Our Team

Martha has over 13 years of experience supporting children and families. She holds a Graduate certificate in Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health from UW, a graduate certificate in gender affirming therapy from Widener University and is an EMDRIA certified EMDR therapist. Martha is currently the Director of the WISe Program (Wraparound with Intensive Services) at Akin and owns a group private practice called Mente Counseling & Consultation.

Martha identifies as a Latinx Cisgender Queer woman who is a bilingual immigrant from Mexico. Her motivation for continuing her journey as a professional in the mental health field is to support BIPOC and 2ELGBTQI+ families in ways that honor their experience and promote their healing in a transformative and liberatory way.

Based in Michigan and employed by the Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health (Alliance), Anicia is contracted to provide specialized support and guidance to our Washington Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Endorsement (I/ECMH-E®) applicants. Anicia brings to the team a refreshing viewpoint from her experiences as an Endorsed Infant Mental Health Specialist (IMHS) and IMH Home Visitor of 7 years, supporting Early Childhood Educators as well as families of 0–7-year-olds. We are pleased to welcome her strengths in supporting applicants seeking endorsement in various stages and discussing inclusion, diversity, and equity within the workforce and its impact in the field of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health. Anicia is excited to provide Endorsement applicant support here in Washington and to interact with applicants as they embark on their Endorsement journey.

Sahkiya is a dedicated professional committed to nurturing our world through healing relationships. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Teaching and over a decade of experience collaborating closely with families and young children. Sahkiya is also a provider of Reflective Supervision and Consultation and is Endorsed as an Early Childhood Family Specialist. Sahkiya was the first American accepted into the Fo Guang Shan Humanistic Academy of Life and Arts program in Asia, where she immersed herself in monastic life. She continues to hold the lessons she gained during her experience with deep gratitude.

Sahkiya approaches life with a profound belief in the power of love and learning, embodying a learner’s mindset and an open heart in all endeavors. With a high ACEs score, Sahkiya believes in the transformative value of life experiences. She embraces the trauma and adversity she has faced as opportunities for personal growth and learning. Sahkiya brings this perspective to her work, advocating for the recognition and elevation of nontraditional bodies of knowledge.

At the core of Sahkiya’s values lie authenticity, compassion, and kindness. She advocates passionately for healing, well-being, and the welfare of young children. Sahkiya is deeply honored to contribute her life experiences, skills, and passions to the Center for Early Relational Health, where her professional journey finds profound purpose.

In her free time, Sahkiya finds solace in nature, whether she’s embracing trees, conquering mountains, or communing with animal friends. Sahkiya welcomes the opportunity to connect and can be emailed here.

Bridget is deeply committed to nurturing well-being and health through authentic and caring relationships. She began her professional journey as an infant-toddler caregiver and continued her learning in a variety of roles in programs, teaching, and research focused on babies and families. Through her professional and personal experiences, Bridget has witnessed the power of connection and community in healing and thriving. Bridget has been most inspired by her children, who have filled her life with love, laughter, and many (many) lessons. After growing up in the Midwest and spending years in Arizona, she is happy to call Washington her forever home and is always excited to explore.

Veronica Rosa-Sandoval, LMSW, IMH-E® is the very first Bilingual/Bicultural Workforce Development Specialist working for the Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health, with over 15 years of experience in the Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health field. Veronica earned her master’s degree in social work from Wayne State University (WSU). Throughout the course of her career, she has worked in many scopes of practice and has always had an authentic passion for the fostering of emotional well-being in young children and their families. She recognizes that early healthy relationships are pivotal to reduce risk factors, and to prevent emotional harm in children. She believes that to support little ones, we must primarily provide dyadic relationship-based services to caregivers. Not only does she have comprehensive knowledge in infant and early childhood development, but also in intellectual & developmental delays. One her biggest accomplishment has been advocating for the BIPOC community, by using her Spanish bilingual skills to bring awareness around topics that affect those who are impacted by language and cultural barriers. She is a firm believer that it is our job as professionals and human beings to bring more awareness around Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging. Veronica currently provides Reflective Supervision Consultation to professionals who work with or on behalf of infants and children in Indiana and Michigan. She believes in the power of relationships and aspires to keep building connections and professional relationships with the purpose of collaboration and growth.