A women-led collective where mind, spirit, and soul come together to heal and cultivate collective power.

At Wōcc, our mission is to cultivate a space where women can fully relate, exist, resist, feel, heal, express, and thrive. We are building a community that empowers women to live their most authentic, liberated lives—rooted in connection, culture, and care.

Guided by our core values of compassion, authenticity, culture, and a deep commitment to decolonization, we center the lived experiences of women in all their richness and complexity. We believe in solidarity as a path to collective healing, joy as an act of resistance, and liberation as a transformative force.

We uphold equity and integrity in our relationships and actions, nurture community through intentional connection, and uplift creativity as a vital expression of self and survival. We move with purpose…for ourselves, for one another, for our ancestors, and for future generations.

A space for us, by us.

Meet the women of Wōcc.

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  • Spiritual Guide

    Taking the first step toward therapy is a courageous act. I'm honored to meet you right where you are by creating a safe, non-judgmental space for you to explore and grow.

    My background includes training from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology and experience serving individuals from all walks of life. I specialize in guiding humans’ journey through their experiences, including race-based traumatic stress, substance use, eating disorders, and mood disorders.

    Our sessions will be all about focusing on your needs and what you want to achieve. As a licensed clinical professional counselor with specialty training as a clinical trauma and substance use practitioner.

    I am ready and honored to serve as your guide and support in taking the first step to having your story heard.


  • PsyD, MS, she/hers

    Dr. Yara Costa, Chief Healing Officer, is a licensed clinical psychologist with over two decades of experience across mental health, substance use, forensic psychology, and behavioral health systems. She specializes in working with diverse and justice-involved populations, integrating trauma-informed, evidence-based practices in therapy, supervision, and leadership. Her clinical expertise includes trauma, mood and anxiety disorders, substance use, anger management, and LGBTQ+ affirming care. Dr. Costa has held senior clinical and leadership roles across hospitals, nonprofits, and private practice, where she has directed programs, supervised large multidisciplinary teams, mentored emerging clinicians, and built services grounded in equity, cultural responsiveness, and social justice.

    Dr. Costa is deeply committed to expanding access to care for underserved communities, particularly women, families, and justice-involved individuals, and has contributed to the field through teaching, curriculum development, and community education. She maintains a longstanding private practice focused on resilience, empowerment, and meaningful connection across the lifespan. Fluent in Portuguese and conversant in Spanish, she brings a culturally responsive lens to all of her work. Dr. Costa earned her PsyD in Clinical Forensic Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, her MS in Counseling from National Louis University, and her BA in Latin American Studies and Sociology from the University of Kansas.

  • Consultant on Native American History, Culture, and Heritage

    Born and raised in Chicago, Celina (“Sassy”) Martinez is a dedicated educator and community advocate of Puerto Rican and Ojibwe (Lake Superior Band of Chippewa) descent. Her family’s history—including her grandfather’s relocation to Chicago under the Indian Relocation Act—grounds her work in stories of resilience, movement, and belonging. A Golden Apple Award–winning bilingual teacher in Chicago Public Schools, she supports learners through teaching and tutoring and draws on her background in writing and literature to uplift community voices. In partnership with the City of Chicago, she has helped shape Chicago Public Schools’ curriculum on Native American history, working to center Indigenous knowledge, truth, and presence in the classroom. Known for her collaborative spirit, Martinez has contributed to numerous projects and initiatives that strengthen and sustain her community. Ms. Martinez supports Wōcc’s integration of Native American history and culture into our work, particularly as it relates to care and programming for Native American and Indigenous women. Ms. Martinez consults with educational institutions, non-profits, and clinical practices through Wocc.

  • Policy & Partnerships Steward

    Michelle Suntoo has over 17 years of experience across government, grassroots organizing, and cross-sector collaboration. A daughter of Mauritius and India shaped by histories of colonization and slavery, she also brings lived experience as a person with PTSD and OCD, a Person in Recovery, and a mother to a child with AuDHD—perspectives that ground her commitment to expanding access to resources, supporting healing, and building awareness for individuals and communities striving to thrive.

    Formerly the Director of Strategic Partnerships at the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Michelle built statewide, national, and international partnerships, secured extensive technical assistance resources, and is certified in Domestic Violence and Partner Abuse Intervention Programming. She has served on numerous boards and advisory bodies—including the Illinois Maternal Healthcare Task Force and the Illinois Attorney General’s Violent Crimes Advisory Committee—and has worked for two state senators, giving her strong fluency in the legislative process. Deeply committed to equity and community, she has helped create DEI and BIPOC spaces in prior roles and is one of the founding members of Wōcc.

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  • Sacred Witness

    Candice is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a Master of Social Work in Child and Family Studies from the Jane Addams College of Social Work at the University of Illinois Chicago. She has worked in diverse clinical settings, including Thresholds, the Illinois Department of Corrections, and the Eating Recovery Center’s intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization programs. Candice works with adults 18 and older, providing individual, couples, and family therapy for concerns including depression, anxiety, trauma, PTSD, OCD, women’s issues, racial identity, incarceration, and family dynamics. She is trained in CBT, DBT, CPT, Emotion Focused Family Therapy, and Exposure Response Prevention (ERP).

    Candice centers her practice in cultural humility, compassion, and a strengths-based approach, believing that clients already possess the capacity for growth and healing. She prioritizes authenticity, safety, and collaboration in the therapeutic relationship, viewing clients as experts in their own lives while using her clinical skills to help them navigate barriers, process trauma, and build meaningful, sustainable change.