-Maya Angelou

Janice Mahal 

I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California by immigrant parents and am a first-generation college graduate. I received my undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and earned my master’s degree in Social Work from Boston College in 2013.

My early experiences living in an impoverished community taught me to build resilience, take risks, and to navigate a complex psychosocial environment in order to succeed and better my life circumstances.

I spent 10 years living in Boston and worked at several Harvard hospitals in various clinical settings including outpatient psychotherapy, inpatient psychiatry, and general medicine and surgical units. Through my lived experience and professional work as a hospital-based clinical social worker, I developed a unique ability to connect with individuals from diverse backgrounds and life stages. Additionally, I became particularly aware of the stressors that impact adults in high-pressure jobs such as healthcare workers, those in academic roles, and individuals in leadership and corporate positions.

I transitioned to South Florida in 2020 and have spent the last few years providing psychotherapy to individuals facing personal difficulties and collective trauma rooted in a prolonged pandemic, natural disasters, an economic recession, political crises, and social injustices.