Research Overview

My research centers on ecotherapy as a culturally grounded, liberatory practice for Black communities navigating racialized ecotrauma, social isolation, and environmental injustice. Drawing on African-centered social work and ecowomanist theory, I examine how nature-based healing — from community "ecosessions" to Black-led outdoor movements — offers a pathway to individual and collective restoration that is rooted in ancestral tradition rather than imported from outside it.

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My doctoral capstone, Black Women, Nature & Liberation: An Ecotherapy Inquiry Into Belonging, Identity, and Healing in Urban Settings, investigates how Black women in urban environments use nature-based practice to reclaim identity, belonging, and psychological wellness in the face of intergenerational and environmental trauma. This work extends into my broader research agenda, which explores ecotherapy not only as a clinical intervention but as a framework for Earth justice, community resilience, and restorative practice.

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Research Interests

• Ecotherapy & nature-based healing

• Racialized ecotrauma and environmental injustice

• Ecowomanism and African-centered social work

• Community healing practices ("community ecosessions")

• Black women's identity, belonging, and liberation

• Social isolation and community resilience

• Trauma-informed, culturally affirming clinical practice

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Black communities were practicing ecotherapy long before it had a name. My two newest articles trace that lineage, from West African cosmologies and rootwork to today’s Black-led outdoor movements, and make the case for nature-based healing as public health, restorative justice, and Earth justice.

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