Kisha Choice, LCSW
African American Therapist | Couples Therapist | Trauma Specialist | Founder & Clinical Director of First Choice Counseling
Kisha Choice, LCSW, is the Founder and Clinical Director of First Choice Counseling, where she is dedicated to helping individuals, couples, and families heal, grow, and reach their fullest potential. Her passion for mental health stems from a deep commitment to strengthening communities, empowering families, and increasing access to quality behavioral health services. Through First Choice Counseling, Kisha has built a thriving Black-owned mental health practice focused on providing compassionate, client-centered care that promotes resilience, emotional wellness, and lasting change.
Kisha's Therapeutic Approach
As a mental health therapist, Kisha specializes in couples therapy, relationship counseling, trauma recovery, narcissistic abuse recovery, domestic violence, substance abuse treatment, and co-occurring mental health disorders. She works with individuals and couples experiencing communication difficulties, infidelity, betrayal trauma, emotional abuse, unhealthy relationship patterns, anxiety, depression, and major life transitions.
Known for her direct yet compassionate approach, Kisha helps clients gain insight into unhealthy patterns, establish healthy boundaries, improve communication, and build stronger, healthier relationships. Her expertise in working with survivors of narcissistic abuse, relationship trauma, and intimate partner violence has helped many individuals rebuild self-confidence, restore trust in themselves, and move toward healing and personal empowerment.
Kisha utilizes a variety of evidence-based treatment approaches, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), The Gottman Method for Couples Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, trauma-informed interventions, and strengths-based, solution-focused techniques. By tailoring treatment to the unique needs of each client, she helps individuals and couples develop practical skills that support emotional growth, healthier relationships, and long-term success.
As an African American therapist, business owner, and community advocate, Kisha is especially passionate about serving BIPOC communities, advocating for underserved populations, and reducing barriers to mental health care. She understands the importance of culturally responsive treatment and strives to create an environment where clients feel seen, heard, respected, and empowered throughout their healing journey.
Teaching, Supervision & Community Impact
In addition to her clinical work, Kisha is committed to educating and mentoring future mental health professionals. She has served as an adjunct professor at both the University of South Florida (USF) and Hillsborough Community College (HCC), where she taught and mentored students pursuing careers in the helping professions. Her experience in higher education reflects her commitment to advancing the field of mental health and preparing future clinicians to provide ethical, culturally responsive, and effective care.
Kisha earned both her Bachelor and Master of Social Work degrees from the University of South Florida and completed specialized training in Trauma Response and Crisis Intervention through Rutgers University.
Clients often describe Kisha as genuine, relatable, transparent, and empowering. Her ability to build authentic therapeutic relationships allows clients to openly explore difficult topics while creating meaningful and lasting change.
Through First Choice Counseling, Kisha continues to fulfill her mission of strengthening individuals, empowering families, and promoting mental wellness throughout the Tampa Bay community and beyond.
Ready to Begin Your Journey?
Whether you’re seeking support for yourself, your child, or your family, our compassionate therapists are here to help you take the first step toward better mental health.
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