Jacklyn (Jaxie) Ferguson graduated from the College of Charleston with an AB degree in psychology and the University of South Carolina with a Masters in Social Work, chosen by the faculty as the Charleston Cohort Student of the Year presented at graduation. Jaxie is currently working as a concierge care manager for a private insurance company but has previously experience in school social work, transplant social work and nephrology social work. She lives in Charleston, SC with her husband, incredibly curious 2 year old son and three mischievous dogs, affectionately known as the FURgusons.

Jacklyn joined the podcast to discuss her advocacy around the interconnection of social work and politics, the importance of advocacy, how politics impact clients and her platform on instagram dedicated to education and advocacy. You can follow @socialworkispolitical.

For resources, information and registration information around voting visit:

www.vote.org

https://ballotpedia.org/Main_Page

For podcast updates follow @healingcornerwithnat

Samantha Franco, MHC-LP and Ashley Cuasquer, LAC are the hosts of Therapists Unmasked Podcast. Both are licensed therapists who came together to begin a podcast to discuss the challenges that therapists may face in terms of their mental health, and in working in the field. The goal of their podcast is to destigmatize a lot of the challenges that therapists may face in terms of their own mental health.

Ashley and Samantha joined the podcast to discuss navigating disability, chronic health conditions and mental health while being a therapist. You can follow their podcast @therapists_unmasked

For podcast updates follow @healingcornerwithnat

Maria Aurora San Pedro is an AAPI Therapist in the state of California. She is a well versed Therapist with a demonstrated history of working in the mental health industry for 12 years. Skilled in Evidenced Based Practices, with an emphasis in providing culturally responsive care, Maria Aurora works with clients to build awareness around the mind and body. Maria Aurora functions through a family system and heart center approach to guide individuals in finding ways to live more authentically. By addressing intergenerational trauma and encouraging the practice self-compassion, she is able to assist clients in meeting their truest selves.

Maria joined the podcast to discuss the importance of cultivating healthy relationships, some of the barriers clients face in navigating dating and processing and working through trauma for healthy dating and relationships.

You can email Maria to work with her:

For podcast updates follow: @healingcornerwithnat

Sarah Rincon (LPCC) is a queer latine therapist in Denver, Colorado. She offers support to individuals, couples and families to break out of intergenerational cycles of trauma & heal from relational wounds. She is the owner of Rincon Curativo and offers multiple different services including emdr & couples intensives to support your body and brains natural healing abilities. 

Sarah is passionate about supporting everyone in finding ways to reconnect to their inner child. In couples work she is committed to supporting the relational system to tune into the underlying needs and desires our parts & inner child are communicating on a consistent basis. If you are looking for a holistic clinician who will welcome all parts of you and your partnership Sarah is the therapist for you! Sarah is also currently offering Emdr & relationship intensives with sliding scales for BIPOC queer folks.

Sarah joined the podcast to discuss her work with couples, and integrating parts work and inner child healing into her therapeutic work with couples.

To connect with Sarah visit her website RinconCurativo.com  you can also follow Sarah on Instagram: @healingwithsarah or TikTok: @healingwithsarahr

For podcast updates follow: @healingcornerwithnat

Zaria is a twenty-one-year-old, full-time college student currently obtaining her bachelor's in social work. She aspires to open her own community center one day. Her goal is for people of all ages, ethnicities, and socioeconomic statuses to be able to come together, interact, and engage with each other. Zaria also is the owner and founder of Blossom Beauty, her online self-care shop where she sells her handmade beauty care products.
Zaria founded Youth of The Future in March of 2024 in hopes to create a community to inspire and empower youth to reach their full potential in the business world. Zaria is a well-known young women in the community as she continues to show leadership skills, and to be an influential individual. She is a great mentor for the upcoming youth and she is excited to see what the future holds for herself and the people she impacts!

Zaria joined the podcast to discuss her journey as a BSW student, starting a non-profit, being an entrepreneur, and practicing self-care. Zaria also did a Q&A and asked questions that up-and-coming Social Workers may have!

You can learn more about her on instagram @big_curlzzz and her website www.blossombeautyz.com. 

For podcast updates follow @healingcornerwithnat

Tai-Isha Watson-Jack is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 16 years of experience in the social work field. Tai-Isha’s educational background includes an Associate degree in Human Services Mental Health from the City University of New York’s - LaGuardia Community College, a bachelor’s degree in social work from the City University of New York’s – York College and a master’s degree in social work from Fordham University School of Social Service in New York. 

Tai-Isha has extensive experience working with children and families within the child welfare system (foster care, adoption, independent living), teenagers, young adults, school social work, adult women who have experienced the criminal justice system, and providing therapy to young adult women who have experienced trauma, anxiety, and depression. Tai-Isha’s work and passion for Social Work is heavily rooted in her own lived experience as a teen in NYC’s foster care system. She is honored and grateful to pursue her passion in the important human services field of social work and strives to help her clients become the best and healthiest versions of themselves.

