Dr. Bakari graduated with a B.S. in Psychology from Cornell University and went on to earn her Master’s degree in Counseling from State University of New York at the age of 22. She earned her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Northern Colorado in 2000.

In 2010, Dr. Bakari founded Talking Trees, Inc., the only international organization that focused exclusively on empowering adults who experienced sexual abuse before the age of 18. She has trained preservice teachers and counselors at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Dr. Bakari developed the Living Openly Model of Advocacy and Support based on her work with survivors worldwide. She coined the term “living openly” for adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. She also developed a curriculum for empowerment training to help people live their best lives.

Dr. Bakari’s publications span over 20 years. In 1996, she wrote her first book, “Self-Love, Developing and Maintaining Self-Love for the Black Woman.” She has authored books on survivors of childhood trauma, women empowerment, her memoir and poetry collection. Her latest book is a bestseller, “The Healing Journey. Relationships and Wellness Guide”

In 2022 Dr. Rosenna Bakari was a keynote speaker for the Children of Color Conference in Colorado Springs and the International Conference on Education in Thailand. Her latest journal publication is in the Horizon Journal of Humanities and Social Science Research in June 2022, titled “Meeting the Need of Help-seekers with an Empowerment Model: A Shift in Emotional Wellness.

 

Dr. Rosenna Bakari travels extensively with her husband of 32 years. She is also a spoken word performer who performs from memory. She is a martial artist who has attained her 4th degree black belt in taekwondo and is a marathon runner. She values the mind-body connection and spends as much time as possible outdoors and having as much fun as her schedule allows.