Hello, I’m Monica. As an educator and dedicated public servant turned clinical mental health counselor, my mission is to offer culturally competent therapeutic support to adults, youth (ages 11+), families, and groups. I take an integrative approach to counseling, incorporating holistic, strengths-based, and trauma-informed therapies to help you navigate life and career transitions, manage anxiety and depression, and resolve family conflicts.

My roots trace back to the South—Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. My family moved north during the Great Migration, settling in Detroit, Michigan, where I was born and raised. I currently reside in Montgomery County, Maryland, with my husband and our blended family, which includes adult children and a grandchild. I embrace our multicultural heritage, which spans African American, Jamaican, Cuban, Zimbabwean, and Panamanian backgrounds.

I am a lifelong learner, with a Clinical Mental Health Counseling Master’s degree and a specialization in Trauma Therapy from Antioch University New England. Additionally, I am a certified yoga and meditation teacher, trained to integrate these healing practices into my therapy sessions. My academic journey includes an undergraduate degree in Social Relations from Michigan State University (MSU), a certificate in African Studies, a graduate-level teacher training program, a Ph.D. in Educational Policy from MSU, and a graduate degree in Library and Information Science from Wayne State University.

Throughout my career, I have supported individuals and groups in various settings, including schools, universities, churches, government agencies, and community organizations in the United States and Brazil, where I was a Fulbright Fellow. I understand that life is a winding path with many twists and turns. I look forward to working with you, embracing all your unique identities and complexities, to enhance your mental and emotional well-being.

My self-care and leisure activities include watching sci-fi, learning about different cultures, practicing Portuguese and Spanish, walking along nature trails, and relaxing near the water. What you nurture is what will grow.

Let me help you evolve and bloom!