Zakiya Richards is an Afro-Trinidadian woman, with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Criminology. She is pursuing her Master of Art in Forensic Mental Health Counseling at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Her Caribbean identity helps her to relate easily in hopes of creating a genuinely safe space for clients. Zakiya’s life and career mantra is “humanity always,” meaning, she approaches everyone with humility and empathy.

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Zakiya is compelled to be the kind of therapist she wished for herself. She believes that the therapeutic relationship should be developed collaboratively with her clients to fit their specific goals for therapy. She is passionate about empowering her clients to take charge of their mental wellness journey with her guidance. Zakiya is very open to understanding the client's perspective and culture as she views the client as the ultimate expert on themselves.

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Her main areas of focus are: anxiety and depression. Zakiya is also skilled in helping clients process trauma, regulate mood and emotions, and goal setting. She approaches therapy sessions with humility, empathy, patience, and no judgment because she understands that therapy is hard but necessary work. 

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All in all, she thrives for her clients to feel empowered, humanized, empathized with, and attended to while developing skills that improve their quality of life and mental wellness. 

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