A Healer’s Heart: The Story of Dr. Nzinga Harrison and the Compassion Revolution
The name Nzinga, which means “fighter” or “queen” in the Kimbundu language of Angola, was bestowed upon a girl born in Indianapolis with a profound hope. Her parents, a teacher and a civil rights fighter, looked to a powerful ancestral legacy, that of Queen Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba, a woman who resisted colonial forces and protected her people. They wished for their daughter to carry this same spirit, a leader who would fight for her community.
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From this powerful beginning, Dr. Nzinga Harrison has not only lived up to her name but has also redefined what it means to be a healer, a revolutionary, and a beacon of hope in the world of mental health and addiction medicine.
Her story is a living proof of the saying, “I am because we are,” or Ubuntu. It is a narrative woven with threads of community, heritage, and an unwavering commitment to seeing humanity in others.
That’s exactly why we are honored to feature her story today. With more than 1,000 interviews on the Obehi Podcast, host Obehi Ewanfoh has made it his mission to spotlight the voices of people across the African diaspora who are creating real change.
Through his signature service, Life & Legacy Story, he helps individuals aged 50 and above document their life journeys, preserving their wisdom and experiences for future generations to learn from and be inspired by.
In a society that often casts judgment and shame upon those struggling with addiction, Dr. Harrison has emerged as a compassionate warrior, using her voice, her knowledge, and her entrepreneurial spirit to reshape the narrative and build a new path to recovery.
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Her life’s work at Eleanor Health is a powerful act of storytelling, not just of her own journey but of the countless individuals whose lives she helps transform, one person at a time. Through her, we learn that our greatest purpose often lies in serving the collective, in lifting others as we climb.
The Roots of Compassion: Heritage and Early Life
Dr. Harrison’s early life was a masterclass in empathy and activism. Raised by parents deeply committed to education and civil rights, she was immersed in an environment where the principles of justice and human dignity were not just abstract ideas but daily practices.
Her mother, an educator, taught her the power of knowledge, while her father, an activist, instilled in her a fierce dedication to fighting for the voiceless. This upbringing, rooted in the values of the African American community, taught her to see the person beyond their circumstances and to treat every individual with respect, regardless of their background.
These stories are part of a larger collection from the African diasporan community that inspired Obehi Ewanfoh to create AClasses Media and The Obehi Podcast. With over 1,000 episodes, Obehi uses his platforms to share our collective experiences and connect people through their shared histories.
As a child, Harrison developed a dream to become a doctor, a vision that was nurtured by her innate curiosity about the human body and her desire to help others.
This foundation was solidified during her time at Howard University, a historically Black university, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry. At Howard, surrounded by a vibrant community of Black excellence, her identity as a future leader was further shaped.
She then went on to the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Emory University for her residency in General Psychiatry. It was during her psychiatric rotations that she found her true calling. The intricate science of human emotions and the profound connection between the mind and the body captivated her.
This was the moment she realized her dream of being a healer would be realized not through surgery but through a deeper form of medicine—one that healed the spirit and the mind. She saw a path to merge her two passions: activism and medicine, to confront the stigma and systemic failures plaguing the field of addiction.
A Journey of Disruption: From Activism to Eleanor Health
Dr. Harrison’s career journey is a powerful example of an individual who saw a broken system and decided to build a better one. Before co-founding Eleanor Health, she was a co-founder of the Physicians for Criminal Justice Forum, an organization dedicated to ending the health consequences of the criminal justice system.
This work, which grew to over 800 members, highlighted her leadership and her commitment to systemic change. She also established her own firm, Nzinga A. Harrison MD LLC, to educate professionals on addiction and mental health. These experiences laid the groundwork for her most significant venture.
The idea for Eleanor Health was born from a simple yet radical belief: that addiction is not a moral failing but a chronic illness, and that people struggling with it deserve compassionate, evidence-based care. In a world where many treatment models are punitive and isolating, Eleanor Health stands as a testament to the power of human connection and holistic care.
The company offers a wide range of services, including therapy, counseling, recovery coaching, and telehealth, all designed to treat the “whole person.” This means addressing not just the addiction but also the social, physical, and emotional factors that contribute to it.
Some of Dr. Harrison’s key achievements and contributions include:
- Co-founding Eleanor Health: A company that has raised $82 million in funding and is transforming the addiction treatment landscape by providing accessible, value-based care.
- Pioneering a Compassionate Approach: Shifting the conversation around addiction from one of shame and blame to one of empathy and understanding.
- Advocating for Health Equity: Making equity a core responsibility of her organization, looking for disparities in care, and creating strategic interventions to address them.
- Creating the “In Recovery” Podcast: Using her platform to share stories of hope and recovery, providing education and support to a global audience.
- Receiving the Patient’s Choice Award: A testament to her unwavering dedication to her patients and her impactful work.
An Enduring Legacy: The Power of Seeing People
The impact of Dr. Harrison’s work extends far beyond the walls of her clinics. Her true legacy lies in her unwavering belief in the human spirit. She has articulated this most poignantly, stating, “If we truly let ourselves see the people who struggle with addiction, we will see that they are worth every ounce of passionate compassion we have to give.”
This simple, yet profound statement is the driving force behind everything she does. It challenges us to look beyond the illness and see the person—the parent, the sibling, the friend, the neighbor who deserves to be seen, heard, and helped.
Her work is a powerful act of storytelling. It dismantles the destructive narratives that have long defined addiction and replaces them with stories of resilience, recovery, and hope. She teaches us that our purpose can be found in a fusion of our heritage, our passions, and our desire to serve.
By building a company rooted in the principles of empathy and community, she shows us that business can be a force for profound social good. Her story is a reminder that the most revolutionary ideas are often the most compassionate.
The Power of Your Own Story
Dr. Nzinga Harrison’s life teaches us that our most potent stories are not just those we tell but those we live. Her journey, from the dream of a young girl to the groundbreaking work of a revolutionary physician, is a powerful narrative of purpose and perseverance.
It reminds us that our personal experiences, our heritage, and our values are the building blocks of a legacy that can change the world.
Always remember that your story is a valuable piece of that history. It holds the power to inspire, to educate, and to connect. Do not let it be lost. Start your own Legacy Story today and preserve your experiences for the generations that follow.
Learn How to Leverage Your Story through our Story To Asset Framework.
