A powerful movement for healing and liberation is taking root in Detroit. On October 18, 2025, the Phoenix Rising 2025 Symposium will bring together mental health professionals, community leaders, researchers, and advocates at the University of Detroit Mercy to center one shared mission: reclaiming, rebuilding, and maintaining Black mental health and wellness.
Themed “We Will Survive, We Will Thrive: Reclaiming, Rebuilding & Maintaining Black Mental Health & Wellness,” the symposium is shaping up to be more than an academic gathering—it’s a cultural call to action. Organizers say it is designed to restore systems of care grounded in cultural truth and collective healing, offering a rare national platform for mental health experts, students, and grassroots organizers to strategize for the future of Black wellness.
Dr. Helen, the symposium’s lead organizer, said the event represents a turning point.
“We’re not here just to survive. We’re here to reclaim our narratives, rebuild our institutions of care, and maintain wellness rooted in liberation,” she shared, underscoring the belief that mental health for Black communities cannot be separated from social justice or community empowerment.
The Phoenix Rising 2025 Symposium will feature dynamic keynote speakers, cultural storytellers, and CEU-accredited workshops led by Black mental health professionals. Attendees will also participate in intergenerational healing and strategy sessions designed to bridge academic insight with lived experience. Researchers from across the country will present live poster sessions, offering new approaches and data-backed practices to address disparities in access, treatment, and long-term support.
Beyond its formal sessions, organizers describe the gathering as a sacred space for reflection and restoration. Attendees will explore how systemic barriers—such as racial trauma, economic inequity, and the underrepresentation of Black clinicians—continue to shape mental health outcomes, while identifying practical ways to build resilience at both individual and community levels.
The symposium’s timing feels urgent. Across the nation, conversations about mental health have become more visible, yet Black communities continue to face unique challenges in accessing culturally competent care. The Phoenix Rising 2025 organizers are aiming to shift that narrative—positioning Detroit not just as the host city but as a symbol of Black resilience, rebirth, and innovation in wellness.
Scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the event will unfold on the campus of the University of Detroit Mercy, located at 4001 W. McNichols Road. Space is limited, and early registration is strongly encouraged. (Register here: Phoenix Rising 2025 | Metro Detroit Association of Black Psychologists)
Mental health agencies, clinicians, educators, students, and grassroots organizers are all invited to be part of what organizers call a “movement of the mind and heart.” Whether participants come seeking professional growth or community connection, the Phoenix Rising 2025 Symposium promises to be a day where Black mental wellness takes center stage—unapologetically.
Registration for the symposium is now open. For those ready to join the national call to heal, the message is clear: the time to reclaim, rebuild, and thrive is now.
