Founder and CEO: Dr. Afiya Mbilishaka
Being in love with hair her whole life, Dr. Afiya grew up as her family’s hairstylist, graduating from lawn chairs at cookouts to eventually holding space in her college dorm room for a mini-salon. The conversations during the hair care process were her favorite part! Her trait of being a skillful active listener and creative translated smoothly to the field of psychology, earning her degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and Howard University. At the age of 26, Dr. Afiya earned a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and was a full time therapist at Columbia University. She is now a professor and head of the Psychology Program at the University of the District of Columbia. Dr. Afiya is a natural hairstylist at N Natural Hair Studio in Silver Spring, Maryland where she loves creating art with locs, twists, and afros.
Dr. Afiya innovated the practice and research of, "PsychoHairapy," where she uses hair as an entry point for mental health services in beauty salons and barbershops, as well as through social media. Dr. Afiya has provided engaging multi-media talks at universities throughout the country, and in the intimate setting of hair care spaces. She has now gone international, leading cultural and mental health focused trips to Cuba and to various African countries. Dr. Afiya’s favorite hair product is water!
