Sankofa Theory & Practice: Centering Reconnection and Interconnection for our Healing

Add Sankofa Theory & Practice to your repertoire of healing resources for both professional and personal applications!

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ENROLL NOW!

"I invite you to come on a special journey with me into the world of Sankofa Theory & Practice"

Join award-winning teacher, healer, therapist, and scholar, Dr. Shelly P. Harrell for our 4-session webinar series on her comprehensive conceptual and intervention framework, Sankofa Theory & Practice. The webinar is designed for therapists, wellness practitioners, healers, educators, researchers, scholar-activists, leaders, and all who are called to the intersection of psychological, cultural, relational, contemplative, spiritual, and liberatory resources for healing.

Inspired by the African indigenous wisdom of the Sankofa adinkras and rooted in an Africultural paradigm (within a larger Communal-Interconnected-Collectivist worldview), Sankofa Theory & Practice is a culturally-grounded and evidence-informed approach to psychotherapy, counseling, prevention programs, wellness offerings, healing circles, training and supervision, and leadership.

The unique contribution of Sankofa Theory & Practice is amplifying the deep wisdom of Sankofa to illuminate the role of REconnection and INTERconnection for healing the wounds of disconnection. It is a powerful approach to healing that centers multiple dimensions of connection to relieve suffering, enhance well-being, and promote flourishing- personally, relationally, and collectively. It is particularly aligned with serving Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), marginalized communities, and those impacted by the disconnections of oppression and its multiple intersectional expressions. However, it is applicable to all who resonate with its principles.  

Dr. Shelly has presented Sankofa Theory & Practice at the annual conferences of the American Psychological Association and the Association of Black Psychologists, as well as published about it in the American Psychologist.

WHEN & WHERE: Saturdays Nov 1st, 8th, 15th, & 22nd from 8:15am-9:45am US Pacific Time on Zoom

KEY FEATURES:

  • Four live Zoom Sessions with Master Teacher Dr. Shelly Harrell

  • Unlimited Online Access to Video Recordings and Slides

  • Downloadable Handouts and Resources

  • Recommended Readings and References

  • Upon Completion, an opportunity to join Dr. Shelly's "Sankofa Practitioner Circle"

DISCOUNTS & SPECIAL PRICING

SOULFULNESS CENTER SUBSCRIBERS: Check your email for the 10% discount code sent to our subscriber list. Not a Subscriber? Subscribe HERE now and your confirmation email will include the discount code. 


CURRENT MEMBERS OF SOULFULNESS CENTER COMMUNITIES: Email us for your personalized 20% discount code. 


COLLEGE OR GRADUATE STUDENTS: Email us with documentation of current college or graduate program enrollment (dated schedule of courses, id card, etc.) and we will send you a discount code to take the course for $50.


NON-PROFIT AND COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS: Does your work focuses on marginalized or under/inadequately served populations? Send two staff members to the webinar and one enrollment will be FREE. Email us for more info.


 LIMITED SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE: Email us with your situation and why you want to take this course.


IF YOU TOOK THE MARCH 2024 INTRODUCTORY WEBINAR: While the core of the theory remains the same, there have been some refinements, updates, and more specificity regarding practices since the March 2024 webinar series. We welcome you to take this 2025 course for $50 as a refresher to get current. Please email us with the email you used to take the 2024 course and we will send you a personalized discount code.   


OUR EMAIL ADDRESS: connect@sankofahealinginstitute.org

READY TO ENROLL?

Enrollment is easy and we take both Credit Cards and Pay Pal. If you are new to Dr. Shelly's courses, you will be asked to create an account. (The SHI Center is the rebranded name for Dr. Shelly's courses on Thinkific. Same site so your sign-in email/password for current or previous students will be the same.)

About Sankofa Theory & Practice

You will learn a comprehensive, culturally-grounded and evidence-informed approach that can be utilized in psychotherapy, counseling, healing circles, wellness offerings, prevention programs, life coaching, training and supervision, and much more!

