Meet Dr.AP
EDUCATOR · AUTHOR · SPEAKER · STORYTELLER
Dr. Audrey Akoon-Purcell, Ed.D. is a trauma-informed educational leader, author, speaker, and advocate for more honest conversations about mental health.
Her work is guided by a simple belief:
“People deserve to feel seen.”
Dr. AP has spoken in schools, churches, sporting spaces, conferences, and professional environments, using education and storytelling to make conversations around trauma and mental health more accessible.
As she transitions from one-on-one clinical work into a broader role as an educator, leader, author, and speaker, Dr. AP is creating tools and platforms that allow her to reach people in different seasons of life.
From Grateful Intelligence to conversations about postpartum mental health, to children's stories inspired by her son, her work continues to explore one central question:
“What becomes possible when we understand what people are carrying?”
Her work is deeply informed by her experiences as a clinician, educator, mother, wife, and storyteller, as well as by her faith and her belief that our gifts are meant to serve something greater than ourselves.
“Your people are carrying more than you can see.”
The question is: How will you lead, teach, parent, and connect with that in mind?
Whether you're looking for a keynote speaker, a trauma-informed workshop, a curriculum partner, or simply a new way to engage with conversations about mental health, Dr. AP is here to help you create space for deeper understanding.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Dr. Audrey Akoon-Purcell, Ed.D. is a trauma-informed educational leader, author, speaker, and storyteller whose work explores trauma, gratitude, mental health, education, and motherhood. Through speaking, consulting, curriculum, writing, and storytelling, Dr. AP creates accessible ways for people and organizations to better understand what people may be carrying and create spaces where they can feel seen.
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Dr. AP specializes in trauma-informed educational leadership, trauma-informed education, mental health education, gratitude, maternal mental health, and organizational conversations around trauma and wellness. Her work brings these topics into schools, universities, organizations, churches, conferences, and other community spaces.
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It is the guiding philosophy behind Dr. AP's work. She believes understanding trauma can change the way we teach, lead, parent, communicate, and build relationships. Gratitude provides another lens for reflection and growth without asking people to ignore or minimize difficult experiences.
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Dr. AP has a clinical background, but her current work is focused on education, leadership, speaking, consulting, writing, and mental health education rather than providing individual therapy. Her public work approaches trauma and mental health from an educational and accessible perspective.