Araya Baker

Licensed Professional Counselor Associate|Clinically Supervised

My most important commitment is that you feel truly affirmed, empowered, and heard. I listen with deep curiosity and humility, always honoring your unique story and how your lived experiences have shaped your values, hopes, and emotional needs. Whether you’re grappling with anxiety, self-doubt, grief, people-pleasing, or power struggles in your relationships, I create a nonjudgmental space to explore complex feelings like guilt, insecurity, jealousy, regret, resentment, and more.

Across nearly two decades, I have supported numerous people of color and immigrants––many of them queer and/or trans––as they negotiated multiple perspectives on belonging, cultural authenticity, discrimination, failure/success, faith, family, sexuality, and social class. Witnessing the tenacity, self-awareness, compassion, and character of cycle-breakers was one of a few major motivators for entering the profession.

For over 15 years, I've worked alongside diverse communities in public health and education––from LGBTQIA+ centers, sexual health programs, and reproductive justice organizations, to disability centers, trauma-informed crisis lines, and under-resourced schools. As a result, I offer a deep understanding of cultural pressures, marginalization, and power dynamics.