P: (337) 703-2806
Meet Our Team
The Tree of Life symbol represents our personal development, uniqueness and individual beauty. Just as the branches of a tree strengthen and grow upwards to the sky, we too grow stronger, striving for greater knowledge, wisdom and new experiences as we move through life.
Maria "Mica" Istre began Tree of Life Counseling and Consulting with this aim in mind, hoping to reach and help underrepresented minorities in the Acadiana Region find the support and strength already within to flourish and grow. Her practice has also flourished - with a diverse team of counselors, office administrators, and interns helping hundreds of clients in the Lafayette region since opening in 2021. Click through to learn more about each of our counselors, how they can help you, and to book a consultation today.
Founder & CEO, Clinical Director
Specializations: Trauma Recovery, Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy, Somatic Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET), Mindfulness, Veterans and First Responders, Immigration Mental Health Evaluations
Qualifications: Masters of Science: Counselor Education with Concentrations in Clinical Mental Health, EMDR Consultant-in-Training (CIT), EMDR Certified Therapist, Certified First Responder Counselor (CFRC), National Certified Counselor (NCC), Licensed in Louisiana, Texas, Georgia, and Florida
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Assistant Clinical Director
Specializations: Individual, Family, Group Psychotherapy, Teen Crisis Intervention, Grief/Bereavement, Men’s Issues, Racial Trauma, Solution-Focused Therapy, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Trauma Focused-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), and Person-Centered Therapy
Qualifications: Graduate of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor: LPC-S. Certification in Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: TF-CBT. Licensed in Louisiana.
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Licensed Professional Counselor
Specializations: Adolescents, Adults, Individual, Family, Divorce, Grief and Loss, Trauma, Suspensions and Alternative Placements, Child-Centered Play Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Sand Tray therapy, Mindfulness
Qualifications: Masters of Science-Counselor Education with Concentrations in Clinical Mental Health and School Counseling, Licensed in Louisiana.
Licensed Professional Counselor
Specializations: Individuals, Families, Toddlers, Adolescents, Teens, Grief, Loss, Anxiety, Depression, Anger Management, Behavioral Management, Social Skill Development
Qualifications: Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling and Disability Studies from Southern University and A & M College, Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Southern University and A & M College,
Currently pursuing Ph.D. in Clinical Supervision and Education through the University of Holy Cross
National Certified Counselor (NCC), Licensed in Louisiana and Florida.
Amanada Maldonado Reed, LPC, CIC-Csp
Licensed Professional Counselor
Specializations: Child and Adolescent Counseling, Teens, Families, Neurodivergent/Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Veterans and First Responders, Crisis Intervention and Management, Mindfulness, Play Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Solution Focused Therapy (SFBT), Psychotic Disorders, Attachment Styles
Qualifications: Master of Science from Grand Canyon University with Certified Crisis Intervention Trained (CIT), Certified Suicidality Therapist, Crisis Intervention Counselor-Certified Specialist-in Training (CIC-Csp), Graduate of Louisiana Department of Developmental Disability Partners in Policymaking, Licensed in Louisiana.
Licensed Professional Counselor
Specializations: Individual Therapy, LGBTQIA+ Counseling, CBT Therapy, Creative Interventions, Mindfulness, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Qualifications: Masters of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Licensed in Louisiana and Colorado.
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Provisional Licensed Professional Counselor
Specializations: Children and Adolescent Counseling, Play Therapy, Sexual Trauma, Life Transitions, Trauma & PTSD, Relationship Issues, Family Counseling, Expressive Arts Therapy
Qualifications: Master’s-Loyola University New Orleans. National Certified Counselor (NCC), Licensed in Texas, Georgia, and Louisiana.
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Provisional Licensed Professional Counselor
Specializations: Children (Age 5+) , Child-Centered Therapy, Adults, Depression, Anxiety, Person-Centered Therapy.
Qualifications: Master's in Mental Health Counseling from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Licensed in Louisiana.
Provisional Licensed Professional Counselor
Specializations: Children, Adolescent, and Adult Counseling, Solution Focused Therapy, Person-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, bilingual therapy, Multicultural therapy for Marginalized Communities, Depression, Anxiety, Self-esteem Issues, Interpersonal Conflict, Life Transitions.
Qualifications: Master’s in Counseling from University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Licensed in Louisiana.
Provisional Licensed Professional Counselor
Specializations: Children and Adolescent Counseling, Play Therapy, Adult Counseling, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Racial Trauma, Marginalized Communities, Interpersonal Conflict, Career and Academic Concerns
Qualifications: Master of Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Louisiana State University.
Counseling Intern
Specializations: Children (Age 5+) , Adults, Depression, Anxiety, Relationship Issues, Child-Centered Therapy, Person-Centered Therapy, Mindfulness
Qualifications: Clinical Mental Health Counseling Graduate Student at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Bachelor of Science-Psychology.
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