President's Message

Akiah Selwa, LMFT
LA-CAMFT President

The Importance of the TOC Mentorship Program

As we prepare to embrace the second quarter of this year and extend our celebration of Women's History Month, I would like to reflect on the topic of mentorship. I had the honor of interviewing a woman who, along with her team of women, is making history in LA-CAMFT. This person is Keonna Robinson, LMFT, the chairwoman for the TOC Mentorship Program and Board Member At Large of LA-CAMFT. I asked Keonna her thoughts on the importance of the TOC Mentorship Program, and she shared the following with me:

"Mentorship offers people of color the chance to see themselves reflected in successful individuals who share similar backgrounds. Having mentors who have traversed similar paths provides critical role models, showcasing that success is attainable and offering a blueprint for navigating systemic challenges. I have personally found that mentors can provide guidance on how to navigate systemic challenges across various environments, share strategies to overcome career obstacles and offer insights gained from their own experiences. Our TOC mentors provide a safe reflective space for mentees to seek advice and advocate for their needs."

I couldn't agree more! Take a moment to reflect on the formal and informal mentors you have had in your life. I am forever grateful for the women and men who invested in me as mentors. Mentors who shared similar backgrounds and possessed a deep understanding of my experiences as a woman of color had a significantly greater impact on me. With this in mind, I asked Keonna a second question, “What sparked your interest in continuing the development of the TOC Mentorship Program that the Diversity Committee of LA-CAMFT started in 2022?

Keonna replied: "What ignited my passion was my own experience of insufficient support and the microaggressions I encountered from clients and colleagues. Although I tapped into my intrinsic resilience and perseverance during those times, lacking a safe person to validate my experiences and offer sound guidance on how to navigate each situation was challenging. I felt fortunate to discover a sense of community within the LA-CAMFT Diversity Committee, which inspired me to seek opportunities to give back as a mentor. I strive to create the supportive space that I did not have during those difficult moments faced by therapists of color in this field." I am proud of the fact that LA-CAMFT’s Diversity Committee initiated a means to addressing the issue of lack of representation and support for therapists of color by starting the TOC Mentorship Program.

I hope this article ignites conversations supporting mentorship programs like the TOC Mentorship Program and increases interest in becoming a mentor or mentee of the TOC Mentorship Program or other programs.  Mentorship is about passing down a legacy to the next generation.  I urge all of our members to not overlook or minimize the importance of seeking ways to facilitate equitable practices and programming so that everyone, especially folx from our marginalized communities have an opportunity to inherit wisdom, knowledge, and connections from their mentors too.

To learn more about Keonna Robinson, LMFT, and our TOC Mentorship Program please check out a link below to the TOC Mentorship Program page on our website. The TOC mentorship program will be accepting applications for mentees until the end of April.

LA-CAMFT’s Diversity Committee’s TOC Mentorship Program: https://www.lacamft.org/Voices-November-2022/12969209

Akiah T. R. Selwa, LMFT, is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a great sense of humor, a heart full of hope, and twenty-three years of experience as a psychotherapist. Akiah is the owner of Sunrise Therapy Center (STC) a private practice corporation that services all of California via a telehealth platform. Akiah approaches her work with cultural humility and humor that promotes acceptance, empowerment, spirituality, and creativity. Akiah will complete Somatic Experiencing training in 2025 with Somatic Experiencing International, is a certified SoulCollage® Facilitator (2024), and a currently in a two-year Spiritual Direction program with Stillpoint. When Akiah is not working as a therapist, she is a mixed media artist, having fun with my next crochet project, singing, or exploring nature.