About this speaker
Dr. Afiya Mbilishaka is a therapist, educator, research scientist, hair historian, and hairstylist. She owns Ma'at Psychological Services, a private practice focused on promoting balance and restoring order to the lives of her clients. She focuses on understanding and using traditional African cultural rituals for contemporary holistic mental health practices. She earned a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Howard University at the age of 26, where she studied the psychological significance of race within lives. She is a former president of the Association of Black Psychologists’ DC chapter.
Dr. Mbilishaka innovated the practice and research of PsychoHairapy, where she uses hair as an entry point for mental health services in beauty salons and barbershops, as well as through social media. She is the principal investigator of the PsychoHairapy Research Lab.
Her publications include over 20 peer-reviewed journal articles, 10 book chapters, and two books. She has presented her work at over 40 universities and conferences. The Senate and House of Representatives have identified Dr. Mbilishaka as a subject matter expert. As such, she has testified on behalf of the CROWN Act, an anti-discrimination law to protect Black hair.
Dr. Mbilishaka is a natural hairstylist at N Natural Hair Studio in Silver Spring, Maryland, where she loves creating art with locs, twists, and afros.
