LaVerne Hanes Collins PhD: Trailblazing a New Era in Culturally Sensitive Mental Health
Pioneering a Path to Decolonized Therapy
In the realm of mental health, few individuals have had as profound an impact as LaVerne Collins, PhD. As the owner and visionary behind her transformative counseling practice, Dr. Collins has dedicated 28 years to reshaping the landscape of mental health services for Black/African American communities. Her journey is one of resilience, innovation, and a relentless commitment to culturally sensitive care.
A Journey Rooted in Passion and Experience
Dr. Collins’ career in counseling began with a desire for greater flexibility and freedom in her schedule. However, it quickly evolved into a mission to address the glaring void in mental health services for Black communities. With a master’s in community counseling and a PhD in Christian counseling, she has served in various capacities, including counselor, clinical supervisor, program manager, executive director, and private practitioner.
Early in her career, Dr. Collins faced significant challenges. In many agencies, clients were arbitrarily assigned to counselors, with little regard for compatibility. This system often revealed deep-seated prejudices, as some non-BIPOC clients refused help from an African American counselor, prioritizing their racist ideologies over their own health. Dr. Collins confronted these harsh realities head-on, learning to navigate and overcome the systemic biases that pervaded the field.
A Vision for Transformative Care
What sets Dr. Collins apart is her unwavering commitment to advancing the mental health and wellness of Black/African American individuals. Recognizing the inadequacies of Euro-centric, mono-cultural approaches in counseling, she developed a three-tier model that encompasses individual counseling, training for counselors, and the development of national trainers. This model is designed to move critical issues out of the shadows and elevate counselor awareness about the unique aspects of the Black experience.
Dr. Collins’ work shines a light on overlooked identity issues, historical contexts, counselor biases, strengths, and losses that are often ignored when counseling Black clients. Her approach is encapsulated in her book, “OVERLOOKED: Counselor Insights for the Unspoken Issues in Black American Life,” which has become a cornerstone of her practice and a guide for counselors seeking to provide more culturally sensitive care.
Recognition and Impact
In February of this year, Dr. Collins’ groundbreaking work was recognized by the Georgia-based Transformation Training Institute, which presented her with the Trail Blazer Award. This accolade celebrates her innovative approach to transforming mental health service delivery for Black/African American communities. Her model of counseling the community, training local counselors, and developing national trainers is setting new standards in the field.
Decolonizing Therapy: A Movement
Dr. Collins’ vision extends beyond individual therapy sessions. She is a staunch advocate for the decolonization of therapy—a movement aimed at challenging and disrupting mainstream ideologies that do not reflect the lived realities of Black people. Her goal is to see a global shift in how therapy is practiced, ensuring that it is inclusive and reflective of diverse cultural experiences.
The Path Forward
Looking ahead, Dr. Collins envisions a world where therapy is free from the constraints of white norms and expectations. She dreams of an entire movement of professionals at all levels within the field growing, learning, and teaching others how to address the needs of Black clients with culturally appropriate tools. Her dedication to this cause is unwavering, and she continues to push the boundaries of what is possible in mental health care.
Dr. Collins’ impact is profound and far-reaching. Her commitment to decolonizing therapy and advancing the mental health and wellness of Black/African American individuals is inspiring a new generation of counselors and trainers. Through her book, her training programs, and her unwavering advocacy, LaVerne Collins, PhD, is not just changing lives—she is transforming the very fabric of mental health care.
For those interested in learning more about her work or connecting with Dr. Collins, she can be found on her website https://www.newseasons.training and connect with her at LinkedIn. Her journey is a testament to the power of resilience, innovation, and a deep commitment to social justice in the field of mental health.
