Psychotherapist, MHC-LP

Ahiela Watson

I work with first and second-generation, Caribbean, Black, and Spanish-speaking populations. I work mostly with women and femmes. My goal as a therapist is to bring people out of survival mode to feel more secure in their thoughts and emotions. If you are constantly worried about trying to control your environment or protect yourself from it, it’s hard to create space for self-reflection and change. Together we will work to create a space of calmness and safety to unravel your deepest truths and strive to seek them out.

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A message from Ahiela

Have you ever felt like you are always in an in-between space? Every day you find a reason to keep going, however, there is an unsettling feeling that something is not right. Or maybe you recognize exactly what it is and seek support in liberating yourself from it?

The core of my practice is understanding that you’re suffering is not always because of individual behaviors, it may be trickling down from the systems you exist within. Society and cultural expectations may be restricting us from finding our true or ideal selves. Living in-between spaces can look like being engaged in two cultures, navigating expectations of your home culture and that of the mainstream dominant culture. I work with people who may experience trauma or guilt about navigating those spaces. I like to engage in talk therapy with an artistic lens, creating journal entries, art pieces, and talking about songs that make you feel seen.

"It is no measure of health to be well-adjusted to a profoundly sick society" -Krishnamurti

  • I was born in and emigrated from Colón, Panamá and was raised in Brockton, Massachusetts. I have always been family oriented and believe in the importance of considering the environment when trying to understand the individual psyche. I have watched myself and those near and dear to me face racism, xenophobia, police brutality, poverty, domestic and systemic violence. In a society driven by money and power, it is often put on the individual to thrive, but most of the time we end up surviving and doing our best with the ones we love. I began to study psychology at 17 to try my best to find healing for me and my people. Now at 24, I sit with the education, the training, and experience to do exactly that.

    • Bachelor’s of Arts in Psychology, Clark University, 2021

    • Master’s of Arts in Counseling Psychology, Teachers College Columbia University, 2023

    • Master’s of Education in Counseling Psychology, Teachers College Columbia University, 2023

    • NYS Limited Permit in Mental Health Counseling #P129548

 
 
PRONOUNS: she/her
SPECIALTIES: 

  • Trauma

  • The Effects of Poverty

  • Anger Issues

  • ADHD

MODALITIES:

  • Liberation Psychology

  • Womanist

  • Multicultural Intersectional