2025 Conference
PLC’s 2025 Dr. Frederick B. Phillips NTU™ Conference
Bowie State University | 14000 Jericho Park Rd., Bowie, MD 20715
Thursday, October 16, 8:30 am-5:00 pm
Explore healing-centered care rooted in the NTU™ therapeutic model, with timely discussions focused on strengthening families and uplifting community well-being. Participants will also have the opportunity to earn up to 6 Continuing Education Units (CEUs), making this both a meaningful and enriching professional development experience.
Schedule of Activities
Click on each presenters picture to access their biography.
8:30 – 9:30 AM: Check In and Registration
Check-in is required for pre-registered guests. Limited on-site registration will be available if space permits
9:30 AM: Welcome Over Breakfast
Led by Diana Banks, PLC President and CEO; and Dr. Tracy Garrett, PLC Chief Clinical Officer
Start the day with breakfast and opening remarks. Diana and Dr. Garrett will set the tone for the conference, introduce the format for the day, and highlight how Dr. Frederick B. Phillips’ NTU™ continues to shape our work and inspire healing-centered practice.
10:00 AM: Breakfast Keynote | Elevating the Centrality of NTU™ and Healing Justice
Presented by Dr. Denise Boston, Healing Equity and Expressive Arts Therapy Educator and Practitioner
In this keynote address, Dr. Denise Boston highlights the
link between NTU™, generational healing, and healing justice. These
inextricable connections foster a deeper understanding of NTU™ and mental
health equity as a path to liberation and community health today.
11:00 AM: Resonance of the Ancestors Immersive Experience – Welcome to the Sound Spa™
Led by Dr. Ivy Hylton
Enter a sacred space where evidence-based behavioral health practices integrates with the ancestral wisdom of African-centered philosophy and the transformative power of sound. The Sound Spa™ Immersive Experience honors African traditions that view rhythm, vibration, and breath as pathways to harmony and balance with self, community, and the cosmos. Click to read more…
Afternoon Workshops
Participants will have the opportunity to attend two interactive workshop sessions – one before and one after lunch. Each session will offer two concurrent options—simply choose the one that best fits your interests. Each workshop will highlight the application of the NTU™ Approach to Health and Healing across diverse fields, offering practical insights and strategies for professionals
12:05 PM – 1:20 PM: Workshop Session One Options
Understanding ADHD and Its Impact on Children of Color
Led by Peter Fitts, LCSW-C
Neurodiversity has gained increased attention since the COVID epidemic. Children of color have experienced a spike in ADHD diagnosis which resulted in the increased need for treatment supports, medication management, and Executive Functioning coaching. This session will provide an understanding of ADHD and its relationship to anxiety and how it affects children of color. Strategies to support children within the home and school setting will be reviewed. Click to read more…
NTU™ as a Leadership Development Tool
Led by Progressive Life Center’s Diana Banks, President & CEO; and Charles Evans, Chief Operating Officer
Leadership requires more than skills. It demands authenticity, resilience, and the ability to inspire and empower others. The NTU™ Approach to Health and Healing, rooted in Afrocentric principles of interconnectedness, harmony, and balance, offers a unique framework for cultivating these qualities in leaders. Click to read more…
1:30 PM: Lunch and Keynote | What It Means to Believe in Butterflies
Presented by Dr. Bruce Purnell, Executive Director/Founder, The Love More Movement, Inc.
In a world where trauma, scarcity, and fear often shape our perceptions, believing in transformation is a courageous act. This address invites us to explore the healing power of faith, affirmations, and intentional perception through the metaphor of the butterfly, a symbol of what happens when we choose to believe in what we cannot yet see.
Drawing from an ongoing national study for an upcoming book, “What It Means To Believe In Butterflies,” with nearly 9,000 respondents, one of the questions revealed a powerful insight: When asked if they would kill a caterpillar eating their flowers, 83% said yes.
But when asked if they would kill that same creature if it were called a “future butterfly,” 97% said no. Click to read more…
2:40 PM – 3:55 PM: Workshop Session Two Options
Mirror, Mirror NTU™ You
Led by Kim Graham, MA, LMSW, Trauma Academy Director, Delaware State University
The well-being of helping and healing professionals is integral to our work. How can we deeply embed the principles of NTU™ into our daily lives to both enrich our personal journey and our relationships with those we serve? This session will engage the principles of NTU™: Harmony, Authenticity, Balance, and Interconnectedness to explore reflective practices that will engage NTU™ as a tool for self-transformation and realignment. Participants will explore their intersectional identities, where they collide, where they coalesce, and how we can keep our NTU™ flowing.
NTU™ A Resilient Strategy for Centering Our Spirit
Led by Evette Clarke, MS; and Dr. Rosalind Lee
We are navigating times where people are experiencing trauma at an all-time high. Whether the trauma is generational, health related, systemic, complex, or socially induced, trauma is prevalent. NTU™ teaches us the necessity of applying the principles: Harmony, Balance, Interconnectedness, and Authenticity for health and healing. As stress levels elevate due to frustration, uncertainty, and dislocation, becoming intentional about how to stay centered, grounded, and connected become even more relevant and essential to healthy, wholistic living. Click to read more…
4:05 PM – 4:45 PM Closing Celebration
Led by Dr. Tracy Garrett and Diana Banks
Wrap up the day with reflections and closing remarks from Dr. Garrett and Diana. We will celebrate our shared learning, recognize the day’s highlights, and conclude with a fun raffle for attendees.