Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. L. Imani Price.
Hi Dr. L. Imani, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Healing Begins Within: How Dr. LaRay Imani Price Transformed Her Military Service into a Global Wellness Movement for Women and Veterans
“Too often, women are praised for being strong—but strength without self-care becomes survival, not wholeness.”
— Dr. LaRay Imani Price
Dr. LaRay Imani Price, a native of California, discovered her life’s calling in high school after taking a psychology course. Her unwavering determination led her to complete her undergraduate and graduate studies with a singular mission: to become a psychologist. During her doctoral studies, she made the bold decision to join the U.S. Army for her medical residency in clinical psychology. Over a decade, she served with unwavering dedication, providing care to service members grappling with trauma, loss, and the silent wounds of military life.
“In the military, you’re trained to push through,” she explains. “But what happens when the mission is your mental health?”
While serving others in uniform, Dr. Price was also carrying something deeply personal. Her beloved grandmother had been diagnosed with breast cancer—and chose not to pursue treatment. That decision stayed with her.
“She didn’t see herself as a priority,” Dr. Price recalls. “That broke something in me and built something too. I knew I had to create space for women to feel like they mattered.”
This passion drove her doctoral research at Purdue University, where she explored the intersections of spirituality, psychological well-being, and quality of life in women diagnosed with breast cancer. That research didn’t just shape her dissertation—it shaped her destiny.
“Our well-being isn’t a luxury. It’s our responsibility.”
After relocating to Maryland in 2014 and working at a local counseling center, Dr. Price launched her private practice the following year. In May 2015, she opened the Women’s InnerFitness & Wellness Center, a sanctuary for women—especially those diagnosed with breast cancer—to explore their emotions, reclaim their health, and build resilience through trauma-informed care.
Her message of healing and self-worth extended beyond the therapy room. Dr. Price authored two influential books, Embraceable Me: Crowned with Self-Love and Radiate Self-Love: Reignite Your Inner Light, both designed to guide women back to themselves through storytelling, reflection, and practical tools. These works became pillars of her broader wellness mission, inspiring readers to embrace vulnerability, establish boundaries, and nurture their emotional well-being.
“You don’t have to be exhausted to prove your worth,” she writes in Radiate Self-Love. “You already are enough.”
Through her signature wellness frameworks like SHEE™—Sleep, Hydration, Exercise, and Eating Well—and CARESS™—(Self) Compassion, (Self) Acceptance, Resilience, Empowerment, Social Connections, and Self-Care—Dr. Price gives her clients something practical and powerful: a roadmap back to themselves.
“Self-love is not selfish,” she says. “It’s survival. And it’s time we treat it that way.”
Her vision quickly transcended the DMV area. What began as a practice for women with breast cancer blossomed into a trauma-informed, holistic wellness center for women, veterans, youth, and military families. Today, her team provides virtual counseling across multiple U.S. states and overseas to U.S. citizens and military-connected individuals, offering hope, healing, and culturally responsive care.
In 2025, Dr. Price rebranded the practice as the Centers for Counseling and Wellness, Int’l, reflecting its global impact and expanded mission.
She also co-hosts the podcast Her Valor, Her Voice alongside two senior retired military officers, where they amplify the lived experiences of female veterans and inspire others to heal and live victoriously beyond the uniform.
“When a woman chooses to rest, to speak her truth, to put herself first—it’s not weakness. It’s wisdom.”
Throughout all her roles—psychologist, veteran, author, speaker, mother—Dr. Price remains rooted in one core belief:
“Healing is not just possible—it’s powerful.”
And she’s living proof.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Setbacks That Sparked a Movement
Dr. Price’s most profound lessons didn’t stem from her professional achievements, but from the personal toll of neglecting herself, even as her practice flourished.
“I wore the cape for too long,” she says. “The Superwoman Syndrome nearly broke me.”
She had spent years caring for others—first in the Army, then in her private practice—without pausing to examine how much it was costing her. While helping women and veterans process trauma, her neglect was breaking down her body. The weight of self-neglect was almost fatal.
