Color Wheel Therapy

My name is Kiandra Daniels and I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapy with the State of Texas. I completed my undergraduate studies at Prairie View A&M University where I received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. I then attended graduate school at Texas Woman’s University to complete a Master’s of Science in Family Therapy.

The idea for Color Wheel Therapy came to me while in graduate school. During this time, I was able to see head on the barriers that the Black community faces when attempting to seek mental health treatment. I was also experiencing racial micro-aggressions at both my school and workplace in a much higher rate than previously in my life. These experiences pushed me harder to focus more on working to help the community that made me who I am. It is very personal to me that I am able to provide opportunities for Black people to improve their lives from a mental standpoint.

I have worked with adults and teens in various settings including individual therapy, inpatient care, intensive outpatient, family therapy, and couples therapy. Other interests include cultural issues, life transitions, trauma (sexual, relational, and workplace), grief and loss, and sexuality. I believe that everyone is capable of acquiring the necessary change for better lives. My goal is to provide a safe, empathetic space to open the door for improved lives and empower individuals to strive for autonomy. In the future, my aspiration is to eradicate the stigma and normalize conversations surrounding Black mental health by advocating for research catered to the unique development of Black people. We are all human and need a helping hand during the most difficult times of our lives. I am passionate about providing my services and feel joy knowing that my work has been impactful. Being that Color Wheel Therapy focuses on communities who are historically marginalized, this grant would be a great help in making sure that those who are not as fortunate will be able to seek treatment. Currently, I have been attempting to create funding for clients with financial hardship by selling merchandise and campaigning for donations. Although this has been helpful to keep the practice running when there is a decline in retention of clients, I have not been able to reach the goal of providing free or reduced treatment. Therefore, these funds would focus mostly on doing this so that I do not have to turn away clients due to financial issues.

I am the sole owner and therapist running this practice, so many times I have had to come out of my own pocket to pay the bills, pay for advertisement, and for materials needed for the business. I am already in a large amount of debt due to student loans and until recently was struggling to maintain employment in the field. Any extra funds would also be helpful in making sure that I can keep myself out of further debt.

Color Wheel Therapy originally was planned to become a group practice with multiple locations. The locations would be used to house other upcoming Black therapists in communities that do not offer adequate treatment for the potential Black clients. Growing up in Tyler, TX, I did not witness many safe places for people who looked like me. There are so many Black people who reach out to me daily seeking help that I ethically cannot provide at this time. Funds could also be used to eventually grow the practice into a group to solve this issue.