D r. BraVada Garrett-Akinsanya is a licensed clinical psychologist and Executive Director of the African American Child Wellness
Institute , a children’s mental health agency dedicated to the research, delivery and coordination of comprehensive wellness strategies for children of African descent. Dr. Akinsanya also serves as the
President of Brakins Consulting and Psychological Services , which has the mission of “providing excellent, culturally competent mental health and consultation services that meet the needs of children, adults, families and organizations.” In August 2009, Dr. Garrett- Akinsanya became the first
Board Certified psychologist in Minnesota to be named a Fellow/Diplomat in African Centered/Black Psychology by National Association of Black
Psychologists. She also is the Past President of the Minnesota Association of Black Psychologists , and was the founding President of the Multi-Cultural Specialty Providers
Mental Health Network . Dr. Garrett-Akinsanya is a recognized leader in Multiculturalism in the
American Psychological Association and was the first African American to serve as President of the
Minnesota Psychological Association . Most recently (August 2007), under her leadership, the
Minnesota Psychological Association was given the coveted Diversity Leadership Award by the
American Psychological Association. The award is given in recognition of innovative, creative and significant contributions by a State and Provincial Psychological Association to advance diversity for its members, in its leadership, and for the public.
In 1980, Dr. Garrett-Akinsanya received her Master’s degree from Texas Tech University. In 1988, she received her internship training as a Pre-doctoral fellow at Texas A&M University. By 1990, Dr. Garrett-
Akinsanya became the first African-American to graduate from Texas Tech University with a doctorate in clinical psychology. Her dissertation title was “Marital Satisfaction and Attributions of Blame for Conflict
Among Bipolar Disorder Patients and Their Spouses.”
Dr. Garrett-Akinsanya has worked in the field of mental health for over 28 years in a variety of public and private treatment settings serving clients of ages spanning from birth to death. She moved to Minnesota from Texas after joining the staff of Washburn Child Guidance Center where she served as the Director of
African-American Programming for two years-a position made possible by a one-million-dollar donation through the Chaney Opperman Endowment Fund. She has also served as the Director of Counseling &
Testing Services at the University of Houston-Downtown, and has held adjunct faculty positions at the
University of Texas Health Sciences Center and Texas Tech University.
Before moving to Minnesota, Dr. Garrett-Akinsanya was on the professional faculty of the Counseling &
Mental Health Center at the University of Texas at Austin, where she served as the Liaison for African-
American Programming and Services, chaired the Diversity Task Force, and provided clinical supervision to psychiatric residents, and pre-doctoral psychology interns. She also was an active member of the
Training Committee and provided staff and student training emphasizing cultural competence in the assessment and treatment of African-Americans.
Dr. Garrett-Akinsanya is a nationally recognized speaker who has written, presented and consulted extensively in the areas of developmental psychology, multiculturalism, severe psychopathology and
African-American mental health. Dr. Garrett-Akinsanya is also known for her “African-Centered
Wellness Model” which explains mental health within the context of African American cultural identity and environment. Dr. Garrett-Akinsanya is recognized for her strength-based approach and her clinical expertise in assisting children, couples and families in the development of healthy
Garrett-Akinsanya Biosketch Page 1 of 2

relationships. She is especially effective with clients whose lives have been touched by severe psychopathology, abuse, trauma, sexual assault and domestic violence issues.
U sing a unique style of combining humor, educational materials, and sound clinical skills,
Dr. Garrett-Akinsanya has earned a reputation for delivering excellent quality in clinical services and training. She has been sought out by magazines, newspapers, radio and television, most recently providing expert commentary to local media such as: WCCO
Television/Radio , the Star Tribune, Minnesota Public Radio, Insight Health, The Art Cunningham
Show, The TIPical MaryEllen Show, and KMOJ 99.1 FM radio. Her recent publications include the following book chapters: Stress Management, in The Women’s Handbook on Mental Health (Beacon
Press); A Model for Shared Control and Power, in The Psychology of Prejudice and Discrimination
(Praeger Press, Inc.), and Voices of Black Feminist Leaders: Making Spaces for Ourselves in Women and Leadership: Transforming Visions and Diverse Voices (2007, Blackwell Publishing). Dr. Garrett-
Akinsanya’s innovative work with Project Murua: A Pre-Meditated Parenting Boot Camp has been featured on both local and national levels as a model for violence reduction and wellness promotion among African-American at-risk children and their families.
Dr. Garrett-Akinsanya is listed in two volumes of Who’s Who, and has received a number of awards and accolades for her professional contributions and community service. In 2005, Dr. Garrett-Akinsanya was given a Presidential Citation by the American Psychological Association for her leadership in the advancement of diversity in the field of psycholog y. She is also a recipient of the Governor’s Council on
Black Minnesotans’ 2006 Dream Keeper’s Award for her work in the area of mental health and trauma, especially her efforts in mobilizing African American mental health providers to render culturally competent treatment to Hurricane Katrina evacuees who relocated to Minnesota.
In January 2007, Dr. Garrett-Akinsanya was recognized for her leadership as Chair of the National
Multicultural Conference and Summit on behalf of the American Psychological Association. The Summit is the preeminent training conference for researchers and practitioners in the field of psychology who are seeking to develop multicultural competencies in the areas ethical treatment, research, organizational development and training. In September 2007, Dr. Garrett-Akinsanya was given the Lifetime Achievement
Award by the Minnesota Association of Community Mental Health Programs for her leadership and work in promoting cultural competence in systems of care.
In February 2008, Dr. Garrett-Akinsanya was presented with a Presidential Citation from the Minnesota
Psychological Association for “ meritorious and dedicated services and key leadership in advancing the practice of psychology through her vision, passion and collaborative leadership.
” Also, in February 2008, the Minnesota Association of Black Psychologists gave Dr. Garrett-Akinsanya its Distinguished Service
Award for her
“dedicated commitment to the well-being of children, families and the African American community
.” She also received the
Diversity in Leadership Award from the Minnesota Psychological
Association (April 2008) for promoting cross-cultural professional skills and development within and outside the field of psychology. In October 2008, Dr. Garrett-Akinsanya was given the Outstanding Career
Achievement Award by the Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health for her extraordinary achievements and/or leadership in the field of children's mental health. Most recently (April 2009), she was presented with the Outstanding Partnership Award , by the Social Wellness Cluster of the Minneapolis
Urban League.
Dr. Garrett-Akinsanya enjoys racquetball, writing, African cooking and traveling to exotic locations. She currently lives in Plymouth, Minnesota with her husband and soul mate of twenty-three years, Mr. Akinyele
Akinsanya.
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