Larry Tucker, LMFT Owner
Larry has committed nearly 20 years of his career to working with children and families. He has been and continues to be invested in supporting the community in an effort to combat myths that prevent growth and positive change. In his professional and personal life, Larry is grounded by his strong beliefs and values around the importance of community. His passion for working with communities on all levels is part of what Larry brings to his work at Kente. Larry has taught as a professor at Argosy University, Twin Cities Campus, for several years with a focus on Diversity and Cultural Competence. He is currently an Adjunct Professor at St. Mary’s University, Twin Cities Campus, in their Masters Program for Marriage and Family Therapy. He consults and facilitates trainings with both private and non-profit agencies on a range of subjects such as: culture, ethnicity, healthy relationships, family mental health, African American boys and working with a diverse team for clientele.


Carmen Avendano, LMFT
Carmen graduate from the Minnesota School of Professional Psychology, Carmen is a dedicated professional committed to providing quality mental health services. Carmen acknowledges the client’s strengths and is passionate about helping others enhance their lives and achieve their goals. By creating a safe environment and building a strong therapeutic relationship, Carmen believes that change is possible. Using an integration of complimentary approaches from systemic therapy, Carmen draws from a variety of methodologies and techniques to incorporate what is most helpful for each client. Carmen combines workplace and life experiences from living in Chile and USA, and speaks fluent Spanish and English. These experiences have provided Carmen with an excellent background for assisting the diverse needs of clients. Carmen has prior experience serving the community through working as an experienced cross-cultural educator, speaker, trainer, and consultant. She is skilled in effective communications, multicultural adult and child education, cross-cultural conflict resolutions, and valuing diversity. Carmen has lived with her husband and four children in the Minneapolis area since 1993. Carmen is a member of several professional associations including the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) and the Minnesota Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (MAMFT).


Beth Nelson, LMFT
Beth brings much life experience and passion to her therapy, having worked with diverse families, couples, individuals, and communities in both Chicago and Minnesota. She is committed to providing culturally sensitive therapy in a nurturing environment where differences are valued. Beth appreciates the complexity of relationships and works to foster trust and respect in the challenging space of therapy. She focuses on building her clients' strengths while also honoring their complex journeys and diverse life experiences. She believes in collaborating with her clients on a path to health and healing, and she believes change happens through emotional connections in our shared relationships. Beth has worked in various community settings serving youth and families for more than twenty years.




Katie Kussard, LMFT
Katie has been providing individual, couple, and family therapy at Kente Circle for five years. She believes strongly that it is through relationships that change occurs. She also strives to highlight her clients' strengths in order to empower them to create the change that they desire for their family/life. Katie takes a nurturing yet challenging approach when working with clients and prides herself on validating her clients experience while offering alternative ways of seeing the world.


Renita Wilson, LICSW
Renita has committed over 14 years of her career working with children and families. She is committed to recognizing the strengths and potential in families and the value in relationship building. Renita's experience in this work crosses a variety of venues including family and individual work in child protection, adoption, foster care, and educational services.







Shonda Craft, PHD, LMFT
Shonda is originally from Ohio and is a three-time graduate of The Ohio State University (B.S - Psychology, M.S. - Family Science, Ph.D - Couple and Family Therapy). She is employed full-time as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Social Science at the University of Minnesota, where she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses, mentors and supervises doctoral-level students in the Couple and Family Therapy program, and maintains an active research agenda focused on the utilization of community-engaged models to address health disparities in families. Shonda approaches her clinical work as she does every endeavor in her life: with authenticity, curiosity, and humility. Her clinical experience spans work with incarcerated women and juveniles, in-home therapy with families of homeless and runaway adolescents, GLBT affirmative therapy, and survivors of sexual abuse trauma. She is excited to work with individuals, couples, and families of diverse backgrounds, and to be part of the Kente family as both a clinician and supervisor.

