Cheryl Aguilar

Cheryl Aguilar is a licensed independent clinical social worker specializing in work with Latinxs, immigrants, refugees and other BIPOC communities. She is the founder, director and therapist at the Hope Center for Wellness, a mental health practice focused on holistic healing. Currently, she is also a Phd student at Smith College School for Social Work; a fellow at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Health Policy Research Scholars program and a fellow at American Psychology Association’s Interdisciplinary Minority Fellowship program. An immigrant from Honduras, Cheryl’s immigration and bi-cultural experience guides her clinical, advocacy and research curiosity to explore the impact of immigration on mental health and the intersection of policy and mental health. She creates culturally informed interventions for the BIPOC community and advocates for the communities she serves. Cheryl has designed and implemented several support groups, including a group for immigrants facing anxiety due to the political climate and a group for parents separated from their children under the Zero Tolerance policy. Cheryl’s social work endeavors have been widely recognized. In 2023 she was named Social Worker of the Year by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) DC/VA Chapter and in 2019 she was featured in Social Work Today magazine as 1 of 10 dedicated and deserving social workers making extraordinary impact across the country.