Jihan Eley, LCSW-C is a grief and trauma therapist, and speaker devoted to building sustainable cultures of care—within individuals, organizations, and communities. As a California native,  a caregiver, and someone who has navigated both burnout and deep personal loss, Jihan brings lived experience, clinical expertise, and cultural humility to every space she holds.

She is the founder of True Other Wellness, a solo private practice rooted in grief, somatic-informed and trauma-aware care. Through her work, Jihan helps people move beyond survival mode—toward healing, regulation, and meaningful connection.

Jihan began her private practice in 2015 under the name The Fulfillment Project, with a vision of helping people reconnect with purpose and possibility. In 2024, she rebranded to True Other Wellness—a name inspired by the transformative power of having a "true other" in one’s life: someone who sees you, hears you, and honors your full humanity. That’s the kind of presence she offers—and the kind of care she believes we all deserve.

Before launching her practice, Jihan worked in a range of community mental health settings, including foster care, youth development, substance use treatment, and family court. These early experiences deepened her understanding of systemic trauma, family complexity, and the resilience of communities navigating structural barriers to care.

As a therapist, Jihan supports people from historically marginalized backgrounds who are carrying grief, complex trauma, and a lifetime of code-switching, caregiving, and shape-shifting. Her work centers those who are often asked to shrink—helping them reconnect with themselves, soften self-blame, and set boundaries with compassion and clarity.

She is trained in EMDR, somatic practices, and grief-informed frameworks. Her integrative approach blends deep listening, embodied healing, and cultural humility. Through retreats, peer support spaces, and organizational care strategies, she collaborates with teams and institutions to build cultures that are more caring, sustainable, and trauma-aware.

Jihan earned her Master’s in Social Work from Howard University and has been in private practice for over a decade. Whether she’s facilitating a grief support group, guiding a healing-centered retreat, or consulting with a team on burnout recovery, her work is grounded in one core belief:

Care is not a luxury. It’s a human need.