Walkowa

Dr Walkowa Odinga PhD

Psychotherapist

Verified

“Finding the right support for your journey is key. As a Humanistic psychotherapist with over 15 years of experience, I support you in exploring what truly matters to you. My eclectic approach, informed by Integral Executive Coaching, allows each session to be tailored to your individual needs. Together, we can deepen self-understanding and develop practical strategies for meaningful change.”

About Me

I am Akinyi Walkowa, a Humanistic–Existential Coach and Therapist with a Master of Philosophy in Executive Management Coaching from the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa. I qualified as a psychotherapist with a Postgraduate Diploma from Thames Valley University in the UK, accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), over 15 years ago. I work with women in middle and senior leadership roles across both the private and public sectors, supporting leadership development, emotional resilience, and professional growth. I bring extensive experience from international development roles, including work with organisations such as UNICEF, UN Women, ActionAid International, and DFID, where I have contributed to human rights advocacy, women and children’s empowerment strategies, research, policy development, executive coaching, and organisational assessment and development. I am a founding member of Mama Na Dada International, an organisation established to support women and child refugees and asylum seekers in the UK and Kenya. I have also served as an Executive Director within both a foundation and an NGO before transitioning into full-time international development consultancy. My work spans multiple countries across the African continent, including experience in conflict-affected regions. I bring a leadership style that is collaborative, grounded, and values-driven, focused on empowering individuals and organisations while engaging effectively across diverse cultural and professional contexts.

Approach

With more than fifteen years of experience supporting clients, I offer therapy that moves at your pace and combines reflective dialogue with practical tools tailored to your concerns. I provide a steady, focused space to explore patterns, process difficult emotions, and identify manageable steps between sessions. Work may include brief experiential exercises, coaching-informed planning, and advocacy where appropriate.
Contact Walkowa

Ask a quick question or arrange a time to meet.

Basic Information

In-person & Online

Services

Services Offered:

  • Advocacy

    Services that help individuals navigate healthcare, education, or social systems to ensure their mental health needs are recognised and met.

    Learn more about Advocacy
  • Coaching

    A goal-oriented practice focused on identifying objectives, overcoming obstacles, and taking action, centred on the present and future rather than past difficulties.

  • Conflict Management

    Structured approaches to resolving disputes and improving communication between people in conflict, whether in relationships, families, or workplaces.

  • Corporate Workshops

    Mental health and well-being workshops delivered in workplace settings, covering topics like stress management, resilience, and communication.

  • Trauma Counseling

    Counselling specifically for people affected by traumatic events, focused on processing what happened and reducing symptoms like flashbacks and hypervigilance.

    Learn more about Trauma Counseling
  • Online Therapy

    Therapy sessions conducted over video call, phone, or secure messaging, using the same professional methods delivered remotely.

    Learn more about Online Therapy
  • Psychotherapy

    In-depth therapeutic work that explores patterns in thoughts, emotions, and relationships to produce lasting psychological change.

    Learn more about Psychotherapy
  • Support Groups

    Facilitated groups of people with shared experiences who meet regularly to listen, share, and support one another.

Works With:

  • Adults
  • Communities
  • Groups
  • Individuals
  • Organisations

Area of Expertise

Scope of Practice:

  • Life Transitions

    Major life changes, such as relocation, retirement, parenthood, or career shifts, that disrupt routine and require psychological adjustment.

    Learn more about Life Transitions
  • Anxiety

    Persistent worry, nervousness, or fear that is disproportionate to the situation and interferes with daily functioning.

    Learn more about Anxiety
  • Career Issues

    Work-related difficulties such as chronic dissatisfaction, conflict, burnout, uncertainty about direction, or the stress of career change.

  • Cross-Cultural

    The psychological challenges of living between two or more cultures, including identity conflicts, acculturation stress, and difficulties with belonging.

  • Grief & Loss

    The emotional, physical, and psychological response to the death of a loved one or another significant loss.

    Learn more about Grief & Loss
  • Mood Disorder

    A category of mental health conditions, including depression and bipolar disorder, in which a person's emotional state is significantly and persistently disrupted.

    Learn more about Mood Disorder
  • Self-Esteem

    A person's overall sense of their own worth and value. When chronically low, it can drive self-doubt, avoidance, and difficulty in relationships.

    Learn more about Self-Esteem
  • Trauma Therapy

    Therapeutic approaches specifically designed to help people process and recover from traumatic experiences.

    Learn more about Trauma Therapy
  • Women's Issues

    Psychological challenges more commonly experienced by women, including gender-based stress, reproductive health concerns, body image, caregiving burden, and societal expectations.

  • Stress / Burnout

    The body and mind's response to prolonged or excessive demands. When sustained, it can lead to emotional exhaustion, detachment, and reduced functioning (burnout).

    Learn more about Stress / Burnout

Professional Title:

  • Psychotherapist

    A professional trained to provide in-depth therapy that explores patterns in thoughts, emotions, and relationships to produce lasting change.

Credentials

Qualifications

Master of Philosophy in Executive Management Coaching

University of Stellenbosch Business School, Cape Town, South Africa

Year: 2020

Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling/Psychotherapy

Thames Valley University, London, UK

Year: 2001

Bachelor of Science in International Relations

London School of Economics (LSE), University of London

Year: 1998

Postgraduate Diploma in African Studies

Maryknoll Institute of African Studies

Year: 2009

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa

Year: 2024

Service Areas

Cross Cultural Research and Therapy

In-person & Online

Val De Grace

Pretoria, Gauteng

Kenya

Cross Cultural Research and Therapy

In-person & Online

Nairobi, Nairobi

Kenya

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Val De Grace, Pretoria, Kenya