My name is Cherrise Elijah, and I am excited to join the board of directors for the GEMS Uncovered nonprofit organization. It has been an incredible honor to work with the organization over the past month, during which I have gained valuable insights into human trafficking and its profound impact on our community. I am deeply committed to supporting victims as they recover and heal, providing emotional support throughout their journeys.

As a licensed psychotherapist with experience in providing mental health services to children, adults, and families in community mental health and healthcare settings, I bring a wealth of knowledge to the organization. My goal is to assist survivors in their healing process by sharing effective interventions and coping strategies that promote emotional stability. I hope that God continues to use me to empower and inspire survivors to reach their full potential, to love themselves, to discover their identity, love, and worth, and to know they are fearfully and wonderfully made in God’s eyes.

I look forward to collaborating with the GEMS Uncovered team and fellow board members to empower survivors and contribute to their paths toward recovery and resilience.

“God, you made all the delicate inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex. Your workmanship is Marvelous, how well I know it.” – Psalms 139-13