Meet Marquita!
Nice to meet you!
I’m Marquita (she/they), a sweet-tea drinkin, bounce/neo-soul/trap/classical music lovin Black woman with roots traced throughout Atlanta, Louisiana, and Seattle. I am also a bereaved mother, perinatal and pediatric bereavement doula, and the founder of Imani’s Light.
My work is shaped by lived experience and more than fifteen years of walking alongside families during moments of profound love and loss. I support families navigating pregnancy loss, stillbirth, infant death, and pediatric life-limiting diagnoses, centering care for BIPOC women, femmes, and families whose grief is too often minimized, misunderstood, or ignored.
I know firsthand that grief does not follow a straight line. It does not ask permission, and it does not move on a timeline. My role is not to fix, diagnose, or rush you through loss, but to sit with you in it, to help you feel less alone, and to honor the depth of what you are carrying.
How I Support Families
I offer non-clinical bereavement and end-of-life support rooted in presence, compassion, and choice. I walk with families through moments of uncertainty, loss, dying, and remembrance, holding space for both heartbreak and love to exist side by side.
This support may include:
- Accompaniment during pregnancy, birth, dying, and after-death moments
- Gentle guidance through decisions and conversations that feel overwhelming
- Memory-making, legacy work, and ritual support
- Support for parents, siblings, and extended family
- Bereavement photography and remembrance sessions
- Funeral planning and celebrant services
I do not believe grief needs to be solved or explained away. I believe it needs room, care, and witness.
My Approach
My approach is much like a conversation on the front porch with your neighbor. We may sit quietly. We may cry. There may be laughter, storytelling, or long pauses. All of it is welcome.
I meet families where they are, honoring their values, culture, spirituality, and pace. I listen, reflect, and support without pressure or an agenda. Together, we focus on what feels meaningful and true for you and your family in this moment.
Why This Work Matters to Me
While my work typically centers the care of BIPOC birthing people, I also work with people outside of the perinatal time frame. This work ranges from releasing grief & trauma within elders that has been stored in the body for generations or preparing future generations with the tools to release grief and trauma from the body.
Education, Training, and Credentials
My background includes formal clinical training and years of experience supporting families through grief and loss therapy. While I no longer provide 1:1 therapy, this foundation informs the depth, ethics, and care I bring to end-of-life support.
- Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW), license# SWI.LW.61629528
- Masters of Social Work- Advanced Clinical Practice, Columbia University
- Bachelor’s of Social Work, Florida A&M University
- Pediatric End-of-Life Doula Specialist, University of Vermont Professional and Continuing Education
- Resolve Through Sharing (RTS) Bereavement Coordinator
- MISS Foundation Compassionate Bereavement Care Certification
*An Important Note on Scope:
Imani’s Light Wellness provides non-clinical bereavement, end-of-life, and legacy support. I do not offer therapy, medical care, or crisis intervention. When additional clinical or medical support is needed, I assist families in connecting with trusted providers and resources.
If you are navigating a perinatal or pediatric loss, uncertainty, or the tender space between hello and goodbye, you do not have to do it alone. I am honored to walk with families during these moments and to help hold what matters most.