Roots and Seeds / Raices y Semillas

About Us

Grounded in justice, we partner with youth and families to nurture safety, connection, and growth.

A warm, modern counseling space represented by a circular arrangement of soft, textured armchairs in muted blues and greens around a low wooden table. On the table, a small collection of sensory objects—smooth river stones, a fabric stress ball, and a colorful tangle toy—suggests support for neurodivergent youth without showing people. Floor-to-ceiling windows reveal blurred trees outside, with gentle afternoon daylight filling the room and creating soft shadows on the light oak floor. Photographic realism, shot at eye level with a slightly wide angle, emphasizes openness and safety. The atmosphere feels calm, professional, and welcoming, with neutral walls, a tall leafy plant in the corner, and a cozy woven rug grounding the scene.
A close-up, photographic view of a sturdy wooden bookshelf in a counseling office, filled with inclusive children’s and teen books, each cover showing abstract shapes and colors instead of faces or text. Discreetly placed sensory tools—noise-cancelling headphones, a textured fidget cube, and a soft weighted lap pad—rest neatly on one shelf, symbolizing neurodivergent-friendly support. Soft, diffused daylight from an unseen window to the left highlights the varied textures of book spines and fabrics, creating subtle shadows. The background falls into a gentle blur, with hints of a plant and a framed abstract painting. Shot at eye level with shallow depth of field, the mood is reassuring, thoughtful, and professional.

Why Roots and Seeds

Roots and Seeds centers neurodivergent, LGBTQ+, and immigrant youth and families through counseling, coaching, and consulting. We honor your roots, nurture new seeds of possibility, and walk alongside you with trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and bilingual-aware care.

Meet us

Our Clinicians

An inviting consultation table in a bright office, photographed from a slightly elevated angle, showing two comfortable, empty chairs facing each other across a smooth, pale-wood surface. On the table sit a ceramic mug of herbal tea, a small bowl of colorful grounding stones, and an open notebook with a simple pen placed diagonally, all rendered in clean photographic realism without visible text. Through a nearby window, soft morning light washes the scene, casting gentle shadows and a calm glow across the tabletop. In the softly blurred background, a pride-colored abstract wall hanging and a globe on a sideboard subtly reference support for LGBTQ youth and immigrant families. The mood is balanced, professional, and quietly hopeful.

Aarav Sharma

CEO

Licensed therapist specializing in neurodivergent youth, trauma, LGBTQ+ care, and immigration forensic evaluations.

A serene corner designed for anxious or overwhelmed youth, portrayed photographically: a deep, plush beanbag chair in a muted teal fabric rests beside a low white shelf filled with neatly organized sensory jars of colored sand, calming glitter, and smooth shells. A small, dimmable floor lamp with a linen shade casts warm, adjustable light, while faint natural daylight filters through sheer curtains, softening the edges of the room. A thick, neutral-toned rug covers the floor, and a framed abstract print in cool pastels hangs above. Shot at a slightly low angle with moderate depth of field, the composition feels cocoon-like and safe, evoking grounding, comfort, and trauma-informed care without any clinical sterility.

Mateo García

CTO

Provides neuro-affirmative counseling and family coaching, centering youth voice, culture, and queer resilience.

A warm, modern counseling space represented by a circular arrangement of soft, textured armchairs in muted blues and greens around a low wooden table. On the table, a small collection of sensory objects—smooth river stones, a fabric stress ball, and a colorful tangle toy—suggests support for neurodivergent youth without showing people. Floor-to-ceiling windows reveal blurred trees outside, with gentle afternoon daylight filling the room and creating soft shadows on the light oak floor. Photographic realism, shot at eye level with a slightly wide angle, emphasizes openness and safety. The atmosphere feels calm, professional, and welcoming, with neutral walls, a tall leafy plant in the corner, and a cozy woven rug grounding the scene.

Zuri Ndlovu

Engineer

Consultant supporting nonprofits with trauma-informed leadership, inclusive sex education, and LGBTQ+ youth programming.

A close-up, photographic view of a sturdy wooden bookshelf in a counseling office, filled with inclusive children’s and teen books, each cover showing abstract shapes and colors instead of faces or text. Discreetly placed sensory tools—noise-cancelling headphones, a textured fidget cube, and a soft weighted lap pad—rest neatly on one shelf, symbolizing neurodivergent-friendly support. Soft, diffused daylight from an unseen window to the left highlights the varied textures of book spines and fabrics, creating subtle shadows. The background falls into a gentle blur, with hints of a plant and a framed abstract painting. Shot at eye level with shallow depth of field, the mood is reassuring, thoughtful, and professional.

Leila Haddad

Designer

Bilingual, bicultural clinician offering culturally responsive care to immigrant families navigating anxiety, loss, and change.

Our Commitment to Inclusive, Brave Care

We welcome every child, teen, and caregiver, affirming race, gender, sexuality, neurodivergence, and migration stories with respect, curiosity, and confidentiality.

An inviting consultation table in a bright office, photographed from a slightly elevated angle, showing two comfortable, empty chairs facing each other across a smooth, pale-wood surface. On the table sit a ceramic mug of herbal tea, a small bowl of colorful grounding stones, and an open notebook with a simple pen placed diagonally, all rendered in clean photographic realism without visible text. Through a nearby window, soft morning light washes the scene, casting gentle shadows and a calm glow across the tabletop. In the softly blurred background, a pride-colored abstract wall hanging and a globe on a sideboard subtly reference support for LGBTQ youth and immigrant families. The mood is balanced, professional, and quietly hopeful.
A serene corner designed for anxious or overwhelmed youth, portrayed photographically: a deep, plush beanbag chair in a muted teal fabric rests beside a low white shelf filled with neatly organized sensory jars of colored sand, calming glitter, and smooth shells. A small, dimmable floor lamp with a linen shade casts warm, adjustable light, while faint natural daylight filters through sheer curtains, softening the edges of the room. A thick, neutral-toned rug covers the floor, and a framed abstract print in cool pastels hangs above. Shot at a slightly low angle with moderate depth of field, the composition feels cocoon-like and safe, evoking grounding, comfort, and trauma-informed care without any clinical sterility.
A warm, modern counseling space represented by a circular arrangement of soft, textured armchairs in muted blues and greens around a low wooden table. On the table, a small collection of sensory objects—smooth river stones, a fabric stress ball, and a colorful tangle toy—suggests support for neurodivergent youth without showing people. Floor-to-ceiling windows reveal blurred trees outside, with gentle afternoon daylight filling the room and creating soft shadows on the light oak floor. Photographic realism, shot at eye level with a slightly wide angle, emphasizes openness and safety. The atmosphere feels calm, professional, and welcoming, with neutral walls, a tall leafy plant in the corner, and a cozy woven rug grounding the scene.