Monica Cwynar, LCSW, brings robust experience in the healthcare, mental health, and educational settings to her work. She has over 25 years of experience in the Pittsburgh region as a social worker in a wide variety of contexts, including medical, geriatrics, children and families, criminal justice, and community outreach. Growing up as the child of an interracial marriage in a small town, Monica learned at an early age to think about cultural issues with nuance and empathy. Monica decided she wanted to be a social worker when she was 13 years-old and has been energized by her chosen path ever since. She is currently a therapist with Thriveworks and Cerebral, two national mental health practices where she specializes in depression, anxiety, family therapy, trauma, and issues for women and people of color. In addition, she provides counseling to children and families in the child welfare system with Three Rivers Adoption Council. Monica has served as an adjunct professor at Carlow University and Penn West University, teaching at the bachelor’s and master’s level courses including Introduction to Social Work, Social Work with Families, Interviewing, Impact of Trauma and co-creating a cultural humility curriculum and co-teaching Cultural Awareness for Human Services Professionals. She co-led a civil rights service-learning course for college students from American University, University of Pittsburgh, and West Virginia University, which lead to the creation of the award-winning documentary film Democracy: A Steady, Loving Confrontation. She has published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, been interviewed on NPR and KDKA AM and been quoted in Huffington Post, Business Insider, Parade Magazine, Newsweek on topics ranging from civil rights, Black mental health, narcissism, caregiving, jealousy and co-parenting.