Huy T. Le, M.A., LMFT
Huy recognizes that life is a journey through the valleys, mountains, and desserts. His passion is to join his clients on that journey and help them to find their way. Huy has a warm and kindhearted attitude that attracts others to him. He was born in Vietnam and immigrated to the United States with his family at a young age. He received his Bachelor of Arts at St. Thomas University, and his Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy at Argosy University. He is licensed by the State of Minnesota as a Marriage and Family Therapist and is certified to implement the Prepare and Enrich program in Couples Therapy. Huy has dedicated more than 10 years, personally and professionally, to working with individuals, couples, and families from different ethnic, socioeconomic, and cultural backgrounds throughout the Twin Cities. Huy’s educational path has taken him to other parts of the world such as Japan and Italy. These experiences have enriched his cultural competence and sensitivity, heightened the importance of the community in persons’ development and wellbeing, and ignited creativity in working with clients. Huy’s style of therapy is a collaborative relationship with the clients, empowering them to recognize and strengthen the skills and talents they possess in order to become the most they can be in life’s journey.

Dakota County In-Home

Leo Lewis, PHD
Bio coming soon


Casey McGraw, M.A.
Casey brings life experience, energy, and humor to the table as an in-home therapist for Dakota County.  Casey has a Master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Argosy University in the Twin Cities, and was an intern with Kente Circle before joining the team professionally.  He has worked with a diverse population of children and families in the YMCA as well as Kente Circle.  Casey focuses on a client's strengths and honors their individual and family journey along with the larger community context of the person or family as healing takes place.  He works with children and families who struggle with a variety of issues including depression, anxiety, ADHD, family conflicts, behavioral conflicts and trauma.  Casey has a natural curiosity and genuine care for the people that he works with and tries to encourage hope, innovation, and energy into those he encounters.



Carla Maldonado, LAMFT
Carla is a bi-lingual (Spanish) therapist and enjoys working in a multi-cultural setting because it challenges her to be mindful that each person and life journey is unique.  She spent time in Mexico and in Chicago doing mission work with Latino communities. It was in these experiences that she realized the beauty of diversity and the powerful healing and connections that can take place when differences are embraced rather than judged.  Carla has her Master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of St. Thomas.  Her work is culturally sensitive and each draws on the strengths within each client and within their communities to empower and heal.  Carla works with diverse clients who are struggling with a variety of issues including anger, anxiety, domestic and social violence, childhood trauma, and partner and family conflict.

Hennepin County FFT In-Home


Angela Edger, M.A.
Angela has worked with youth and families for over 20 years.  As a Functional Family Therapist (FFT) she collaborate with families and help them to discover that the healing process begins as they reconnect and rediscover their true selves.  Angela works with a culturally diverse clientele, she utilizes the FFT model. Angela works to establish relationships built on mutual trust and respect.  She utilizes a strength-based approach using empathy and compassion.  Angela continues to be inspired, encouraged and uplifted by the power of families.  She believes therapy can motivate and empower families to make positive changes in their lives.





Dwight E. Jones Jr., M.S.
Dwight has over 10 years of experience in the social service industry and providing therapy to a wide range of populations, including addictions, acute psychiatrics, groups, families, couples and individuals. Employing a strength based-relational focus, Dwight provides a healthy space for voices to be heard, emotions to be felt and issues to be resolved.







Anoka County In-Home

LaShawn Goss, M.A.
LaShawn is committed to working with children and families in the Twin Cities Metro area and has done so for over 20 years.  LaShawn is a graduate of Northwestern College where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and also completed a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy from St. Mary's University. LaShawn is currently completing a certificate in play therapy at St. Mary's University and integrates play therapy techniques in much of her work with children and families.  LaShawn also utilizes a solution-focused perspective when working with clients and emphasizes honoring cultural values and promoting empowerment and growth.  She has worked extensively with youth and their families involved in the juvenile system.  LaShawn believes that positive change can occur through building on individual's strengths and focusing on the power of relationships.