Hidden Gems: Meet Lakisha Cohill of The Cohill Foundation

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lakisha Cohill.

Hi Lakisha, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I was born in Birmingham, AL and graduated with a Degree in Psychology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. I am a seasoned, compassionate, and dedicated mental health professional equipped with broad-based experience in counseling, and psychology. Don’t get it twisted, life didn’t always start out this way for me, I remember growing up in the streets becoming a product of my environment, fighting to survive the streets all while struggling from unhealed trauma. I was looking for love in all the wrong places, and at the time it seemed like the only place I felt loved was the streets, but when I lost my baby brother in 2012 to gun violence, I realized the streets wasn’t for me. My brother’s death not only caused me to leave the streets alone, but it sparked something so much bigger. The youngest person involved in my brother’s death was 15, and the oldest was 16, although these were babies, I still wanted revenge, but never could bring myself to make it happen because these were just kids. I also was in the streets heavily, and I realized that I was no better than them. Instead of seeking revenge, I created a mentoring program to teach teens like the ones who killed my brother a legal way to hustle. I begin teaching them photography, and film because I thought money was the answer to all their problems, but when I continued to lose children to the streets, I realized it was way deeper than just getting some money. Like me these kids too were dealing with unhealed trauma. In realizing that The Cohill Foundation was born, and now we’re helping at-risk youth heal through trauma by using self-expression through creative arts as a healing mechanism.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I wish lol, but anything worth having is worth fighting for, and I feel like that’s why I’m still here. Mental health work is never easy because not only do you have to deal with other people’s traumas, but you also are forced to deal with your own. I wasn’t ready for that at all, so I ended up having a mental breakdown in 2019, which lead to two suicide attempts, and a broken relationship with my own child. I was so busy trying to save the world, that I forgot to save myself. Not to mention I wasn’t a nonprofit organization at the time and was fully funding this program from my own pockets causing financial hardships, and even homelessness. Although I faced many more obstacles, I wouldn’t change anything about my journey because it made me who I am. It led me to get help and start my healing process, so I could help 1000s of children heal as well.

We’ve been impressed with The Cohill Foundation, 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?
I Created The Cohill Foundation a nonprofit organization that allows art to be an outlet for children when words fail. Our goal is to help youth express themselves through creative expressions such as poetry, music, photography, culinary, dance, and art. We use creative art to help youth process their emotions, feelings, and negative experiences.

Our widely embraced creative art programs help youth:
• Learn effective strategies for emotion regulation
• Change negative core beliefs about themselves
• Reduce engagement in high-risk behavior, such as interpersonal violence
• Heal from histories of trauma
• Discover alternative coping strategies to deal with trauma
• Develop resilience and acquire the social and emotional skills associated with success in school, the workplace, and in the world at large

The thing I can say I’m most known for is my heart. I give way more than I receive, and I do believe my heart is way bigger than my body lol.

The thing that I’m most proud of is the changes, and sacrifices I’ve made in life to become the best version of me.

What sets me apart from the rest is that I’m always unapologetically me, and I genuinely wanna see everybody in the world win.

We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
My story, and how I turned my pain into passion. I was faced with so many obstacles, but refused to let it stop me from becoming the best version of me.

Contact Info:

• Website: Thecohillfoundation.org
• Facebook: @Thecohillfoundation
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/KinigraDeonFamily