Empowering mental health professionals and healing practitioners to thrive by embracing their Ancestral wisdom traditions and decolonizing their work and business practices.
Cynthia has a Master in Social Work from Fordham University, and a B.A. from Hamilton College. A true believer that we should never stop growing and learning as professionals, Cynthia is certified in Positive Psychology, Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy, and as a Reiki Master and Mindful Meditation Teacher.
She’s been featured in numerous media outlets and organizations including USA Today, New York Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Women's Day, Bustle, Byrdie, NBC, Squarespace, Columbia University, and the NASW.
On any given day, you can find Cynthia salsa dancing with her husband, reading a self-development book, designing jewelry, or playing with her little goldendoodle, Cielo.
Spreading her message of collective liberation, you will often hear Cynthia say, “As a healer, I hold a core principle that we are already whole. I refuse to work from a model that pathologizes people or sees them as lacking. It’s the harmful and traumatic experiences in our lives that have separated us from our ability to believe in ourselves. As we heal, we can embody the freedom we need to share our innate wisdom and gifts with others and contribute to a more joyful and just world.”
With over 25 years in the mental health and wellness space,
Cynthia Santiago-Borbon has coached and guided thousands to elevate their racial consciousness, reclaim their spirituality and wisdom traditions, and learn the skills of liberation for their personal and professional growth.
Cynthia’s work with clinicians, healing practitioners, and mission focused leaders and entrepreneurs is driven by her belief that our healers and leaders play a critical role in creating a better world. That commitment to creating empathic, empowering, and equitable spaces where people of historically marginalized communities can feel safe to grow, prosper, and thrive is the trademark to Cynthia’s success across countless industries.
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Notable Press
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Cosmopolitan Magazine
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NASW Magazine
Speaking Topics:
Voices of the Ancestors: Revitalize Your Practice and Combat Burnout
with Ancestral Wisdom
In this transformative talk, Cynthia takes the audience on a powerful journey through her own spiritual evolution, guided by deep ancestral connections. She weaves together themes of inner discovery, self-acceptance, and holistic self-development, offering a compelling alternative to conventional Western psychological practices.
Cynthia’s healing journey, rooted in ancestral traditions, provided her with a profound framework to heal personal, intergenerational, racial, and systemic trauma. Now, she shares this wisdom with mental health professionals and healing practitioners, teaching them how to integrate ancestral knowledge into their practices. The result? Enhanced client transformation, deeper healing, and a rejuvenated sense of purpose for practitioners themselves.
Through this talk, Cynthia not only invites practitioners to harness the power of ancestral wisdom but also challenges them to critically examine the limitations of conventional Western mental health practices. She empowers her audience to rethink their approach, inspiring them to contribute meaningfully to social change by fostering true healing and well-being in their clients.
Therapists and Healers: Please Unlearn Your Colonial Training!
Many aspects of traditional psychotherapy are deeply rooted in the legacies of colonization and systemic oppression. In this groundbreaking presentation, Cynthia Santiago-Borbon challenges mental health professionals to confront these ingrained influences within their practices and organizations, offering a transformative path toward liberation and equity in their work.
Cynthia guides attendees through the essential process of identifying and dismantling harmful dynamics that may unconsciously surface in their interactions with clients. She shares practical strategies for fostering open-hearted, authentic dialogues and emphasizes the critical role of anti-oppressive and empathic action as the foundation for driving genuine social change within and beyond the therapeutic setting.
This powerful call to action urges therapists and healers to embrace collective liberation as central to their professional roles and their contribution to meaningful social transformation. Join Cynthia in this pivotal talk as she redefines therapeutic practices to truly honor and uplift every client’s unique experience, especially those from historically marginalized communities.
The Missing Piece: Why True Spirituality Demands Social Justice
In the world of New Age spirituality, influential spiritual platforms and teachers often promote messages of love and light. But what happens when these messages overlook the systemic oppression that permeates our society? This thought-provoking keynote challenges the spiritual community to confront the uncomfortable truth: without addressing social justice, we are not truly operating from a place of love.
Cynthia delves into the blind spots of mainstream spiritual teachings, revealing how their failure to engage with issues of social change inadvertently upholds the very systems of oppression they claim to transcend. She argues that genuine spirituality requires more than individual enlightenment—it demands a commitment to dismantling injustice and working toward collective liberation.
In this speech, Cynthia calls on spiritual practitioners and leaders to expand their understanding of love and compassion to include active allyship and social responsibility. She offers actionable insights on how to integrate social justice into spiritual practice, ensuring that the journey towards personal growth also contributes to the broader fight for equity and justice.
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Want to know more?
Cynthia Santiago-Borbon (she/her/ella) is a Psychotherapist, Clinical Consultant, Transformational Coach, and Change Maker who brings an alternative and insightful approach to the mental health and wellness industry. Available for keynote speeches, podcasts, media appearances, and spokesperson opportunities, Cynthia’s empowering, inspirational and authentic delivery captivates audiences with her unique perspective on the intersections of self-development, spirituality, and social change. Download Cynthia’s media kit, schedule an interview, connect for your next conference or retreat, or book her on your stage today!
