Dr. Linda James Myers

Dr. Linda James-Myers is the originator and developer of the theory of Optimal Psychology, and the Belief Systems Analysis, a culturally grounded psychotherapeutic and psychoeducational framework, and author of three books, two co-edited volumes, 25 book chapters, and more than 50 refereed journal articles. Her works have been used by mental health practitioners nationally and internationally with great success for over 25 years.

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For Dr. James-Myers, recognizing and addressing the need to account for what African people have achieved and overcome, the drive for cultural specificity begins with the identification and analysis of the optimal conceptual system emerging from classical African civilization and discernable present day. 

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While Optimal Conceptual Theory (OCT) provides an africological analysis of the nature of oppression and the processes underlying it, her thrust is to define and implement, as a critical structure for understanding and achieving maximum mental health, a psychosocial theory rooted in and reflective of Africana cultural tradition designed to promote transformation and healing from epistemic violence and the mentacide it fosters.