use my professional education and expertise to help Black women replace toxic stress with inner peace.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I am Dr. Adwoa (Ah-jew-wah) Akhu (Ah-Koo). My mom was 19 when I was born and raised in one of New York City’s roughest neighborhoods. My lifelong curiosity about people and desire to heal myself and my community drew me to psychology.

I have a Ph.D. in clinical psychology with over 25 years of professional experience. Through my time in private practice, I have learned the importance of Black women functioning with support and inner peace. Unfortunately, traditional therapeutic models are not always complete, sustainable, or accessible for Black women. Towards this end, I have created new models for Black women to inspire one another, support, and heal.

My healing paradigms bridge the gap between therapy and spirituality. My new business, Sista Peace LLC, allows Black women access to healing spaces created for them to obtain and maintain inner peace, thus lowering their stress and cortisol levels and providing them with a healthy and safe space to destress. This opportunity supports Black women in replacing overeating, alcohol or drug use, and other harmful choices with the healthy option of this support group and self-application tools. Sista Peace LLC offers innovative ways to help Black women reduce stress and maintain inner peace on a larger scale than one-on-one counseling could offer. These new models are culturally centered and created for Black women by my team of Black women and me.

The mission of Sista Peace LLC is to be the vehicle that allows me to help Black women use spiritual and psychological tools to replace toxic stress with inner peace. The vision of Sista Peace LLC is to help one million Black women achieve inner peace by providing innovative healing paradigms that inspire women throughout the diaspora to address their trauma, move past their fears, find joy and create sustainable inner peace.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Going to graduate school was more challenging than I anticipated. I was young, 21, dyslexic, African American, and female. My undergraduate educational experience was fabulous. I loved school, even though, at times, I had to work three jobs to pay for it. I was unprepared for the sexism and racism I experienced in graduate school. I was the only Black student in my class, the classes before and after me. After getting an A in statistics in the first semester, I failed the second semester. We had a different teacher, and the other students were getting together for study sessions, but no one invited me. I had to take the class over again. After my third year, I taught undergraduate courses to pay for school. When I got pregnant with my daughter, I was not allowed to teach that semester because “I might have the baby.”. Fortunately, I found a position in another department that allowed me to continue working with students, paying for my education, and have my first child. My connection with the New York Association of Black Psychologists helped me survive. Knowing that other people that looked like me made it through gave me hope, courage, and support never to give up.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

The most successful and effective healers constantly practice what we preach. Being on a continual quest to understand ourselves and heal from our challenges and traumas helps us have compassion for others as we guide them on their healing journeys.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.drakhu.com/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drakhu/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@user-yi4gp7fq1e
• Other: https://sistapeace.com/

Image Credits
Dr. Akhu