You Deserve a Therapist Who Understands Your World.

Finding a therapist is hard. Finding one who truly gets your experience, who understands what it means to navigate racial stress, generational wounds, cultural expectations, and the quiet exhaustion of showing up in spaces not built for you, is even harder.

You should not have to spend your therapy sessions educating your therapist about your culture. You should not have to code-switch in the one space meant for your healing. And you should not have to choose between honoring your faith and honoring your mental health.

At 180 Evolution Therapy, you do not have to do any of that. We are here. We get it. And we built this practice for you.

Therapy Built for BIPOC Communities

We specialize in serving Black, Indigenous, and People of Color navigating the layered realities of identity, culture, and mental health. Our clients include: 

  • Black women carrying the weight of strong-friend syndrome, perfectionism, and the pressure to hold everything together for everyone else

  • BIPOC professionals navigating racial stress, microaggressions, and the emotional labor of existing in predominantly white spaces

  • Individuals processing racial trauma, historical trauma, and generational wounds passed down through family systems

  • BIPOC couples navigating cultural expectations, communication, and the unique pressures of building a life together

  • Older BIPOC adults navigating grief, life transitions, and a generation that was taught to handle pain privately

  • Faith-based individuals who want care that honors both their cultural identity and their relationship with God

  • People who have tried therapy before and felt unseen, misunderstood, or culturally mismatched

The Unique Weight BIPOC Individuals Carry

We specialize in serving Black, Indigenous, and People of Color navigating the layered realities of identity, culture, and mental health. Our clients include:

  • Black women carrying the weight of strong-friend syndrome, perfectionism, and the pressure to hold everything together for everyone else, while rarely being asked how they are doing

  • Black men navigating the pressure to appear strong, suppress emotion, and carry burdens in silence in a world that rarely makes space for their pain or their humanity

  • BIPOC professionals navigating racial stress, microaggressions, and the emotional labor of existing in predominantly white spaces while managing the weight of representation

  • Individuals processing racial trauma, historical trauma, and generational wounds passed down through family systems — pain that was survived but never fully healed

  • BIPOC couples navigating cultural expectations, communication, and the unique pressures of building a life together while honoring where each of you comes from

  • Older BIPOC adults navigating grief, life transitions, and a generation that was taught to handle pain privately — now ready to put that burden down

  • Faith-based individuals who want care that honors both their cultural identity and their relationship with God, without having to choose between the two

  • People who have tried therapy before and felt unseen, misunderstood, or culturally mismatched — and who deserve a different experience this time

These are not excuses. They are context. And they matter in therapy. A clinician who does not understand them cannot fully help you heal.

Our Approach to BIPOC-Affirming Therapy

Culturally Humble, Not Just Culturally Competent

Cultural competence is a floor, not a ceiling. We go further, approaching each client's cultural background, community, and lived experience with genuine humility, curiosity, and respect. We do not assume. We listen.

Faith-Integrated Care

For many BIPOC clients, faith is not separate from mental health; it is central to it. We honor your spiritual identity and offer care that integrates Biblical truth and faith principles for clients who desire it, without imposing it on those who do not.

Trauma-Informed Practice

We understand that trauma, including racial trauma and intergenerational trauma, lives in the body as much as the mind. Our trauma-informed approach addresses the whole person, including the somatic experience of carrying what has been passed down.

Evidence-Based Modalities

Our clinical care is grounded in proven methods, including CBT, DBT, ACT, Narrative Therapy, EFT, CFT, and somatic-informed approaches applied through a culturally affirming lens that honors your story.

A Space to Be Fully Yourself

You will not need to explain your culture, minimize your experience, or perform wellness here. You can be your whole self, including the parts that are complicated, exhausted, angry, or grieving

The 180° Method & BIPOC Healing

  • Mind - Dismantling the internalized narratives about strength, worth, and self that were never truly yours

  • Spirit - Honoring your faith as a genuine source of resilience, not a pressure to perform

  • Body - Releasing the racial stress, tension, and generational pain stored in your nervous system

  • Culture - Centering your cultural identity, community ties, and lived experience as essential context, not a sidebar

  • Growth - Building the tools, boundaries, and self-awareness to navigate a world that was not built with you in mind

  • Community - Healing the relational wounds within yourself, your family, and your community that have shaped your story

Meet Your Clinicians

Yazmeen N. Irving, LCMHC

Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor | Practice Owner

Yazmeen is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor with deep roots in BIPOC-affirming care. She brings over two decades of lived wisdom, clinical expertise in CBT, DBT, ACT, somatic, and IFS-informed approaches, and a faith-integrated framework that honors the whole person. She is licensed in NC and SC and currently accepting new clients.

Lydia N. Thompson, LCSWA

Licensed Clinical Social Worker Associate

Lydia is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker Associate specializing in BIPOC women, older adults, and couples. She brings personal lived experience as both a client and a clinician, and is trained in ACT, DBT, Narrative Therapy, EFT, CBT, and CFT. She is provisionally licensed under supervision and currently accepting new clients.

You Belong Here. Let's Begin.

You have spent long enough carrying this alone in spaces that did not see you, with people who did not get it. This is a different kind of space. Schedule your free 15-minute consultation today. No pressure, no commitment, just a conversation to see if we are the right fit for your healing.

Schedule Your Free Consultation

You May Also Be Interested In

  • Christian Counseling - Faith-integrated clinical care rooted in Biblical truth

  • Trauma Therapy - Specialized support for survivors of racial and generational trauma

  • Grief Counseling - Support through every kind of loss at your own pace

  • Life Coaching - For those ready to move forward with clarity and purpose

Get Started

Frequently Asked Questions

  • No. While we specialize in BIPOC-affirming care and center the experiences of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, we welcome all clients who are seeking a culturally aware, identity-affirming therapeutic space.

  • Yes. We accept Aetna, BCBS, Cigna, Medcost, NC Medicaid, Tricare, and UnitedHealthcare. We also offer private pay and limited sliding scale options. Please visit our Insurance page or contact us to verify your benefits.

  • Yes. We offer secure, HIPAA-compliant telehealth sessions for clients throughout North Carolina and South Carolina.

  • We follow your lead. If your faith is central to your healing, we will honor that and integrate it into your care. If you prefer to keep your sessions faith-neutral, that is equally welcome. There is no wrong answer here — only what feels right for you.

  • We hear this often, and we take it seriously. You may have been misunderstood, misdiagnosed, or made to feel like your cultural experience was an obstacle rather than an asset. We encourage you to book a free 15-minute consultation so we can discuss what has and hasn’t worked and how we can approach things differently.

  • Yes. If you would like to work with Yazmeen or Lydia specifically, please mention that when you reach out, and we will do our best to match you with your preferred clinician based on current availability.