Who is She?

Hi, there! I'm Zaakirah (zah-KEE-rah) and I'm a clinical social worker licensed in California. I am a self-identified recovering perfectionist with lived experience as a classical Russian ballet dancer and 4-year NCAA Division I varsity athlete (whew). Contrary to popular belief, I didn't become a therapist because I wanted to help people. I'm here to create a world in which every individual is celebrated for their unique talents, perspectives, and self-expression and I actually need your help to build that world. Now more than ever, folks are becoming increasingly skeptical of conforming to the rules and structures of a society that isn't making space for their full selves to thrive. I've been there - and back - and now I coach adults navigating their own life transitions how to reclaim their agency after feeling stuck, discouraged, and at the end of their rope.

I am a cisgendered woman who is Black with ancestral roots in the southern United States and Central America. I graduated with a Master's degree in Social Work from the University of Southern California with a concentration in Social Change and Innovation. My academic training and lived experience have propelled me to advise, coach, and guide individuals, families, and communities in schools, residential treatment, and at the federal level of government through crisis stabilization to self-actualization over the past 10 years.