"Araya Baker is a therapist, writer, and educator who is known for synthesizing activism and mental health. For nearly a decade, Araya has been deeply involved in transformative mental health advocacy initiatives aimed at empowering underserved communities––from contributing to the formation of the city of Houston’s first public mental health survey, to serving as a crisis counselor for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, as well as The Trevor Project, the leading crisis lifeline for LGBTQ+ youth. In a number of articles, essays, and interviews featured in The New York Times, Teen Vogue, Huffington Post, The Good Men Project, and other publications, Araya has explored how to develop social justice-informed counseling frameworks and interventions, and ways to dismantle systemic barriers to quality mental healthcare for minoritized populations. In 2018, The Mighty recognized Araya, alongside Demi Lovato and Lady Gaga, as a Mental Health Hero. Araya earned an Ed.M. in Human Development and Psychology at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and an M.Phil.Ed. in Professional Counseling at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education."