Dr. Connesia Handford (She/Her)

Dr. Connesia Handford is a Houston based psychologist, published author and consultant specializing in racial trauma and its impact on identity development. Both the identity of individuals and the identity and culture of systems. As a mental health professional with over 10 years of experience, Dr. Handford has worked in various settings, including college counseling centers, primary and secondary schools, private practices, and community mental health agencies serving adults, children, and families. As a consultant, she provides tailored trainings, workshops, professional development, resource materials, and strategic planning to guide organizations, schools, and mental health spaces in the integration of racial trauma supports and anti-racist organizational change. Her passion lies in contributing to Black centered psychological safety across the developmental lifespan. 

Dr. Handford received her doctoral degree from James Madison University and centered her research on addressing the psychological experience of racism. Dr. Handford’s book, Racial Trauma in the School System: Naming the Pain, provides foundational and clinical information for school-based mental health professionals to better understand and address the nuanced experiences of racial trauma in primary and secondary school systems.

Dr. Handford enjoys reading, listening to music, and spending time with family and friends. 

Dr. Handford is fluent in English.