Transforming Pain into Possibility: A Practical Approach: Real Talk on Becoming a Better You (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780996711500)

Vashonna Etienne is the Founding Executive Director at The Center for Counseling and Holistic Services. She holds a BA in Public Justice with a minor in Sociology from SUNY Oswego, a Master's of Social Work from Hunter College School of Social Work, and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of New Jersey. Currently, Vashonna is pursuing her Doctorate in Social Work at Rutgers University where she is studying attachment theory, affect regulation, and infidelity occuing between couples. Vashonna's organization is located in West Orange, NJ where she employs a team of social workers providing psychotherapy, coaching, and workshop services to men, women, children, and families. Raised in the Bronx and born to a single mother, Vashonna is a student of life. As a child, she learned early on that life isn't always fair, but it doesn't have to be unjust. Vashonna's life experience was the motivating factor for pursuing her dreams of making an impact in the world. In 2001, Vashonna joined the Department of Child Protection and Permanency (DCP&P), formerly known as DYFS. After completing her master's degree in 2007, Vashonna resigned from DCP&P and started her journey within the nonprofit sector working with children aging out of foster care as well as the HIV/AIDS population before venturing off to start her own 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. When it seems impossible to manage it all, Vashonna never gives up and always gives more than expected. From training state workers to social workers, she continues to engage the community through education, learning, and action-oriented activities.