LaJae Coleman-Kirumba, PhD
LaJae Coleman-Kirumba, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Supervised by: Michael Azarani, PhD
Pronouns: she/her
Hi! My name is LaJae Coleman-Kirumba, and I’m a Postdoctoral Fellow here at Deep Eddy Psychotherapy. I’m excited to connect with you and share a bit about myself and my approach. As you explore my background and the way I work, it’s crucial that you feel confident in choosing the right practitioner for your journey.
Who I Work Best With:
- Young Adults
- Adults
- BIPOC Community
- Historically Marginalized Populations
What I Work With:
- Self Esteem
- Relationship Issues
- Anxiety
- Codependency
- Coping Skills
- Depression
- Family Conflict
- Grief
- Life Transitions
- Mood Disorders
- Peer Relationships
- Racial, Ethnic, and Cultural Experiences
- Stress
- Women’s Issues
My Background
Becoming a therapist was a natural path for me, as I wanted to make a positive impact on people’s lives and ensure their voices were heard. After growing up in Louisiana, I earned my Bachelor of Science (B.S.) at Louisiana State University. Realizing my deep passion for mental health and advocacy, I began my journey toward becoming a psychologist. I earned my Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Auburn University. I also have experience as a therapist in university counseling centers and a community mental health center, providing individual therapy, group therapy, assessment, and crisis intervention to adults from a variety of backgrounds.
My Therapeutic Approach:
When facilitating therapy with clients, I work from a psychodynamic lens that focuses on interpersonal processes. The goal of our work to is reduce self-blame, foster new understandings, and cultivate new interpersonal experiences. I value collaboration, empathy, and warmth while honoring the unique sociocultural experiences of my clients. I use interventions from various theoretical orientations, such as emotion-focused, cognitive-behavioral, dialectical-behavioral, multicultural, and humanistic therapies, to help accomplish this goal. The techniques I use depend on the unique personalities of my clients.
As a Black woman who holds both marginalized and privileged identities, I often self-reflect on how my sociocultural experiences have influenced my worldviews and the impact of those views on others. I value cultural humility and seek to understand how society, culture, family, and systems affect an individual’s experience. I believe an important part of my work as a therapist is to advocate for individuals on a personal, community, and institutional level and ensure my worldviews do not negatively affect those with whom I come in contact.
A Few Fun Facts:
Outside the therapy room, you might find me reading, binging Netflix and Hulu, traveling, or spending time with my loved ones. These pursuits not only bring me joy but also enrich my understanding of the world. Connecting on a personal level is essential, and I look forward to getting to know you better!