Panelist: Mental Health and Health Behaviors in the African American Community
Kanika Bell is a licensed psychologist, specializing in clinical and forensic psychology in the Atlanta area. She received her undergraduate degree in psychology from Spelman College and received her master’s and doctoral degrees in clinical psychology from Auburn University. Bell divides her professional time between all facets of clinical psychology including individual, couples and group therapy, clinical assessments and psychological evaluations, scholarly research and consulting. She is co-owner of A.T.L. Psychotherapy and Consulting Services LLC in Atlanta. Bell’s current clinical interests involve children, adults, and families affected by the legal system, adults coping with occupational stress, relationship counseling, and issues that impact women of color specifically. Bell’s current research areas include racial and gender identity development and the relationship between discrimination and psychiatric and physiological symptoms, the impact of viral videos of police shootings, and strategies toward optimal mental health for Black women. Her most recent project is a co-edited volume titled Black Women’s Mental Health: Balancing Strength and Vulnerability.
Bell is an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at Clark Atlanta University. Her current teaching interests are forensic psychology, the psychology of Black women, and cross-cultural psychology. She is well-traveled and has translated her belief about the transformative nature of global understanding when traveling abroad into presentations at international conferences, cross-cultural research and travel-study courses at Clark Atlanta. Bell has led workshops and trainings on myriad topics to diverse populations and has been featured on numerous media outlets including local news affiliate programs, documentary films, and guest appearances on shows with forensic psychological content such as “Fatal Attraction” on TV One and “Evil Twins” on the Investigation Discovery Channel. She is a member of numerous professional and community organizations and attends many yearly conferences, usually as a presenter and often including her students as co-authors. Personally, Bell enjoys mentoring youth, spending time outdoors, participating in the arts and inspiring others toward owning their greatness.