Whitney Dodds

As an accomplished therapist, workshop facilitator, panelist, board member and  author, Whitney Dodds is on a mission to shift the narrative of mental healthcare in  black and brown communities, creating pathways for access and cultivating conversations to dismantle and eradicate stigma around mental health. She is a  sought-after speaker, counselor and podcast guest, specializing in empowering  women and youth, and uplifting communities of color. 

Whitney is the Founder and CEO of the Wellness for the Culture Mental Health  Organization. Under this umbrella is a growing mental health practice located in the heart  of Springfield, MA, the “; One Day You Will Live” Scholarship Foundation, and the Cultural  Wellness Network Association, a collective of black and brown counselors in  Massachusetts. She is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (MA) and a Licensed  Professional Counselor (CT), with a passion for addressing issues of inequity in access and  quality of care in underserved communities. She holds a Master of Arts in Counseling  Psychology from American International College, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from  the University of Massachusetts Amherst.  

With over five years of counseling experience, Whitney committed to showing that in the  struggle for equity, “representation is half the battle,” and that “we don’t have to lose our  culture to choose our careers or communities – Black is professional.” Her mission is to be  part of a resilient, inclusive, and sustainable ecosystem of service providers who offer both  professional services, as well as hosting and curating culturally relevant events and  learning opportunities for communities that need it most. 

Whitney’s presentation style is flexible, with signature speaking topics for larger  conferences and events, as well as carefully curated and customizable workshops that  facilitate spaces of vulnerability and healing for more intimate sessions. Passionate,  inspirational and informed, Whitney’s keynotes are based upon the foundation of giving  voice to the voiceless, advocating for representation, equity and justice in healthcare and  self-compassion via self-care. She uses stories from her lived experience as a trauma survivor and as a licensed mental health practitioner as tools to engage her audience and  empower attendees and participants to open up and experience transformation and  restoration. 

She presents on topics related to mental health, mental health equity and justice,  entrepreneurship, women in mental healthcare, self-care via self-compassion, mental  health advocacy, suicide prevention, entrepreneurship and more. She has had the  opportunity to present for a broad range of in-person and virtual events, including regional  conferences and workshop series.