During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Dr. Price’s hospitalization for stress-related complications became a pivotal moment in her life, a ‘healing reckoning’ that would transform her approach to health, healing, and leadership.
“I had been preaching self-care, but I wasn’t practicing it. I certainly was not loving myself, and my body finally said, ‘No more.’”
That hospitalization became the foundation for a complete transformation in how she approached health, healing, and leadership. Out of that crisis, she created the SHEE™ framework—focused on Sleep, Hydration, Exercise, and Eating Well—as the core pillars of leadership and sustainable mental health.
She also developed the CARESS™ framework to support the emotional side of healing:
(Self) Compassion, (Self) Acceptance, Resilience, Empowerment, Social Connection, and Self-Care.
Dr. Price’s creation of the SHEE™ and CARESS™ frameworks was not just a professional endeavor, but a personal necessity. Tired of merely surviving, she needed a system to help her—and other women—heal from the inside out.
That same year, she began writing. Her two books—Radiate Self-Love: Reignite Your Inner Light and Embraceable Me: Crowned with Self-Love—were both personal and universal. They gave women permission to put the cape down, release perfectionism, and reclaim their power through rest, reflection, and self-compassion.
“I wrote those books as a love letter to the women who feel like they always have to prioritize the needs of others to be loved. I want them to know—they don’t need to break down their bodies or neglect their health to be strong; they’re already worthy. Already enough.”
For Dr. Price, the setbacks weren’t the end of the story. They were the beginning of her most authentic work.
“True healing isn’t passive. It’s a bold decision to show up for yourself every single day.”
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
At The Centers for Counseling and Wellness, Int’l, we offer trauma-informed, culturally responsive mental health and wellness services for women, veterans, youth, and military families—both in the U.S. and abroad. What started in 2015 as a small private practice in Maryland, originally focused on supporting women diagnosed with breast cancer, has now grown into a global enterprise serving clients across multiple states and multiple countries.
Our approach is rooted in both clinical excellence and emotional restoration. We specialize in anxiety, trauma, military transitions, grief, women’s emotional wellness, and stress recovery. Whether you’re navigating a diagnosis, the demands of leadership, or the invisible wounds of military life—our goal is the same: to help you feel whole again.
We are known for our deeply personalized care, our emotional wellness frameworks—SHEE™ (Sleep, Hydration, Exercise, Eating Well) and CARESS™ (Compassion, Acceptance, Resilience, Empowerment, Social Connection, and Self-Care)—and our ability to meet clients exactly where they are, emotionally and geographically. We also provide virtual counseling for U.S. citizens living overseas, support for veterans filing disability claims, group therapy programs, women’s wellness challenges, and holistic healing retreats.
Our brand is led by a 4th-generation veteran, woman of color, and licensed psychologist who brings a lived understanding of trauma, resilience, and restoration. We don’t just talk about healing—we embody it. What sets us apart is that we offer mental health and emotional support through both a clinical lens and a wellness lens, acknowledging that true healing requires addressing the whole person.
Also, we are not just a counseling center—we are a movement. We empower women to shed the Superwoman cape, veterans to share their truth, and families to build emotional strength together.
I’m most proud that our brand is built on integrity, lived experience, and deep compassion. It’s not performative—it’s personal. I’ve lived the burnout. I’ve worn the cape. I’ve healed the hard way. And now I get to show others how to do it differently, with grace.
From our podcast *Her Valor, Her Voice*, to our transformative books, to our global services—we are creating a culture where wellness is not a luxury, but a lifestyle.
I want readers to know this: You don’t have to choose between success and sanity. You don’t have to be strong all the time to be worthy. And healing is not just possible—it’s powerful.
If you’re a woman, a veteran, a caregiver, or a leader who’s always giving to others, this is your invitation to pause. We’re here to help you return to yourself, reconnect to your values, and reclaim your vitality—mind, body, and soul.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
Audiobooks are my favorite way to continue learning. I am intentional about reading two audiobooks a week with the goal of continuous learning.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://centersforwellness.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCentersforWellness
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/centersforcounselingandwellness
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@HerValor-HerVoice
