(she/her)
New to Grow
I go by "Zippy." As a Behavioral Health Consultant, I am dedicated to providing culturally grounded and trauma-informed care to individuals and families facing complex life challenges. Born and raised in Kenya, I bring a unique perspective shaped by experiences in both Kenya and the United States, allowing me to bridge cultural gaps in mental health services. I believe mental health care must honor the cultural identities and lived experiences of those we serve, as these elements are pivotal in shaping one’s mental well-being. With over a decade of experience across child and adult mental health, community-based social work, and integrated behavioral health within a Federally Qualified Health Center, I empower clients facing trauma, intimate partner violence, migration stress, and socioeconomic barriers, showcasing the resilience of the human spirit. As a bilingual English/Swahili clinician and certified medical interpreter, I've worked closely with refugee and immigrant families from Sub-Saharan Africa, recognizing the impact of language and cultural familiarity in therapy. My experiences with pregnant women, survivors of sexual assault, and individuals under acute psychosocial stress reinforce my commitment to relationally focused, culturally attuned care. I actively engage in community leadership, having served on Millersville University’s School of Social Work advisory board and volunteering with Grape Leaf Empowerment Center. Currently, I am pursuing a doctoral degree in Marriage and Family Therapy to enhance my ability to address complex relational dynamics affecting mental health. My goal is to become a systemic therapist integrating cultural context and evidence-based practices, promoting a model of care that is compassionate, culturally responsive, and honors the diverse narratives that shape healing as a shared journey.
In our first session, I will offer you a calm, respectful space where you can begin at your own pace and feel genuinely seen. I will take time to learn what brings you in, what matters most to you, and what you hope to gain from therapy, while honoring the cultural, relational, and personal experiences that shape your story. I will guide us through the preliminary intake process—not as a formality, but to ensure your safety, clarify your needs, and provide a clear foundation for our work together. You can expect me to be attentive, curious, and grounded, helping you feel comfortable while also gathering the information I need to support you well. By the end of our first meeting, my goal is for you to feel understood, oriented to the therapeutic process, and reassured that you are not navigating this journey alone.
My life experiences allow me to enter the therapy room with a depth of cultural and relational awareness that is difficult to teach in textbooks. Having lived across Kenya and the United States, I understand what it means to navigate different cultural worlds, adapt to new environments, and hold multiple identities at once. This helps me attune to clients who are negotiating similar transitions, whether through migration, acculturation, or major life changes. My work with refugee and immigrant families, survivors of sexual assault, and individuals facing systemic barriers has strengthened my ability to sit with pain without rushing to fix it. I know what it means for clients to carry stories shaped by community, history, and resilience, and I bring a steady, grounded presence that honors those layers. My bilingual background and experience as a medical interpreter also help me listen beyond words—to tone, context, cultural meaning, and what is often left unsaid. Because I have worked in integrated behavioral health, hospital settings, and community organizations, I bring a practical, collaborative approach to care. I am comfortable navigating complexity, coordinating with other providers, and helping clients make sense of their experiences within larger systems. My doctoral training in Marriage and Family Therapy builds on these lived experiences by giving me a systemic lens. I naturally think about how family, culture, trauma, and environment interact, and I help clients understand their struggles within these broader contexts rather than as personal failings. Above all, my life has taught me to lead with compassion, curiosity, and respect. I bring a presence that communicates: "Your story matters. Your culture matters. And you do not have to navigate this alone."
I am best positioned to serve intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors of Sub‑Saharan African descent—especially refugee and immigrant women and families—who need mental health care that reflects their cultural context, lived experiences, and community structures. These clients often present with trauma‑related concerns such as PTSD, anxiety, and depression, seek safety and empowerment, and benefit from counseling that honors their cultural identity, family/community dynamics, and the systemic challenges they face.
Other specialties
I identify as
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I use CBT in therapy as a structured, goal‑focused approach that helps clients identify unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and replace them with more adaptive patterns. In session, I guide clients through examining thoughts, practicing new skills, and applying them between sessions to create lasting change.
Culturally Sensitive Therapy
I use culturally sensitive therapy by centering the client’s cultural identities, experiences, and meaning‑making systems while adapting interventions to fit their worldview. It involves practicing cultural humility, exploring cultural context in assessment, and collaboratively shaping treatment so it honors both cultural pain and cultural strengths.
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
I apply ACT in psychotherapy by helping clients notice and unhook from unhelpful thoughts, clarify their deeply held values, and take committed action aligned with those values. In session, this looks like using mindfulness, acceptance strategies, and experiential exercises to build psychological flexibility rather than trying to eliminate difficult internal experiences.
Attachment-based
I use attachment‑based therapy by helping clients explore how early relational experiences shape their current patterns of connection, emotion regulation, and expectations in relationships, and by creating a secure therapeutic bond that models safety, attunement, and responsiveness. Through this secure base, I guide clients in developing healthier attachment strategies, repairing relational wounds, and practicing new ways of engaging with others.
Couples Counseling
I provide emotionally focused couples therapy (EFCT) by helping partners identify and de-escalate their negative interaction cycle, then guiding them to access and share the vulnerable emotions and unmet attachment needs driving that cycle. Through a secure, attuned therapeutic relationship, I facilitate new bonding conversations that strengthen emotional responsiveness and create lasting patterns of connection.