Thema Bryant-Davis elected president of the American Psychological Association
Thema Bryant-Davis, an ordained elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, has been elected as the 2023 president of the American Psychological Association. Bryant-Davis currently directs the Culture and Trauma Research Lab at Pepperdine University, along with the mental health ministry at First AME Church in South Los Angeles.
Additionally, Bryant-Davis provides training on trauma recovery for marginalized communities around the world, and she has edited two books: Multicultural Feminist Therapy: Helping Adolescent Girls of Color to Thrive and Womanist and Mujerista Psychologies: Voices of Fire, Acts of Courage. Her podcast, Homecoming, helps listeners improve their mental health in order to become their authentic selves.
Previously, Bryant-Davis served as president of the Society for the Psychology of Women, and from 2000 to 2004 she was the APA’s representative to the United Nations.
“The people and communities we, as psychologists, serve are living through a difficult period that continues to bring hurt and injustice to so many,” Bryant-Davis said in a statement released by the APA after her election. “APA and the science of psychology are ideally situated to address the triple threat of trauma, loss and inequities that currently plagues our society. It is my vision to leverage psychology to enhance people’s lives in a post-pandemic world.”
