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Upon meeting Raymond, you’ll notice almost immediately his calm demeanor, which puts everyone around him at ease. His peers, colleagues, and clients report that there is nothing that easily frazzles him. His love of people is apparent in his engaging demeanor and posture. Raymond, described early on in life, he was the “go to” person, that his friends and even strangers would open up and talk to him. He found himself being a good listener while offering support. 

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A motto that he Lives By: 

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Change and growth take place when a person has risked themself and dares to become involved with experimenting with their own life.” -Herbert Otto  

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According to Raymond, this quote is an example of how he views and lives his life, especially given his challenging cultural background and upbringing. His journey led him to pursue a career in psychotherapy. Reflecting on his life, he realizes that each time he has experienced significant growth, it can be attributed to taking risks and challenging the pre-existing limitations and beliefs in the face of odds. These feats have inspired him to be instrumental to his clients. No matter what’s your background or circumstance, Raymond says, “I have navigated the various phases of life by believing that at times you must step beyond which is most familiar in order to grow into your purpose.” And he desires to facilitate others to help unblock them so that they achieve their goals and purpose.

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An Oakland Native 

Raymond is a Bay Area native, and a graduate of Clark Atlanta University, a Historical Black University, where he obtained his Master’s in Social Work. He is a licensed psychotherapist and has been providing psychotherapy since 2002, offering services in a variety of clinical settings. His experience as an African American male clinician has allotted him the opportunity to address the overlap of ethnicity, sexuality, and disability and how these areas intersect with the clients he works with. Raymond related that he enjoys providing individual and group therapy utilizing culturally sensitive, strength-based therapy while addressing one’s core beliefs, thoughts, feelings and behavior. He has expertise in working with adolescents, young adults, men, women, depression, anxiety and trauma. Raymond also enjoys working with transitions, multicultural issues, microaggressions, couples and families.

 

Raymond’s style  

In working with clients, Raymond values the ability to first establish respect for the uniqueness of the individual as a key to establishing a meaningful rapport with clients. According to Raymond, culture and environment are not just precipitants to why someone might be seeking help, but often is the key to healing, discovery, or teaching that might take place. Therefore, providing space for the expression of an individual’s core values is central to his work with his clients.