Trust often begins long before professional care—in conversations with someone who has consistently made us feel safe.

In “Rooted & Radiant,” Kimberley Dooshima Jev explores the partnership between Nancy Nixon, founder of Neena’s Pink Room, and Tina Ashiofu, founder of Ilera Psychological Services. Together, they are creating the kinds of culturally grounded spaces they once needed themselves.

The story examines how salons can become trusted places for conversations about grief, relationships, migration and mental health—and how beauty professionals can serve as bridges to care without being expected to replace therapists. Drawing on Nancy’s relationships with her clients and Tina’s experience as a Nigerian Canadian psychologist, the feature considers representation, cultural understanding and why beginning therapy can feel more difficult than attending it.

At its heart, Rooted & Radiant is about expanding what community care can look like. It reminds us that healing does not always begin in a clinical space. Sometimes it begins exactly where trust already lives—with someone willing to listen, recognize when more support is needed and help another person take the first step.

Read “Rooted & Radiant” in full at Afros in tha City or in our print publication.