  • An Africultural Orientation that starts from the ground of African wisdom

    Sankofa Theory & Practice starts from the ground of African wisdom to offer an integrative and comprehensive praxis that centers the power of connection. Inspired by the wisdom of the Akan adinkra symbols, particularly Sankofa, the nature of connection is amplified through the lens of an indigenous African collectivist-communal-interconnected worldview and its many expressions throughout the African diaspora. A foundation in Pan African Black Psychology is supplemented by congruent theory and research in liberation, community, and humanistic psychologies, as well as by research on stress, trauma, resilience, and contemplative/mind-body practices.

  • The Deep Wisdom of Sankofa: Reclamation, Retrieval, Revitalization

    The core wisdom of Sankofa is return and retrieval in the context of forward movement. We are reclaiming, honoring, and restoring our connection to our bodies, our minds, our humanity, our culture, our wisdom, our communities, to each other, to the natural world, to God/Spirit. Sankofa is ultimately an invitation to reconnection. The deep wisdom of Sankofa calls us into recognition of lostness and disconnection. We are invited to give grace and bring compassion to the reality that we WILL get lost and forget. The wisdom of Sankofa invites us into loving reconnection with who we are, where/what/who we come from, and with the potential of who we can be, individually and collectively.

  • Centers the Interrelated Dynamics of Connection, Disconnection, Reconnection, and Interconnection

    Sankofa Theory & Practice proposes that addressing pain and suffering, cultivating resilience, promoting well-being, and contributing to transformative and liberatory processes, must center the interrelated dynamics of disconnection and connection. The roots of distress, disorder, and dysfunction are illuminated by understanding the nature of disconnection. Movement toward the expression of optimal well-being must include processes of REconnection and INTERconnection. One of the primary interventions is facilitating the Sankofa Journey, a deep processing of seven phases of reconnection.

  • The Sankofa 7s: Rich Resources to Enhance Your Services and Offerings

    The Sankofa Theory and Practice "ecosystem" provides a range of conceptual and practical resources (aka The Sankofa 7s) to utilize in developing and implementing interventions for psychotherapy, counseling, wellness, coaching, consultation, and community applications. These resources provide a deep dive into our multiple sources of wisdom, modes of connectivity, sites of connection/disconnection, qualities of healthy connection/disconnection, dynamics of disconnection, domains of interconnectedness, healing zones, and more. This ecosystem includes a "menu" of 7 categories of Sankofa-oriented practices that can be used in a wide variety of applications.

  • An Approach for Healing the Emotional and Psychological Harms of Oppression

    As a decolonial-liberatory approach, a primary intention of Sankofa Theory & Practice is to expand options for psychological and emotional care that are grounded in cultural and indigenous wisdom, and have a superordinate goal of justice and liberation. Recognizing and addressing the 7 D's of Disconnection (dehumanization, detachment, domination, disharmony, delusion, demoralization, and destruction) must receive attention in working with the harms of oppression at multiple levels-- somatic, emotional, mental, spiritual, and collective. Healing is facilitated through acts of reclamation and revitalization that are everpresent in the practice of Sankofa.

Stay Connected with The SHI Center

Get updates, resources, discounts, and find out about opportunities to learn more about Sankofa Theory & Practice. Click the button below if you are not enrolling in the webinar but want to stay informed about developments and future opportunities to learn Sankofa Theory & Practice. If you enrolled in the webinar, no need to subscribe here, you will be added to our Sankofa Healing Institute mailing list automatically (and of course you can unsubscribe at any time).
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FAQs

Questions and Answers about the Webinar Series

  • Are there student discounts available?

    We do offer the course to students for $50. To qualify for the student discount rate, we must receive documentation of your student status in a degree or certificate program (college, graduate school, vocational or professional training program). This can include a student id card with a date, current schedule of classes, transcript, etc.. Contact us about student discounts at [email protected]

  • I am not a student, are there scholarships available?

    If you feel called to this webinar series but have extenuating circumstances impacting your ability to pay, reach out we will consider your situation. Contact us about scholarships at [email protected]

  • Who is this webinar for?

