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Image of Zuleka Henderson, a Black therapist in New York City. You can work with a depression therapist in New York City today. | 10018 | 11103

Zuleka Henderson, PhD, LMSW

(she/her/hers)

Director of the Center for Black WellBeing &
Psychotherapist

Image of Zuleka Henderson, a Black therapist in New York City. You can work with a depression therapist in New York City today. | 10018 | 11103

Zuleka Henderson, PhD, LMSW

(she/her/hers)

Director of the Center for Black WellBeing &
Psychotherapist

We all have the power to create and sustain wellbeing in our lives. For people of African ancestry, we also have a legacy of healing traditions and countless examples of people who’ve used personal and collective resources to transform pain and adversity. My commitment is to work together to create a path towards wellness that builds from this well of cultural strengths and that is personally tailored to how you view healing. 

We all have the power to create and sustain wellbeing in our lives. For people of African ancestry, we also have a legacy of healing traditions and countless examples of people who’ve used personal and collective resources to transform pain and adversity. My commitment is to work together to create a path towards wellness that builds from this well of cultural strengths and that is personally tailored to how you view healing. 

About

Dr. Henderson was recruited from Columbia University to serve as the Founding Director of the Center for Black WellBeing at graymatters. The Center is the culmination of her extensive academic and anti-racist work, translated into a living, breathing entity that centers the healing legacies of people of African descent

In her role at the Center, she develops healing pathways that go beyond typical therapy services. She curates collective experiences that create spaces for Black people to thrive. The Center also works with non-profits and corporations to develop wellbeing packages that include customized options for organizational-level trainings, group wellness experiences, and individual treatment for Black or BIPOC employees, hopefully laying the framework for their holistic wellbeing within that organization.

Academic Positions

Lecturer/Columbia University

Courses taught: Foundations of Social Work Practice: Decolonizing Social Work; Clinical Case Evaluation; Direct Practice

Assistant Professor of Social Work/Bowie State University

Courses taught: Social Welfare Policy; Human Behavior and the Social Environment, Male/Female Relationships; Social Work Methods; Social Work Research; Religion, Spirituality, and the Helping Professions

Department & University service: Research Development Committee; Faculty Evaluation Committee; Reaffirmation Assessment and Evaluation Committee; Summer Undergraduate Research Institute Proposal Reviewer; Faculty Search Committee

Academic Positions

Lecturer/Columbia University

Courses taught: Foundations of Social Work Practice: Decolonizing Social Work; Clinical Case Evaluation; Direct Practice

Assistant Professor of Social Work/Bowie State University

Courses taught: Social Welfare Policy; Human Behavior and the Social Environment, Male/Female Relationships; Social Work Methods; Social Work Research; Religion, Spirituality, and the Helping Professions

Department & University service: Research Development Committee; Faculty Evaluation Committee; Reaffirmation Assessment and Evaluation Committee; Summer Undergraduate Research Institute Proposal Reviewer; Faculty Search Committee

Education

PhD (Howard University School of Social Work, 2015)

Concentration: Trauma; Adolescent Mental Health; Culturally Informed Service Delivery

Dissertation title: “African American Adolescents’ Attitudes and Beliefs on Trauma and Healing: Implications for Mental Health Service Use”

MSW (Fordham University Graduate School of Social Services, 2005)

Concentration: Children and Families

BA (Wesleyan University, 2005)

Major: Sociology

Select Publications

Henderson, Z., Stephens, T., Ortega-Williams, A. & Walton, Q. (2021). Conceptualizing healing through the African American experience of historical trauma. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1037/ort0000578 

Henderson, Z. (2021). Dear Ancestors. Genealogies of Healing: Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Stories, Studies and Strategies of Resistance and Transformation, 5(9). https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy5010009

Ortega-Williams, A., Beltran, R., Schultz, K., Henderson, Z., Colon, L., & Teyra, C. (2021). An integrated historical trauma and posttraumatic growth framework: A cross-cultural exploration. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1080/15299732.2020.1869106

Henderson, Z. (2019). In their own words: How Black teens define trauma. Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma, 12(1), 141–151. doi:10.1007/s40653-017-0168-6

Henderson, Z., Acquaye, L., Waites, S., & Howard, T. (2016). Putting principles into practice: Addressing historical trauma, mistrust, and apprehension within Research Methods courses. Journal of Social Work Education, 52(1), 69-78.

Select Publications

Henderson, Z., Stephens, T., Ortega-Williams, A. & Walton, Q. (2021). Conceptualizing healing through the African American experience of historical trauma. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1037/ort0000578

Henderson, Z. (2021). Dear Ancestors. Genealogies of Healing: Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Stories, Studies and Strategies of Resistance and Transformation, 5(9). https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy5010009

Ortega-Williams, A., Beltran, R., Schultz, K., Henderson, Z., Colon, L., & Teyra, C. (2021). An integrated historical trauma and posttraumatic growth framework: A cross-cultural exploration. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1080/15299732.2020.1869106

Henderson, Z. (2019). In their own words: How Black teens define trauma. Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma, 12(1), 141–151. doi:10.1007/s40653-017-0168-6

Henderson, Z., Acquaye, L., Waites, S., & Howard, T. (2016). Putting principles into practice: Addressing historical trauma, mistrust, and apprehension within Research Methods courses. Journal of Social Work Education, 52(1), 69-78.

Digital image of two orange outlines of people with word bubbles above their heads as if speaking. This image depicts how one would speak with a psychiatrist for psychiatric consultations in New York City. 11211 | 10010 | 10011

Select Presentations

Henderson, Z., Ortega-William, A., Stephens, T., Walton, Q. (September 2021). Conceptualizing healing through the African-American experience of historical trauma. Presentation at the Lapidus Center Pandemic Legacies Conference for the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Online via Zoom.

Henderson, Z. (August 2021). Anti-racist clinical practice: Moving from ideals to action. Presentation for the National Advocacy Leadership Center. Online via Zoom.

Parker, G. Henderson, Z., Dorsey A., Williams, J. Aloziem, O. (2021). Radically Reimagining Healing for Racial Stress and Trauma. Denver Public Library Panel Discussion. Online via Zoom.

Ortega-Williams, A., Henderson, Z., Colon, L. (2021). The Historical-Posttraumatic Growth Framework: A Cross-Cultural Dialogue about Healing. Vibrant Emotional Health Panel discussion. Online via Zoom.

Henderson, Z. (2021). Strategies for Cultural Healing and Healing-Centered Engagement in Clinical Practice. Consultant for The College of New Jersey. Online via Zoom.

Henderson, Z. (2020). Healing-Centered Engagement with Students of Color and Their Families: A Radical Reimagining of School Mental Health. Consultant for Jefferson County Public Schools. Online via Zoom.

Henderson, Z. (2020). Historical Trauma and Culturally Responsive Strategies for Clinical Practice with African Americans. National Advocacy Leadership Center Webinar. Online via Zoom.

Henderson, Z., Stephens, T., Ortega-Williams, A., & Walton, Q. (2019). Reaching back to heal forward: A conceptual model of African-American intergenerational wellbeing. Presentation at the Annual Program Meeting (APM) for the Council on Social Work Education, Denver, CO.

Ortega-Williams, A., Beltran, R., Schultz, K., Henderson, Z. & Colon, L. (2018) Historical trauma and posttraumatic growth: A cross-cultural examination of mass group-level healing. Presentation at the Annual Program Meeting (APM) for the Council on Social Work Education, Denver, CO.

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