The Two Brothas Counseling Story

Two Brothas Counseling is the product of the inspiration and mentorship of Dr. LaShawn Williams, LCSW. During a conversation, she shared a vision of a collective of Black Mental Health Professionals. That vision became the organization formally known as The Black Clinicians of Utah. Among the organization’s founding members were two Black male Marriage & Family Therapists. Initially, the goal was to open a clinic in Las Vegas, Nevada on June 19, 2021 (Juneteenth). As family and other circumstances impacted plans, Two Brothas Counseling opened its doors on January 1, 2022, with just one “brotha,” Tekulve Jackson-Vann, as the sole clinician. Though other brothas have found their way to Two Brothas Counseling on their way to opening independent practices, the main inspiration behind the name has been one extraordinary set of brothas, James and Robert “Bobby” Vann, my father and uncle. I lost my Uncle Bobby to suicide when I was 3 years old. My father was extremely open with me about his service-connected PTSD as a Vietnam-era Navy Veteran. My clinical work is a tribute to them and all of the “brothas” who have faced mental health struggles without the benefit of having a clinician who looked like them and understood their journey. It is my hope to keep their memories and legacies alive through the work of Two Brothas Counseling.