LaToya Hamm Wilson, LCSW,PMH-C

Why do you feel especially drawn to the communities, identities or experiences you support?

I feel especially drawn to supporting Black women and mothers because this work is deeply connected to my own experience. As a Black woman, mother, and therapist, I’ve personally navigated the tension between being ambitious and being expected to be selfless; between wanting to show up for the people I love and recognizing that I cannot continue pouring from an empty cup. I know what it feels like to carry multiple roles and responsibilities while still feeling like you should be doing more.

Becoming a mother also changed the way I understood mental health. It made me more aware of how little space women are often given to process the identity shifts, expectations, and emotional weight that come with motherhood. My clinical work has allowed me to see these patterns repeatedly in the lives of the women I support, and my own experiences have made me especially committed to challenging the stigma that says struggling with your mental health is something to be ashamed of and that strength means doing everything alone. I believe asking for support is a form of strength, and mothers deserve spaces where they can be honest about what they’re experiencing without judgment or shame.

People often come to me when…

People often come to me when they feel overwhelmed by the weight of their responsibilities, disconnected from themselves, or unsure how to prioritize their own well-being without feeling guilty. They’re often navigating the tension between who they’ve been taught to be and who they’re becoming, and they need support making sense of it all without judgment.

If a client described you after their first few sessions, what would you hope they would say?

I feel like I can finally exhale here. She gets the pressure I’m under without making me feel like I have to explain or defend myself. I feel seen, understood, and challenged in a way that actually helps me grow.

What does socially conscious therapy look like in your actual sessions?

I don’t treat my clients’ mental health experiences as if they exist in a bubble. In sessions, I consider the cultural, relational, and societal factors that shape how women experience motherhood, identity, work, relationships, and mental health. We talk about the impact of expectations around being “strong,” self-sacrificing, and always capable, while also making space for the client’s individual experiences rather than making assumptions based on identity.

Practically, that means I ask questions about the messages my clients have received about asking for help, rest, motherhood, success, and emotional expression. I help them distinguish between what they genuinely value and what they’ve been conditioned to carry. I also recognize the difference between an individual coping issue and a larger systemic or relational stressor. My goal is not simply to help clients adapt to circumstances that are harming them, but to help them develop the insight, boundaries, self-trust, and agency to determine what needs to change in their lives.