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Licensed Professional Counselor, Author, Advocate
Writing, teaching, and living the path to sustainable wellness
Carlita L. Coley, LPC
Founder of My Melanin Wellness
Moving through a world where inclusion isn’t always a given is complicated. You feel overlooked, misunderstood, and may be searching for a sense of belonging. With compassion and clarity, I will guide you in transforming pain into power, and walking through life unapologetically whole.
As a woman of color living with a disability, and a proud mother of three, including two children in the LGBTQ+ community, I have felt overlooked and misunderstood. Those challenges don’t define me — they have refined me. I draw on both my lived experience and professional expertise to help you embrace every part of who you are.
Explore reflections that inspire greater self-awareness and empower you to embrace every facet of your story on my blog, Lita's Lens.
Education and Experience
Bachelors Degree in Psychology from Bowie State University
Masters Degree in Community Counseling from Old Dominion University
Carlita is the proud founder of Melanin Mental Health and Wellness, PLLC, a Virginia Board of Counseling–Approved Supervisor, and a Licensed Professional Counselor with over 15 years of experience in the field. She specializes in supporting women and children navigating anxiety, depression, and life transitions, offering a deeply empathetic and culturally attuned space for healing.
Mission
Carlita’s mission is to walk alongside her clients as they reclaim their peace, deepen their self-awareness, and move toward personal growth with confidence and clarity.
Style
Carlita’s therapeutic style is both grounded and empowering, integrating a range of evidence-based approaches, including:
Specialties
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) – to foster psychological flexibility and values-based living
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – to identify and shift unhelpful thought patterns
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) – to support emotional regulation and distress tolerance
Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT) – to build on strengths and create practical paths forward
Mindfulness – to cultivate present-moment awareness and self-compassion
Beyond the therapy room, Carlita is a published author. She has written Eve's Exodus, a psychoeducational memoir, as well as two psychoeducational therapy journals - Renew and Rise, designed to support women on their trauma healing journey, and Bye Anxiety a guide managing anxiety.
