Description

For people of African ancestry, healing has never been a solitary or purely medical act. Long before the creation of Western psychology, African societies maintained sophisticated, community-grounded systems for assessing psychological health, understanding the roots of illness, and facilitating restoration.

This gathering brings together scholars, mental health professionals, family griots, genealogists, community members, healers, priests, rootworkers, conjurers, Ifá and other ATR practitioners to examine African diasporic healing traditions as culturally grounded mental health interventions.

Participants will explore the therapeutic dimensions of genealogical research as ancestral healing work, the preservation of healing knowledge within Gullah Geechee conjure, rootwork, and cultural traditions, and the integration of these systems into contemporary mental health practice.

Why Charleston? Why Now?

Charleston, South Carolina is not simply a geographic location; it is a threshold. For many, it is the other side of the door of no return. The year 2026 marks the quincentennial, 500 years since the earliest documented arrival of Africans on the Carolina coast and the recorded resistance of Africans in the Georgetown region.

Gadsden's Wharf, a short distance from our gathering site, served as the primary port of entry during the final decades of the Trans-Atlantic trafficking of African people. The weight of that history lives in the land, the water, the people, and the cultural practices that endured despite every effort to extinguish them.

We are here to reframe and decolonize the work. Genealogy is ancestral work. Ancestral work is healing work. Healing work, done in community and rooted in cultural truth, is the foundation of psychological liberation.

What to Expect

Join us for a week of community dialogue, presentations, continuing education sessions, tours, community activities, and deep immersion in the Gullah Geechee cultural and healing traditions that have quietly sustained African American psychological well-being for generations.

Whether you come as a community member, therapist, researcher, genealogist, cultural practitioner, or simply as an African descendant seeking wholeness, there is a place for you here.

Agenda

• October 30 | Arrival & Welcome Reception
• October 31 | Genealogy, Gullah Healing Traditions, & Visit to Sullivan's Island
• November 1 | Genealogy, Gullah Healing Traditions, & Mental Health Workshops
• November 2 | Genealogy, Gullah Healing Traditions, & Mental Health Workshops
• November 3 | Intersections of Genealogy & Mental Health at the International African American Museum
• November 4 | Gullah/Geechee Heritage: Healing Traditions
• November 5 | Gullah/Geechee Heritage: Healing Traditions
• November 6 | In Praise of Gullah Chefs Gala
• November 7 | Departure; Optional Tour down the Gullah Corridor to Savannah, GA

Sponsors

Support this historic convening and help make space for community-rooted learning, ancestral memory, and culturally grounded mental health practice.

Speaker Proposals

We welcome proposals from scholars, practitioners, genealogists, cultural workers, healers, and community voices whose work speaks to ancestral healing, Gullah/Geechee cultural traditions, and African-centered mental health practice.

Submission deadline: July 31, 2026 | Acceptance notification: August 15, 2026 | Registration deadline for selected speakers: August 31, 2026.

Vendors & Exhibitors

We are curating a high-quality experience of unique vendors focused on the Gullah Geechee experience and the global African presence.

Flights & Accommodations

Flights: Charleston International Airport (CHS).

We have reserved a small block of rooms at the Moxy Charleston Downtown, a short distance from the venue. Cut-off date for discounted room rates: Tuesday, September 29, 2026.

• Please make your reservation by using the hotel booking link above.
• There is an early departure charge equal to one night's room rate.
• If a guest does not cancel a reservation within forty-eight (48) hours before check-in, the hotel will charge the credit card one night's room fee plus applicable taxes.

October is a busy time in Charleston, so hotel prices are at a premium. If you make your own arrangements, consider refundable reservations. Downtown Charleston on the peninsula is different from North Charleston; if you stay farther out, plan for transportation.

Activity Level & Invoices

Activity level: Significant walking and active engagement. Participants must be independently mobile and able to engage in significant walking, bending, and prolonged outdoor activities.

Invoices: If you need an invoice for your university or company, contact us directly at Workshops@AHealingParadigm.com or (404) 635-6021.

Get Connected

Convenors

This convening is strengthened by partners whose work honors healing, memory, family history, and community care.

A Healing Paradigm

Psychological services, continuing education, and African-centered wellness practice.

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AAHGS South Carolina Lowcountry & Gullah Geechee Chapter

Discovering, documenting, and preserving African American family history and heritage.

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Monique's Caring Hands

Community care and service partner. Website will be added later.

16Greats

Family history, legacy, and storytelling partner.

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