Amira Martin-Saltsman

Amira Martin, LCSW-R is an accomplished mental health therapist, entrepreneur, and author with a deep passion for creating inclusive and supportive therapy spaces for Black and Brown communities. She received her BA in Social Work from Lehman College- CUNY in 2001, graduating with honors, and went on to earn her MSW in 2002 from the Advanced Standing Program at Hunter College School of Social Work. With more than two decades of experience as a clinical psychotherapist and program administrator, Amira is committed to serving as a mentor and guide for Black and Brown therapists seeking professional growth and licensure.

As a successful Black business owner and operator of Amira the Black & Brown Healing Space, which includes AmiraforHer.com and AmiraforHim.com. Amira has established herself as a prominent figure in the mental health field. Largely inspired by her own negative experiences as a client, a family member, and a community member of Black and Brown folks needing mental health services and educated by the lens of professional social work practice, Amira understands the need for more Black and Brown therapists throughout the US. Through Amira the Black & Brown Healing Space, Amira employs 50 Black and Brown therapists and is on a mission to change the face of mental health.

She recruits fully licensed mental health providers, initially licensed therapists, and master's level students, who have a variety of insights, training, and experience. Through supervision, training, and experience, Amira ensures that her students receive the clinical experience and training they need to get clinical experience and be able to sit for initial licensing exams. She ensures that those with their initial license are able to receive their clinical experience and receive the supervision within the practice to become fully licensed and independent professionals, and her fully licensed therapists see clients and also provide direct supervision to the other therapists within the practice.

Amira also provides these providers with ongoing clinical training that will help them in the field, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Training, Depression and Anxiety Treatment, and other clinical trainings to develop their skill set to treat the conditions that are often faced in the community. After two years of work experience and independent licensure is reached, these therapists can then take their client base with them and begin their own private practice. Many therapists have graduated through this path, and more are in the works!

Through her children's book series, which features "Zarah," a 9-year-old African American girl, Amira works to spread the necessary positive teachings of self-love, inner beauty, and connection that children of color need to foster their strength and resilience. Zarah made her debut in "The Prettiest Girl," which Amira published in late 2022.

In addition to her role in changing the face of mental health, she is an esteemed adjunct professor at Columbia University's School of Social Work, where she has enjoyed teaching courses like Motivational Interviewing, Adult Psychopathology and Pathways to Wellness, and has worked as a Field Advisor overseeing student work.

Amira's dedication to her craft is matched only by her unwavering commitment to her family. She is a devoted wife and mother who continually seeks out new ways to support and empower her community. Through her efforts, Amira has become a dynamic force for positive change and an inspiration to all those who seek to make a difference in the world.