Counseling, The Foundation of Change
Transformation begins with the internal work of healing. By addressing the roots of unresolved experiences, we create the space for a more authentic identity to emerge. When we heal, we build the foundation for healthier family dynamics, stronger romantic partnerships, and more resilient professional leadership.
Our Expert Team
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Henry Zelaya, LMHC | Founder & Clinical Director
Lasting transformation isn't just about managing symptoms—it is about cultivating the foundational strength required to thrive. As the Founder and Clinical Director of Cultivating Strength Counseling, Henry brings extensive clinical expertise and a visionary approach to modern mental health care. Grounded in a rich history of leadership across residential programs, intensive outpatient treatment centers, and deep, immersive work with families, he specializes in guiding individuals through complex trauma, recovery from addictions, anxiety, and depression.
Henry’s practice is built on the belief that meaningful, impactful healing begins from within. He works extensively with individuals navigating the intricate landscapes of mood disorders, personality disorders, ADHD, autism, and the beautiful complexities of neurodivergence—helping them break through chronic behavioral cycles and build a strong, authentic identity. By establishing this vital internal foundation, Henry empowers his clients to grow independently while cultivating resilient, thriving relationships across their family, professional, and social lives.
Henry’s philosophy is deeply collaborative and client-centered. He rejects cold, clinical detachment in favor of an environment built on profound empathy, radical understanding, and genuine compassion. By blending these core human elements with the most sophisticated, evidence-based therapeutic techniques, Henry provides the clinical roadmap and strategic tools necessary to break through generational patterns, heal past wounds, and actively design an optimized life. As a practice leader, he ensures that the entire clinical team at Cultivating Strength upholds this elite standard of personalized, premium care.
Stephanie Zelaya, CRPS-A | Director of Coaching & Concierge Services
True healing and lasting life optimization require an environment where clients feel entirely seen, deeply understood, and fiercely supported. As the Director of Coaching & Concierge Services at Cultivating Strength Counseling, Stephanie brings a rare combination of profound empathy, radical compassion, and extensive operational and systemic expertise to the leadership team.
As a Certified Recovery Peer Specialist, Stephanie leverages both her specialized professional training and her deep human understanding to walk side-by-side with individuals on their path toward recovery, resilience, and personal alignment.
Stephanie’s distinguished career includes a decade of dedicated service in the child welfare system, where she specialized in guiding individuals and families through the complex realities of intergenerational trauma, acute mental health challenges, addictions, and deep-rooted family conflicts. Navigating the front lines of community behavioral health agencies, she worked hand-in-hand with critical state and local networks—including the Department of Children and Families (DCF), ChildNet, Child Protective Services (CPS), and major regional hospital systems. Her systemic knowledge allows her to understand the multi-layered pressures that families face, providing a grounded, compassionate roadmap to peace and stability.
Recognized for her strategic vision and natural leadership, Stephanie rapidly transitioned from direct support advocacy to program management and development. She has extensive experience developing specialized community programming, leading interdisciplinary teams, and mentoring staff to deliver high-quality, trauma-informed support services. At Cultivating Strength, Stephanie channels this extensive leadership background and her unwavering commitment to human growth to curate an elite, concierge coaching experience—ensuring every individual and family receives the structured, compassionate accountability needed to break through barriers and live authentically.
Christina Hunting, RMHCI
Christina specializes in working with high-functioning adults navigating anxiety, perfectionism, burnout, identity concerns, relationship challenges, emotional disconnection, and major life transitions. She also has experience supporting adolescents with ADHD and executive functioning challenges, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and personality disorders.
With previous experience working with complex clinical presentations in both inpatient and outpatient settings, Christina brings a practical and comprehensive perspective to therapy. She understands that mental health is often shaped not only by individual experiences, but also by relationships, family dynamics, and patterns that can be difficult to recognize on your own.
Christina is a “tell it as it is” therapist—direct, honest, and compassionate. She creates a space where clients can feel comfortable being real while also being challenged to look at patterns, beliefs, and behaviors that may be keeping them stuck. Her approach is high-touch and somatically informed, helping clients slow down, listen to their bodies, build self-awareness, and translate insight into meaningful change between sessions.
When working with adolescents, Christina supports clients with ADHD, executive functioning difficulties, Autism, emotional regulation, self-esteem, relationships, and the challenges that come with adolescence. With adults, she helps clients work through anxiety, perfectionism, burnout, identity, relationship patterns, and major life transitions.
Christina's goal is to provide a space where clients feel heard, understood, and supported—while also receiving the honesty, perspective, and practical tools needed to move forward. Her work focuses on helping clients develop a more grounded relationship with themselves and others and create a life that feels more connected, intentional, and meaningful.
Matthew Carney, LMHC
I am a mental health therapist with experience providing counseling in both private practice and substance use treatment settings. Over the past three years, I have worked with adolescents, couples, and adults navigating substance use disorders, anxiety, depression, relationship challenges, and major life transitions. Whether someone is seeking support for addiction, emotional struggles, or simply feeling stuck, I believe therapy should be a place where clients feel safe to be themselves without fear of judgment. My goal is to create an environment where people feel heard, understood, and empowered to make meaningful, lasting changes.
Shakira Beersingh, LMHC
Shakira specializes in supporting young adults, adults, seniors, and couples as they navigate life’s challenges, transitions, and changes. She takes a gentle, collaborative approach, drawing from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Solution-Focused Therapy, trauma-focused approaches, motivational interviewing, and other evidence-based techniques.
Through therapy, Shakira helps clients better understand their thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and patterns while identifying the changes they want to make. Together, they explore the patterns that may be keeping clients feeling stuck and develop small, meaningful steps toward greater clarity, confidence, and progress.
Her goal is to help clients gain a deeper understanding of themselves, build practical tools for navigating life’s challenges, and feel more aligned with who they are and the life they want to create.
Shakira offers flexible scheduling, including daytime and late-evening appointments, to accommodate diverse schedules and meet the individual needs of her clients.