Taiwan Piles
PhD, LPC, CRC, CVE
Presenter's Bio
Dr. Taiwan Piles, PhD, LPC, CRC, CVE, TCTSY-F, E-RYT-300, is a holistic psychotherapist, educator, and founder of Ethel’s Consulting Resources, INCORPORATED and The Rooted Educator. She specializes in trauma-informed, faith-based, and culturally responsive counseling practices that center the lived experiences of BIPOC individuals and communities.
With over a decade of experience in mental health, rehabilitation, and education, Dr. Piles has dedicated her career to bridging the gap between traditional therapy and collective healing. Her work integrates clinical psychology, spiritual wellness, and cultural consciousness to promote liberation and restorative well-being.
Dr. Piles’ scholarship and practice challenge Eurocentric frameworks that have historically marginalized communities of color within the mental health field. Through her program development, teaching, and clinical leadership, she reimagines what it means to heal authentically, free from the expectations of assimilation or code-switching.
Her signature approach, known as Trauma Consciousness, empowers both clients and practitioners to embody radical healing through awareness, cultural responsiveness, and compassion. Dr. Piles is deeply committed to transforming how clinicians conceptualize care—moving from symptom management to soulful restoration that honors identity, ancestry, and community connection.
When she is not facilitating healing-centered trainings or developing restorative housing and wellness programs, Dr. Piles serves her community as a faith-based mentor, speaker, and advocate for equitable access to mental health services. Her mission is to make healing spaces more inclusive, affirming, and rooted in both cultural truth and collective liberation.
No More Code-Switching: Radical Healing Through Culturally Responsive, Trauma-Informed Practice
Course Summary
This presentation invites clinicians to disrupt the culture of assimilation that often defines traditional mental health spaces. For too long, Eurocentric models have shaped the way healing is understood, taught, and practiced, resulting in environments where authenticity is sacrificed in the name of professionalism. Dr. Taiwan Piles introduces a transformative approach that integrates trauma-informed care (TIC) with culturally responsive methodologies to promote genuine healing for both clients and clinicians. Through this talk, participants will explore how practices such as code-switching, neutrality, and cultural erasure perpetuate trauma within therapeutic systems. The session empowers attendees to move beyond cultural competence toward cultural embodiment, embracing the fullness of identity in clinical work. By centering radical authenticity, community connection, and cultural awareness, this talk challenges clinicians to decolonize their practices and to reimagine mental health through the lens of liberation, belonging, and collective well-being.