Vanessa Washington
Founder & Director | Equity Consultant & Wellness Practitioner
I am a mental health practitioner and consultant based out of Portland, Oregon, specializing in trauma stabilization and recovery, and supporting resiliency within Black and brown communities. My approach to change work is heavily rooted in neurobiology, liberation psychology, and antiracist theology.
As a mental health and trauma therapist, I’ve struggled to find reliable and accessible information regarding healthy development. The lack of this education impacts individuals and creates barriers in communities. Village Resiliency was established to stand in this gap and to provide a solution. My goal is to both personalize and demystify the brain and the unique needs we all have to make human development and trauma-informed care accessible, understandable, and practical for you.
I hold a Masters's degree in Clinical Counseling, and have post-graduate studies in cross-cultural effectiveness, facilitating Critical Conversations around Race, and Coaching for Equity.
Michelle Gaither
Community Education Specialist & Consultant, Equity Practitioner
I’m passionate about education, racial equity and mental well-being — I envision a world where they exist and thrive together. My desire to train adults in trauma informed care stems from my personal experiences as a classroom teacher.
I first learned about trauma the way that many teachers do — trial by fire. Though I’ve been in the education field for over 10 years, 8 of those years were spent teaching in heavily trauma-impacted schools. It wasn’t until I nearly burned out of the field that I learned that trauma was a thing, and that it was directly impacting my students, my classroom, my coworkers and our collective overall health.
Learning how student and teacher behavior is impacted by stress and trauma was eye opening, startling, and ultimately life changing for me. It broke me open. I had to take the time to shift my perspectives and practices. I had to address my own trauma exposure and wrestle with the impact I was unintentionally having on students by not adopting trauma informed standards. As I learned of the inequities impacting students and staff, I had to reckon with the reality of the education system as a whole and the harm that was being unintentionally perpetuated. This was a bittersweet transformation and one that was so needed.
I hold a M. Ed in Curriculum/Instruction with a dual endorsement in Teacher Leadership and Trauma & Resiliency in K-12 Schools, and am a trained Diversity, Equity and Inclusion facilitator. I continue to work within schools and currently serve middle and high school students as a student support specialist. I am excited to partner with you as you continue to develop a trauma informed lens.
