PLU Marriage and Family Therapy grads open inclusive practice in Tacoma

On a Friday morning, at a coffee shop where they meet for their weekly “admin day,” Megan Irving ’24 and Kiara Holden ’24 talk all things Bloom Again Therapy, their new private therapy practice rooted in accessibility, identity, care, and community.

“It sounds big, but we are trying to create the world that we want to see through Bloom Again Therapy. It’s hard, and we’re tired, and we’re trying to find balance, but we are creating something that we want to share with the world,” Irving says.

Both graduates of PLU’s Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy program, Irving and Holden describe Bloom Again Therapy as an extension of themselves and their values. “We started this practice because of our identities,” Irving says. Holden nods and adds, “Holding multiple marginalized identities as a neurodivergent, queer, Black woman, is why I do the work that I do. I know firsthand how isolating it can feel to navigate systems that were not built with you in mind. Those experiences push me to create spaces where people can show up fully as themselves. We both saw a desperate need for more therapy spaces that are affirming and culturally responsive and rooted in liberation and care.”

Those same values guide how they structure their practice, especially in their commitment to accessible care. They have cultivated partnerships with nonprofit organizations to offer free or reduced-cost services. Through organizations like Open Path Psychotherapy Collective, Oasis Youth Center, and the Washington Therapy Fund Foundation, Bloom Again Therapy provides no-cost and sliding-scale sessions for youth and clients from marginalized communities. “I am firm believer that collective care will save us all,” Kiara says. “That starts in community.”

Their collaboration, they say, works because of their differences. “Megan can be more centered and calm,” Kiara says, laughing. “She helped me stay grounded when we were in school together.”

“Yin and yang, baby,” Irving replies. “The groundwork Kiara put in for years before PLU is the sole reason why Bloom Again Therapy is successful now. The values and community-based work she put in prior to this is what made it possible.”

Their friendship began at PLU, where both credit faculty mentors Alexus Hamilton and Quantas Ginn for shaping their development. “Alexus was our first supervisor ever,” Holden says. “It was important to me to have a supervisor of color. She rode hard for us and made it as seamless as she could.” That support didn’t stop upon graduation. Holden adds, “Actually, Quantas and Alexus continue to support us — which is something we appreciate more than words can explain.”

The program’s clinical focus and emphasis on systemic thinking were game-changing for both Holden and Irving. “PLU prioritized conversations about viewing MFT through a systemic lens, which related to some of the work that I was already doing through my previous role with Communities in Schools of Lakewood as a student case manager and wellness coordinator supporting students and families’ social and emotional learning,” Holden reflects. “Plus, PLU has its own clinic, and when you’re in the program, the hours you work apply toward licensure.”

For Irving, one of the moments that affirmed she was in the right field came while practicing therapy during the MFT program. “I got my first neurodivergent client,” she says. “Because a lot of people in my life are neurodivergent — including myself — I felt like I was speaking the same language as my client. I was able to connect, share strategies, and find solutions.”

Even as business owners, they’re still guided by what they learned as students. Holden offered advice to future therapists: “Stay curious and grounded in your values. Find supervisors and mentors who are genuinely interested in understanding you and supporting your growth.”

"The client is the expert. We walk alongside our clients and learn from them."- Megan Irving

For Irving, that curiosity remains central. “The client is the expert,” Irving says. “We walk alongside our clients and learn from them.” Another key part of being a good therapist? It’s about balance. Holden shares, “Rest and joy are resistance. We live in a hustle culture that doesn’t believe in those things. Therapists can burn out. It’s not sustainable. I wanted to create balance for myself, so I can help support it in others.”

On most Fridays, that vision for a different kind of practice evolves — over coffee, conversation, and collaboration between two friends.