Tamir Reyes
AFRO LATINA Clinical leader and Executive Director , Speaker & Facilitator
About
Tamir Reyes, LCSW is an Afro Latina clinical leader, executive director, wife, girl mom to a 4 year old & bonus mama to a 14 year old teenage girl, daughter, amiga, & lover of people. With over 15 years of experience in community-based mental health, Tamir has built programs, nurtured teams, and expanded access to culturally rooted, trauma-informed care across the state of New Jersey. She is known for her heart-centered leadership, her ability to build meaningful relationships, and her commitment to creating spaces where clinicians and families feel seen, supported, and valued. In her work she integrates trauma-informed care, narrative practices, emphasis on self-care, and a deep respect for lived experience. Her work is grounded in cultural humility and a belief that healing happens in connection with ourselves, our ancestors, and our communities.
Dominican First-Gen and Afro Latina, Tamir weaves identity, storytelling, and social justice into her work, using her own journey to help others reclaim their voices. Outside of her professional life, she finds joy in conversations over a cup of cafecito, journaling, music, and tending to the relationships that keep her grounded. She is passionate about uplifting Latinx communities through healing, belonging, and collective liberation.
My Story
Healing happens when we feel seen, heard, and connected.
I’m a first-generation Dominican Afro-Latina, born and raised in New Jersey to parents who migrated from the Dominican Republic in the 1970s. As the oldest of three, I grew up in a close-knit, faith-centered household – learning early how to navigate multiple worlds, often serving as a bridge between cultures, languages, and experiences.
When I was 10, my parents became pastors, and I watched them pour into people and community. That example planted the seed for the work I do today; creating spaces for healing, connection, and growth.
That same year, I had my hair relaxed* for the first time. What was framed as making it more “manageable” became a routine I carried for decades. It wasn’t until my late 20s, sitting with the pain of that process, that I paused and asked myself: Why am I doing this?
That question became a turning point.
Choosing to stop relaxing my hair opened the door to a deeper journey, one of reclaiming my identity, unlearning internalized messages, and exploring how culture, history, and anti-Blackness shape how we see ourselves.
As I began sharing my story, I realized how many others were holding similar experiences. Because it’s never just about hair! It’s about identity, belonging, and the stories we’ve inherited.
Today, I bring all of who I am into my work—as a clinician, leader, speaker, and as a daughter of immigrants, Dominican woman, Afro-Latina, sister, wife, and mother. I create spaces where people can untangle their stories, reconnect with themselves, and step into their truth with clarity and compassion.
*(relaxer: a chemical process used to permanently straighten naturally curly or kinky hair)