A smiling woman with dark braided hair, wearing gold hoop earrings and a white sleeveless blouse, sitting in front of beige and white curtains.

Minaa B. is a social worker, therapist, author, and creator of The Siblinghood Theory.

Minaa believes sibling and peer relationships hold our earliest lessons on belonging, conflict, and repair, and that those lessons are shaped by systems, culture, and the environments we grow up in.

With a background in community mental health, early childhood work, and clinical practice, Minaa creates spaces that invite people to unpack family dynamics, examine the systems that shape them, and build healthier ways of connecting. Her work centers on the idea that siblinghood is more than a family role. It’s a relational framework that helps us understand how we learn to belong and how those lessons either strengthen or strain our relationships and communities.

A Place to Belong

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A Place to Belong 〰️

A woman with braided hair styled in a high bun, smiling, wearing hoop earrings, layered necklaces, a sleeveless beige top, and black pants, standing in front of a brown curtain.

Why Siblinghood?

Growing up as the youngest of 13 siblings in a blended family, I should have felt a sense of belonging. Instead, I often felt disconnected and like an only child because the age gaps were wide.

It wasn't until I met my best friend in 1st grade that I discovered siblinghood could be chosen, and through that relationship, I began to understand the power of peer bonds.

Years later, as a therapist, I kept seeing the same patterns in my clients—workplace conflict that mirrored sibling rivalry, friendships sabotaged by competition, and relationships where belonging felt transactional. I realized that while parent-child relationships have been extensively researched and theorized, sibling relationships remain one of the most underexplored areas of relational development—even though, for most of us, siblings were our first peers, our first competitors, and our first experience of what it means to belong.

I knew I needed to create what didn't exist. Drawing on attachment theory, family systems, and Individual Psychology, I developed The Siblinghood Theory—a framework that reveals how our sibling and earliest peer relationships shape the connections we make as adults.

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Fun facts about Minaa. Through the
lens of siblinghood.

  • Where is my family from?

    Panama and San Andrés, Colombia

  • Comfort shows that model siblinghood that I always go back to:

    Insecure and Grace & Frankie

  • If I could have dinner with any siblings:

    Beyoncé and Solange (obviously)

  • Most relatable sibling trope?

    I’m a recovering peacemaker

  • How many siblings do I have?

    6 brothers and 6 sisters — yes, you read that right

  • A book about siblings I’ll never forget:

    One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

  • Siblings I grew up loving:

    Mary-Kate and Ashley — iconic and peak ’90s

  • Something I believe about siblings:

    No sibling will experience the same parent — even when you grow up in the same household

A woman with braided hair, hoop earrings, and layered necklaces wearing a white t-shirt, blue jeans, and a black belt with a gold buckle, smiling slightly against a plain light-colored background.

Minaa B. is a social worker and therapist, author of Owning Our Struggles, and creator of The Siblinghood Theory. Her work examines how culture, systems, and community shape our sibling and peer relationships, and how those relationships, in turn, shape our sense of belonging.

As the youngest of 13 in a blended family, Minaa experienced firsthand how sibling dynamics can be both painful and transformative. She developed The Siblinghood Theory to address what traditional therapy often overlooks: the profound impact of sibling and peer relationships on our adult connections.

An expert in her field, Minaa has been recognized by numerous media outlets and publications. She has appeared on The Today Show, Red Table Talk, Peace of Mind with Taraji, BBC, and more. Her work has been featured in Oprah Daily, Katie Couric Media, SheMedia, The Skimm, and CBS News. Minaa is also a sought-after speaker, delivering keynotes and workshops for organizations including NAMI, Allstate, Parsley Health, LVMH, Meta, and Slack.

Minaa holds a graduate degree in social work from New York University and has worked across various sectors of the mental health field, including Early Head Start, private practice, and community mental health. She hosts This Feels Familiar, a podcast exploring the relational patterns that keep people stuck, and serves as a relationship expert for eharmony. Minaa currently lives in New York City.

Official Bio