    The webinar will speak most directly to "helpers and healers". This includes (but is not limited to) Mental Health Professionals, Counselors, Wellness Program Creators & Facilitators, Community-based Providers, Holistic Practitioners, Life Coaches, Educators & Supervisors, Trainers & Consultants, Scholar-Activists, Researchers, and Leaders. However, people with personal interests in culture and healing, African and indigenous wisdom, or who want to expand their self-development repertoire are welcome to attend.

  • Does this only apply to Black people?

    African wisdom is a healing offering for all of humanity. The wisdom of Sankofa can apply very broadly. Identifying the harms of disconnection, and amplifying the benefits of reconnection and interconnection, has relevance to all people. However, there is an intentional Africultural orientation with strong roots and primary points of reference in Black and Pan African (indigenous and diasporic) psychology. This cultural foundation makes the likelihood of resonance with, and relevance to, Black people especially strong. Cultural communities with similar Communal-Interconnected-Collectivist worldviews and values (many BIPOC and Global Majority) will likely find much resonance as well. The concepts, methods, and practices are also strongly informed by a decolonial and liberation psychology orientation that makes Sankofa Theory & Practice very applicable to serving a wide range of marginalized and stigmatized persons and communities most impacted by oppression and its intersectionalities.

  • What if I want to continue learning after this webinar series?

    We offer a membership-based "Sankofa Practitioner Circle" to those who have completed the Webinar series. The group meets for monthly trainings on Zoom with Dr. Shelly, as well as receive special updates and resources, 20% discounts on SHI offerings, priority access to SHI events, and more. After completion of the webinar series, we welcome you to reach out and let us know you are interested. [email protected]

  • Does this webinar address racial stress and trauma?

    Yes! Dr. Harrell's early scholarship focused on racial stress. She developed an highly cited multidimensional conceptualization of racial stress, as well as developed one of the earliest and most commonly used measures of racial stress. Among the primary motivational factors for developing Sankofa Theory & Practice includes the limited intervention resources for working effectively with racial stress and trauma in psychotherapy and counseling contexts. Disconnection is at the core of how racial stress and trauma harms and wounds. Reconnection and interconnection are the foundations for healing.

  • What is the relationship between soulfulness and Sankofa Theory & Practice?

    Sankofa Theory & Practice is the larger encompassing framework within which soulfulness practices live. Soulfulness is an orientation to contemplative practices (such as meditation) that seeks to enhance the experience of our inner aliveness and interconnectedness. Soulfulness practices emphasize authenticity, attunement, and alignment. They facilitate and enhance connection, and are thus very consistent with the central aims of Sankofa Theory & Practice. They are a primary intervention resource to draw upon in delivering services guided by Sankofa Theory & Practice.

  • Are Continuing Education (CE) units available?

    No. However, this is a priority for future trainings and possibilities are being investigated.

  • Do you give refunds?

    If you request a refund before the course begins on Nov 1st 2025, we are glad to provide it to you less 5% for the fees we are charged. However, WE HAVE A NO REFUND POLICY ONCE A COURSE HAS STARTED. Keep in mind that you have access to all session recordings and materials even if you are unable to attend live.

Your Instructor

Founder and Director, The Sankofa Healing Institute and The Soulfulness Center Dr. Shelly Harrell

Born and raised in Detroit, Dr. Shelly Harrell is an award-winning Harvard-educated and UCLA-trained psychologist, as well as a certified meditation teacher.  As an experienced therapist, mentor, and professor she has been helping, healing, teaching, and training for over 30 years. She is a researcher and published author in the areas of culture and psychotherapy, sociocultural and sociopolitical aspects of stress, racism and mental health, and  psychological well-being among Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). Her soulfulness approach to wellness and resilience represents an integration of her work that is informed by cultural, African-centered, and liberation psychologies, contemplative practices, and stress science. Most recently, she has developed Sankofa Theory & Practice, a comprehensive, culturally-grounded, and evidence-informed approach to healing interventions inspired with the deep wisdom of the Sankofa adinkra symbols. Dr. Shelly has presented Sankofa Theory & Practice at the annual conferences of the American Psychological Association and the Association of Black Psychologists, as well as published about it in the American Psychologist.