Tai-Isha joined the podcast to discuss the struggles of navigating the child welfare system, both as an individual within the system and from the standpoint of a Social Worker working within child welfare. Tai-Isha also discussed aging out, trauma among foster care youth and the importance of supporting and advocating for youth involved with the child welfare system. You can follow Tai-Isha on instagram @taiishaj_lcsw

For podcast updates follow: @healingcornerwithnat

Zuleyka Ayala, LMSW, is a first-generation Latina social worker from the South Bronx, committed to serving individuals and families across New York City, with a focus on the South Bronx and East Harlem. As a School Social Worker and Bilingual Mental Health Therapist, she draws on her own lived experiences to provide culturally responsive support and advocacy. Zuleyka is the founder of AtréveteNow, an initiative dedicated to empowering her community, and is a proud mother to her son, Eladius. She earned her MSW from Fordham University in May 2021 and is currently an aspiring Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and a Doctor of Social Work candidate at LIU, Brooklyn Campus.

Zuleyka joined the podcast to discuss navigating single motherhood, the challenges that come with being a single mother, cultural expectations around parenting in the Latinx community and breaking generational cycles with parenting.

To connect with Zuleyka you can follow her on Instagram @atrevetenow or visit her website:

https://ayalatherapyvibez.wixsite.com/atrevetenowjb/about?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaajLSAhLUi0cUJdqR8oYfTiHz0qfHFwvep-apKolHR4jd3eeK6vSzWldsY_aem_TNil8CgnRH_nx0aUNUtnSw

For podcast updates follow @healingcornerwithnat

Maribí is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, currently practicing as a full-time psychotherapist in FL. She is passionate about supporting Gen Z in their mental wellness journey. Together with her client's she focuses her work on building self-esteem, bettering communication skills and navigating relationships authentically in a healthy manner. Maribí is a daughter of immigrants and a first-generation college graduate with nearly a decade of professional experience in higher education and college access work. She utilizes her personal and professional background to provide mentorship to young people exploring life during and after their schooling experiences.

To connect with Maribí you can follow her on ig @projectchula

For podcast updates follow @healingcornerwithnat

Rosita Marinez has over two decades of experience specializing in operations management, fiscal management, project management, program development, and executive leadership. Her focus areas are mental health, substance use disorder, HIV/AIDS, and housing. Rosita is the Senior Vice President of Supported Housing at the Institute for Community Living (ICL). She oversees the nation's most extensive NY OMH housing portfolio for individuals with Serious Mental Illness and co-occurring disorders in supportive housing. Throughout her career, she has been part of different initiatives in housing, HIV/AIDS, and workforce development, which include Robin Hood: AIDS for AIDS International: New York Immigrant Program and Robin Hood: SEEDCO: Single Stop Initiative- Earn Benefits.

Rosita is a published award-winning author for Latinx/e Social Work Vol 2. She has received awards from the Latino Social Work Coalition Scholarship Funds, Marquis Who’s Who, and Manchester’s Who’s Who. She is a board member of Siembra Today and Housing Solutions of NY. Since 2022, Rosita has been an executive mentor of the Supportive Housing Network -RELISH Program. Rosita has a Master of Science in Non-profit Leadership from Fordham University and a Master of Social Work from The Silberman School of Social Work. She also has a postgraduate degree in advanced clinical Social Work from Silberman and a SIFI from Columbia University. She is a distinguished George and Belle Strell Executive Leadership fellow at Silberman. She is also a John Hartford Scholar from the Silberman School of Social Work, a nationally recognized geriatrics program.

Rosita joined the podcast to discuss the importance of accessibility of mental health services, the impact that poverty has on access to therapy, mental health needs of BIPOC communities, and how the mental health field can be more accessible to the needs of marginalized communities.

You can connect with Rosita on Instagram @rosita.marinez and LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rosita-marinez-a1443966.

For Podcast updates follow @healingcornerwithnat

Dr. Ashaad Hipps is a Licensed Master Social Worker whose professional and personal goal is to address and reduce trauma experienced by youth with child welfare involvement. He is a Certified Youth Mental Health Specialist, which enables him to utilize his knowledge and skills in the treatment children and teens with mental health concerns. He is the owner of Gears of Change, which is an agency that offers consulting, workshops and trainings on various mental health topics. Dr. Hipps works as a full-time professor and part-time as a psychotherapist. His current research interest includes youth in foster care, sports social work, Autism and more. He believes you can truly make a difference by taking a unique perspective to working with individuals in need. Dr.Hipps joined the podcast to discuss being an educator in Social Work, his research, and his journey to obtaining his doctorate.

To connect with Dr. Hipps and learn more about Gears of Change:

https://www.facebook.com/share/71fEzz2fff5cWfrG/?mibextid=qi2Omg