Therapy for People of Color
Acacia Collaborative offers culturally competent therapy for people of color in a safe, welcoming, and judgment-free environment. Fani Mwasiti, LCSWA brings lived experience and a holistic approach to help you feel truly seen, understood, and supported as you work through life’s challenges.
Quick Facts
- Who It Is For: Adults of all gender identities, cultural backgrounds, and sexual orientations who are looking for a therapist who truly understands their lived experience and can provide culturally competent care.
- What We Help With: Anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, abuse, and PTSD, using approaches including CBT, ACT, EMDR, Motivational Interviewing, and Mindfulness.
- Our Approach: Fani brings a holistic, person-centered approach that supports the whole person physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually in a genuine, welcoming, and judgment-free environment.
- First Session: You can speak with Fani before your first appointment to make sure she is the right fit for you. When you are ready, your first session will focus on your background, concerns, and goals for treatment.
- Insurance: We are currently accepting North Carolina State Health Plan, Aetna, and Blue Cross Blue Shield. Our team will also assist you in communicating with your insurance company to make the process as simple as possible.
Meet Fani Mwasiti, LCSWA
Mental Health Therapy Specializations:
Anxiety
Depression
Grief
Trauma, Abuse, & PTSD
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR)
Motivational Interviewing (MI)
Mindfulness
A Safe Environment for Holistic Treatment
Fani has a holistic and person-centered therapeutic approach that helps her build genuine connection with her clients. She brings an authentic welcoming safe space that provides a non-judgemental therapeutic environment.
Cultural & Competent Connection
Fani seeks to integrate creativity and gentle humor into sessions because she believes therapy can be both enjoyable and challenging. She encourages clients to come as they are in order for her to meet them where they are. Fani is determined to help her clients feel grounded and centered in all aspects of their lives. She especially enjoys making a difference through her representation as a black therapist in the mental health field, who her black clientele can feel fully comfortable with and understood by.
What is culturally competent therapy?
Culturally competent therapy means your therapist actively understands and respects how your cultural background, racial identity, and lived experiences influence your mental health and worldview. It goes beyond general awareness to create a therapeutic relationship rooted in genuine connection and understanding. This makes the process more effective and the environment more comfortable.
How Does Therapy Work?
Therapy at Acacia Collaborative is a structured, collaborative process designed to help you feel safe, understood, and supported every step of the way. Here is what you can expect.
- Intake: We begin with an initial conversation to understand what brings you to therapy, your current concerns, and your goals for treatment. You are welcome to speak with your therapist before your first appointment to make sure it feels like the right fit.
- Assessment: We explore your history, symptoms, and lived experiences to better understand how anxiety, depression, trauma, or other challenges may be impacting your thoughts, emotions, and daily life.
- Treatment: Using a holistic, person-centered approach and only research-based therapies, we work at a pace that prioritizes your comfort and safety while addressing the patterns and experiences that are causing distress.
- Integration: As you progress, we focus on helping you apply new insights and skills to your daily life in a way that builds lasting strength, groundedness, and a g
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I have never been to therapy before?
That is completely okay. Many of our clients are coming to therapy for the first time. Fani creates a warm, welcoming, and judgment-free environment where you are encouraged to come exactly as you are. There is no pressure to have it all figured out before you begin.
Is therapy confidential?
Yes. Confidentiality is a foundational part of the therapeutic relationship. What you share in sessions remains private, with limited exceptions required by law that your therapist will explain before you begin.
Do you work with clients of all cultural backgrounds and sexual orientations?
es. Fani enjoys working with adults of all gender identities, cultural backgrounds, and sexual orientations. Every client is welcomed and respected exactly as they are.
About Acacia Collaborative
If you are experiencing pain or discomfort, you don't have to continue suffering forever or find solutions alone. We understand the confusion and pain that come along with life's challenges and have the knowledge to help you. Together, we can find a new way of living that brings you more consistent comfort and peace.
Pursuing therapy can be challening, especially when mental suffering can make it hard to do anything at all. Our team makes it simple. Our collaborative & supportive approach to therapy begins before you ever have your first appointment. At Acacia you can speak with our providers prior to even conducting your first appointment to see if they're the right personal fit for you. Our team also assists you in communicating with your insurance company. Now accepting North Carolina State Health Plan, Aetna & Blue Cross Blue Shield (not UNC Health Alliance).
Contact us to discuss how Acacia Collaborative can help you today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are you located?
Acacia Collaborative Psychological Services provides in-person therapy in the triangle at our offices in Cary & Durham. We also provide online therapy to all residents and locations of North Carolina.
Cary Office Address:
570 New Waverly Pl #210, Cary, NC. 27518
NEW Durham Office Address:
3710 University Drive, Suite 302, Durham, NC. 27707
Are you in-network with my insurance?
We are in-network with Aetna, the North Carolina State Health Plan & Blue Cross Blue Shield (not UNC Health Alliance). We are credentialed with the following Medicaid plans: Healthy Blue, Carolina Complete, and Wellcare.
In addtion to those in-network partners, all of the providers at Acacia Collaborative are qualified as out-of-network providers for all major insurance carriers in the Triangle area; with the exception of Cigna and Tricare who do NOT qualify associate-licensed clinicians, . Most of our clients use their insurance benefits to be reimbursed a percentage of treatment fees (this percentage varies based on your plan’s benefits.) We provide everything you need to easily file with your insurance, including an insurance “super bill” or statement of services and a link to your claim form. We are also happy to reach out to your insurance company, with your permission, if you would find that helpful.
What are the session fees?
Session fees range from $115 to $185 based on provider and length of session. We also offer a limited number of reduced fee spots.
There are some things that are bothering me, but also some things I specifically don't want to talk about. Is that ok?
Absolutely. At Acacia Collaborative, we “meet you where you are.” This means that we do not force you to talk about topics you are not ready to discuss or do not feel are relevant. We are trained at various levels of “depth” of treatment and believe there is no one “right” way to be in therapy.
While most people do choose to have weekly sessions for the first few months, we are flexible about how often and how long you would like your sessions to be. We will offer suggestions, but ultimately, it is your decision about what you would like to get out of therapy.
I’m in the process of shopping for a therapist, is there a way for me to speak with one of you to see if we are a good fit before committing to working with you?
Yes! “Fit” with your therapist is the most important element that makes therapy work ( according to studies, even more important than training or length of experience!). Thus, we prioritize making this part very easy for you. Our providers are happy to speak with you over the phone prior to making an appointment (you can schedule a phone call HERE). Our providers can answer your questions and address specific conerns you have, all while getting to know each other a bit and getting a feel for what it is like to work with us.
In addition, we also offer a no-risk first appointment. If you do not feel like it is a good fit after your first appointment and do not wish to continue working with that provider, there is no charge for that appointment.