Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. La’ Toya Nicole Edwards, LCSW.
Hi Dr. Edwards, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Dr. La’Toya Nicole Edwards, LCSW,500 RYT, Reiki Master (Licensed clinical social worker, registered yoga teacher). I was born and raised in the small city of Roanoke, VA and now reside in Chesapeake, VA. I grew up in a multiracial household, so I can really say my appreciation for diversity and inclusion started at a young age. As a child, I wanted to be a civil rights attorney (think Johnnie Cochran, Thurgood Marshall, and Maxine Shaw combined into one). I knew I wanted to be in the helping profession in some capacity and fight for injustice. I enjoyed studying and learning about different cultures and practices and people in their environment so I ended up receiving 2 degrees in African American and African Studies and Sociology with an emphasis in social welfare with a double minor in women’s studies and political science. It was in my undergraduate that I took a social work class and fell in love with the field, and the rest was history. My entire life, my role has been as an advocate, connector, and mentor for minorities and underrepresented groups.
I proudly attended Old Dominion University for my undergraduate, Norfolk State University for my Master’s in Social Work, and Simmons University for my doctorate degree.
I am a doctorate-level trained trauma expert, holistic psychotherapist, professor, and consultant. My dissertation was entitled leadHER (Helping Eliminate Racism): An Inclusive Leadership Program for African American Women. I have extensive administrative and clinical experience with vulnerable populations spanning over a decade. Currently, I own and operate a group clinical private practice (Thriving Well Holistic Wellness Solutions, located in Virginia) and infuses a holistic twist to include (Yoga, Meditation, Reiki, Sound, EMDR, IFS, Hypnotherapy, and brainspotting). As an Approved Clinical Supervisor, I provide training and clinical support to established and emerging mental health therapists.
My work is rooted in African-Center Social Work, somatic healing, and socially conscious care that examines disparities and experiences of high-achieving millennials and Gen Z who struggle with anxiety, work/life balance, and intergenerational trauma. I am actively involved in destigmatizing mental illness in the BIPOC community and focused on offering specialized treatment and education on social change and collective healing. My out-of-the-box approach has had me recognized as one of the nation’s top 1000 Mental Health Experts and 40 under 40. My quest for finding various ways to help people heal outside of traditional talk therapy has helped me not only help myself but others around me. I also have two mottos. “Soul Work makes it all work because being an adult can be hard work” and “creating a vibe to help you thrive…mind, body, and spirit.” I am also a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.
You can find me on IG, TikTok, and Facebook under Thriving_well, and my business website: is www.latoyaedwardslcsw.com, which will also take you to my group private practice and other work I have done.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I launched my private practice in 2018. Prior to that, I had worked with various populations (LGBTQIA+,, sex education, substance abuse, elderly, homeless, mental health, teens, schools, case management, crisis/emergency, trauma, outpatient, and at-risk youth). I also worked in STEM, merging mental health and tech. I remember when I was working on my license, I was working different and multiple therapy-related jobs at once. This allowed me to discover what kind of therapist I wanted to be and the population I had a passion and desire to make life-long changes with. Ultimately, I realized that I loved working with Gen Z and Millennials.
I always had a quest to gain knowledge and learn from others, but what I learned is that I was doing therapy through other people’s passion and not necessarily my own, so in 2016, I decided to take a shift in how I approach therapy and help people heal. I had already been attending training on trauma and the body and began incorporating it with clients but I started to really apply it in full force. I later became a yoga instructor, reiki master, and sound practitioner, and remixed my love of EMDR and Brainspotting and made it more body-centered and spiritually focused. I noticed that in one of the trainings I was attending, I was either the youngest and/or one of very few people of color in attendance. So, I was oftentimes one of the first in my community to bring these modalities and ways of thinking into my area.
Being a business owner can be overwhelming and scary at times, especially in the beginning, not knowing if you’ll be successful or not. Thankfully, I’ve been blessed to have a very good support system, including my family, friends, and colleagues.
Most importantly, my clients wanted to heal and I felt amazing knowing that I could help them heal by combining the brain, body, and spiritual practice mixed with my knowledge of mental health as a licensed therapist. It has also been amazing to spread my knowledge to my group practice and also to individuals through consultation.
We’ve been impressed with Thriving Well Holistic Wellness Solutions, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Thriving Well Holistic Wellness Solutions is a black and woman-owned business that consists of both men and women of color therapists. We work with millennials and Gen Z to navigate adulting and the issues that come with that, such as personal and interpersonal relationships, career, work/life balance, anxiety, depression, ADHD, and trauma. We also offer holistic services, which makes us unique compared to other practices. Our holistic services include yoga, meditation, sound healing, hypnotherapy, tarot, thai yoga, essential oils, herbals, food and mood.
My office is located in Norfolk, VA, but we service the entire state of Virginia via telehealth. We are open seven days a week, and our team sees clients as late as 8pm.
Our goal is to help individuals break generational curses via evidence-based therapy and community conversations to decrease psychological distress and promote mental and emotional well-being. Our therapists go through trauma-informed training and have years of experience in the field of mental health.
Let’s heal; contact us via telephone at 757-781-1488 or by email at admin@thrivewellservices.com
(If email is your preferred form of contact, please check your spam or junk mail for a response from Thriving Well Holistic Wellness Solutions.)
Also as a business owner, I provide training, speaking engagements, and consultations with agencies on burn-out prevention, holistic mental health, wellness, and business ownership to various organizations and businesses all over the world.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
I have been far more blessed than lucky. As the saying goes, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. My favorite childhood memories would be being together with family and friends during the holidays and playing music from one of my childhood musical recitals.
Pricing:
- $180 for initial$150 for individuals$15-$25 group therapy and yoga class $100 -Reiki and/or sound bowl 1:1 session
Contact Info:
- Website: www.
latoyaedwardslcsw.com - Instagram: https://www.
instagram.com/thriving_well - Facebook: https://www.
facebook.com/ thrivewellservices/Linkedin: w ww.linkedin.com/in/latoya- nicole-edwards-lcsw - Twitter: https://www.twitter.
com/latoyalcsw - Other: My group mental health private practice website: www.
thrivewellservices.com
Image Credits
Jennifer Vetter. Photographer of Exposed Moxie Photograph Nataliah Jarnagin – Makeup Artist
