About Charity Wabuke, (she/her), CA LMFT #87592
Charity is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who earned her Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology from Azusa Pacific University. With over 15 years of experience in the mental health field, she owns and operates a private practice in Southern California, where she provides specialized, trauma-informed care.
As a woman of color, Charity is deeply committed to breaking the stigma surrounding mental health and advocating for culturally responsive treatment. She works with individuals who have experienced oppression, discrimination, racism, and the challenges of navigating professional and academic spaces as minorities.
Her clinical focus includes trauma, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and related anxiety disorders, depression, life transitions, and women’s issues. Charity is certified in Brainspotting and serves as a Brainspotting Consultant, integrating neurobiologically informed approaches into her work.
Throughout her career, Charity has held both clinical and executive leadership roles. She has served as Director of Mental Health at a co-occurring inpatient residential treatment center for youth, Program Manager for a community-based substance abuse program, and Clinical Director at a residential treatment center for young women survivors of sex trafficking and substance abuse. She has also supervised Marriage and Family Therapist interns across multiple treatment settings.
Charity is the author of i am… a journey of personal growth and mental wellness and the upcoming book Healing from the Inside Out: A Christ-Centered Journey to Mental and Emotional Wellbeing, which integrates evidence-based mental health strategies with Biblical truth. She has served as a guest lecturer on Clinical Documentation for graduate students since 2020.
A sought-after speaker, Charity has presented at professional conferences and academic institutions on early-career clinician development, trauma-informed supervision, crisis intervention for youth with complex needs, and clinically responsive care for special populations.
I Graduated Now What…. Navigating Your Clinical Career After Graduation
This presentation is designed for graduate-level mental health students and early-career clinicians preparing to transition from academic training into professional practice. The session will begin by addressing the emotional and professional realities of post-graduation life, including imposter syndrome, uncertainty about career direction, and the pressure to secure supervised hours while maintaining financial stability. Participants will be encouraged to normalize this transition while developing a proactive and strategic mindset.
The presentation will then explore diverse career pathways available to new clinicians, including community mental health, private practice, residential treatment, schools and universities, and telehealth platforms. Attendees will learn key factors to evaluate when selecting a work setting, such as supervision quality, client population, income potential, burnout risk, and long-term professional alignment.
Next, the session will focus on identifying and securing effective clinical supervision. Participants will review the essential qualities of an ethical and growth-oriented supervisor, learn how to evaluate supervision opportunities, and identify potential red flags. Emphasis will be placed on leveraging supervision not only for licensure, but also for professional identity development and advanced skill-building.
The presentation will also address financial sustainability in the early years of practice. Attendees will examine common income challenges and learn the importance of developing multiple streams of revenue over time. Examples will include teaching, supervision, writing, speaking, and developing specialized services. Ethical considerations related to scope of competence and stage of career will be discussed.
Finally, participants will explore the importance of identifying and developing a clinical niche. The session will provide practical strategies for assessing strengths, interests, market demand, and training pathways. The presentation will conclude with concrete action steps and a structured framework for creating a one-year and three-year professional development plan, empowering attendees to move forward with clarity, confidence, and long-term vision.
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Participants will be able to identify and compare at least three post-graduation career paths available to clinicians, including one agency-based role, one private practice option, and one non-traditional opportunity.
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Participants will be able to list four essential qualities to evaluate when selecting a clinical supervisor and explain how each quality supports professional growth and ethical development.
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Participants will be able to identify three potential additional income streams beyond traditional one-on-one therapy and describe two practical steps to begin developing a clinical niche.
Understanding and Treating OCD: From Symptom Presentation to ERP Implementation
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is frequently misunderstood and misdiagnosed, leading to ineffective treatment and symptom reinforcement. This workshop provides clinicians with a comprehensive framework to recognize OCD, differentiate it from other anxiety-related disorders, and implement exposure and response prevention (ERP) effectively. The session begins with a historical overview of OCD and its evolution within the DSM, followed by a detailed exploration of the OCD cycle, including obsessions, anxiety/distress, compulsions, and temporary relief, highlighting how negative reinforcement maintains symptoms. Participants will learn to identify common obsessive subtypes such as contamination, harm, scrupulosity, sexual/taboo, and relationship-related obsessions, and distinguish them from personal values or identity. Compulsive behaviors will be categorized into behavioral rituals, mental compulsions, reassurance-seeking, and avoidance strategies, with discussion of how these behaviors perpetuate the disorder. The workshop emphasizes practical ERP implementation, including selecting target obsessions, mapping associated compulsions, creating exposure hierarchies, and applying response prevention strategies with clinical precision. Common pitfalls such as overreliance on cognitive restructuring and providing reassurance will be addressed. Case examples and interactive exercises will allow participants to design at least one ERP plan during the session, integrating learned concepts into actionable practice. By the end of the workshop, clinicians will be able to identify the core components of the OCD cycle, distinguish obsessive subtypes and compulsive categories, and create structured ERP interventions, improving client outcomes. This session equips mental health professionals with evidence-based strategies, enhancing diagnostic accuracy, treatment planning, and clinical effectiveness when working with clients with OCD.
Educational Objectives:
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Participants will be able to identify at least four core components of the obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) cycle, including obsessions, anxiety/distress, compulsions, and temporary relief.
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Participants will be able to design a basic exposure and response prevention (ERP) plan for a client with OCD, including one clearly defined exposure target and one corresponding response prevention strategy.
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Participants will be able to list at least four common obsessive subtypes (e.g., contamination, harm, scrupulosity, taboo thoughts) and identify at least four categories of compulsions (e.g., checking, washing, mental rituals, reassurance seeking) observed in obsessive-compulsive disorder.