About

Tamika Lewis is a writer, speaker, and mental health expert practicing in Los Angeles, CA. She provides individual and group counseling with an emphasis on helping women and teens overcome anxiety and depression. Tamika is trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, the Grief Recovery Method, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). She integrates laughter and storytelling into every session, leaving clients feeling lighter and more hopeful.

Tamika graduated from CSULB with a Masters degree in School Counseling and completed her Masters in Social Work at UCLA. She was a National Association of Social Worker Award recipient, and was presented with the UCLA MSW Excellence Award. Additionally, she received recognition for her research with the CHLA Keck Diabetes Prevention Initiative. The study explored barriers to physical and mental wellness in South and East Los Angeles.

Cheryl received her Master degree in Psychological Counseling from Pacifica Graduate Institute after writing a thesis, Between a Rock and a Hard Place: The Shadow Sandwich and African American Individuation. She has been practicing as a Marriage and Family therapist since 2005 in settings including DMH contracted agencies, colleges, and private practice. Licensed in 2009, she has provided individual,
couple, and family therapy from a trauma-informed depth perspective which includes Jungian psychology, family systems, attachment theory, neuropsychology research, and embodiment practices.

Along with talk therapy, Cheryl uses sand tray, dream work, breath work, embodied imagination, as well as poetry, music and film to help adults access deep memory and imagination to heal themselves in the present. Cheryl strives to help clients find the creativity and confidence to be authentic in their own skins while navigating the historical contradictions of their social, economic, and political realities.

Cheryl is currently in the process of writing a dissertation on decolonial parenting for the African American community in the Community, Liberation, and Eco Psychologies program at Pacifica Graduate Institute.  In a previous career, Cheryl produced and directed a film for the National Black Women’s Health Project called On Becoming a Woman: Mothers & Daughters Talking Together, which has been placed in
the National Archives as part of the Women Make Movies collection.

Bea Benedicto is a first-generation Filipina college graduate. She received her Bachelor’s in Accounting and Finance from the University of San Francisco. She has experience in the fields of Accounting and Marketing working for companies such as Deloitte and Warner Brothers. She also has experience running a small in-home Filipinx bakery selling at local farmers and community markets in Los Angeles.

She is currently in the process of applying to Master of Social Work programs with the goal of transitioning into the mental health field. She is passionate about connecting and serving the communities that she is a part of and believes that mental health and wellness is integral to decolonization work and collective liberation.

Alexis is an associate professional clinical counselor who is openly queer, poly positive, sex positive and neurodiversity positive. She is a San Diego native, who understands the importance of representation of womxn of color in the mental health field. Her professional background is in educational counseling at the higher education level and she has worked with people of all ages on the path to achieving their academic goals. While working with students, Alexis realized her true passion for supporting individuals with clinical concerns such as anxiety and depression. She is passionate about supporting people as they navigate their identity, sexuality, and their relationship with themselves and others. She has experience working with teens, young adults and older adults from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and those who are part of the LGBTQ+ community. In sessions, Alexis creates a non-judgmental space where individuals are safe to tell their story, receive genuine validation for their lived experiences, confront self-limiting beliefs, build skills, process emotions, and reach their fullest potential.

Cassandra Carter is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist who has worked with many different populations providing mental health support and social support. Cassandra has clinical experience working with clients with a substance abuse history. She utilizes Family systems and person-centered theory to inform her practice.
Cassandra earned her BS in Psychology from California State University-Los Angeles and her Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology-Marriage and Family Therapy from Mount Saint Mary’s. Cassandra’s passion lies in addressing trauma and helping individuals find their most authentic selves.

Cassandra is very passionate about helping her community move through trauma, get in touch with their inner child, and build a life they are happy with. She enjoys building a collaborative therapeutic relationship with clients and honoring them where they are.

Lakshmi is an (Associate) Marriage and Family Therapist who is a Filipina-American immigrant, a mother, partner, humanitarian, and activist who grew up in the San Fernando Valley. She works with women and emerging adults seeking life satisfaction through personal reflection and a willingness to dive deep into their relationship with their family, friends,
partners, peers, and, most importantly, themselves. Understanding that there is no single approach that will work with everyone, she is always excited to collaborate with you. After all, you are the expert on yourself, and her goal is for you to feel safe, seen, and heard.

Lakshmi has a nursing background, and it was during that time that she discovered her love of making meaningful, personal connections with the people she cared for. She has experience working with neurotypical and neurodiverse adults and adolescents with various types and degrees of disabilities and currently works to create a fulfilling curriculum for a nonprofit organization. Committing to going back to school as a working mom was a scary endeavor. She is proud to have completed her Bachelor’s in Applied Psychology and Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy. Lakshmi’s research during school focused on collaborative parenting, culturally appropriate mental health services, and the impact of colonial mentality and culturally appropriate mental health services on Filipino mental health.

Marissa is a Chinese and Japanese American graduate student at UCLA pursuing a Master of Social Welfare. She graduated from Seattle University with a Bachelor of Social Work and a minor in psychology. She is originally from Davis, California.

Marissa works from a trauma-informed and strengths-based perspective. She is interested in broadening her experiences and working with all populations but aligns with East Asian, queer, and young women of color most closely. She has experience working as a group facilitator for underserved middle school students and as a case manager and domestic violence survivor group facilitator at a disability center.

Marissa is Jodo Shinshu Buddhist and is active in many Buddhist spaces. She believes in the power of community organizing and is active in a few local communities. She believes that mental health should be accessible to all and is committed to destigmatizing mental health and breaking down the socioeconomic barriers to accessing mental health care.

FinRose Founder, Rashida Thomas is a transformational change agent that provides magnetic storytelling and financial education to evoke transformation through transparency. Rashida Thomas is a Certified Financial Education Instructor and Certified Credit Consultant with a mission to help others bring awareness to the origin of their money story and establish healthier money habits. With an aim to create the mental and emotional space that allows women to implement wealth building financial strategies that will actually stick!