LaTonya Washington, LCSW

Katherine Strasburger, LCSW, grew up in Colorado and moved to Waco in 2013 to attend Baylor University, where she later earned her MSW. She has extensive experience supporting children and adolescents ages 4–19, as well as their caregivers, across juvenile detention, PK–12 schools, and homeless outreach. She is completing full EMDR training and holds ADHD certification. Kat enjoys integrating nutrition-focused psychoeducation and creative expression through play and art-based strategies. She is also training her dog, Odin, for Therapy Dog certification.

Kat recognizes the stigma surrounding mental health and views seeking therapy as an act of resilience. She creates a safe, comfortable, and nonjudgmental space where clients can be themselves. She values autonomy, supports increased self-awareness, and genuinely celebrates each client’s progress and healing.

Kat begins by building rapport and gaining a thorough understanding of each client’s history, concerns, and goals. She collaborates with clients to create individualized treatment plans that reflect their needs and priorities. She feels honored to walk alongside clients as they grow, heal, and build skills for lasting well-being.

Mariechia Palmer, PhD, LMFT, LPC, LADC, is a dedicated clinician committed to empowering individuals and families through compassionate, insight-driven care. She is also licensed in Texas as a Marriage and Family Therapist, allowing her to support a broad and diverse community. Her work reflects a lifelong calling to help heal broken homes, relationships, and hearts.

Dr. Palmer believes meaningful change comes from understanding how past pain shapes present patterns. She creates a supportive space where patients feel safe to explore their experiences, uncover the origins of their struggles, and develop a deeper awareness of themselves. Her approach is warm, collaborative, and grounded in genuine partnership.

Her process centers on helping patients retrace the wounds of their past so they can heal their present. Dr. Palmer guides individuals and couples through structured self-exploration, reframing old narratives, and identifying the tools needed for long-term growth. Her goal is to build resilience, clarity, and lasting emotional well-being.

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Carly Frix-Rhyne is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), in both Texas and Arkansas, who has extensive experience working in the mental health field. She has worked directly with clients of various demographics, living with a variety of mental health conditions. Carly attended undergraduate and graduate school in her hometown of Texarkana, Texas at Texas A&M University - Texarkana. She completed her practicum and internship working as a therapist in therapeutic foster care, with children, teens, foster parents, and biological families. Carly has been practicing for 7 years as a LPC, focusing on individuals working to cope with trauma, stressful life events, anxiety, depression, and issues coping with and communicating their own needs. Carly has worked for community mental health agencies, non-profit agencies, and private practice organizations. Much of Carly's past work involves providing therapy services to children, teens, and adults who survived abuse/trauma. Carly enjoys working with clients of all ages and with a variety of different presenting mental health needs. She uses different techniques including cognitive behavioral approaches and attachment-based approaches, while maintaining a person-centered theoretical orientation with all clients. Carly utilizes a range of therapeutic tools in hopes of providing clients with practical skills they can begin using immediately. She believes in meeting clients exactly where they are and helping them understand their own needs.

Violetta Aranda, LPC is a native South Texan and second generation Mexican- American. She is a 2011 graduate of St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas and obtained full LPC licensure in Texas in August of 2017. Her practice focuses on cognitive behavioral modalities within a humanistic client-centered approach to foster healing through self-acceptance and self-awareness. She has over a decade's worth of experience working within the mental health field and fifteen years working directly with children and adolescents in various capacities. Before joining Talkiatry, Miss Aranda practiced exclusively within the community health sector and these experiences provided the opportunity to become fully immersed in Trauma and Crisis Management and fostered the passion for evolving research in the treatment of trauma-informed care. She now aspires to utilize these allocated experiences and passion for the field to promote mental health awareness, client advocacy, and quality of care.

Catherine is a graduate from the City University of New York (CUNY) Brooklyn College where she received her Master's Degree in Mental Health Counseling. She is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor experienced in working with adults that struggle with an array of different issues for the past 7 years, both in outpatient and private practice settings. Coupled with her empathic and non-judgmental attitude, she uses a person-centered approach when working with clients. She strives to meet the clients where they are at. Catherine has a passion for helping others reach their full potential, rebuild their confidence, and gain a better insight into themselves through using psychodynamic and CBT interventions. She promotes and encourages "progress over perfection."

Christina Kunisch is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with experience in outpatient, community mental-health, and integrated care settings. She has supported individuals across the lifespan with a focus on trauma-informed care, anxiety, depression, and life transitions. Christina holds a Master’s degree in Social Work from East Tennessee State University and has advanced training in CBT, ACT, trauma-informed modalities, and mindfulness-based therapies. She also has experience collaborating within multidisciplinary teams to provide holistic, person-centered care.

Christina creates a warm, grounded, and non-judgmental therapeutic space where clients feel safe, heard, and supported. She values open communication and collaborative goal-setting, ensuring clients remain empowered throughout their therapeutic journey. Patients can expect a thoughtful balance of emotional support and gentle challenge to foster meaningful, sustainable growth.

Christina begins by taking time to genuinely understand each patient’s story, needs, and goals during the initial session. She uses an integrative, evidence-based approach tailored to each individual’s strengths, preferences, and pace. Therapy with her is a collaborative and evolving process that includes regular check-ins, ongoing adjustment of strategies, and a shared commitment to supportive, aligned care.