Resonant Equity, Inc. is a California Public Benefit Corporation performing charitable, research, and educational services. We are a tax-exempt organization, classified as a 501(c)(3) public charity by the Internal Revenue Service. Donors can deduct contributions that they make to us under IRC Section 170. We are also approved to offer continuing education to mental health professionals under NBCC.
Mission
The specific purpose of Resonant Equity is to increase access to quality mental health care by addressing inequities and eliminating prejudice and discrimination at all levels, from interpersonal interactions to systemic structures, through clinical education, research, and programs for counselors.
What does that mean?
Resonant Equity is about breaking down barriers in mental health. By supporting equity initiatives for counselors and other mental health clinicians, Resonant Equity can support greater access to care to people who need it most. Those with greater social privilege tend to have better access to mental health services, and even when access is available to individuals, the care is not always attuned with who they are, based on their specific identities.
In other words, Resonant Equity works to support the pipeline of more counselors from diverse backgrounds to get licensure, and better training for all counselors in working with clients from different cultures. Our programs to achieve these goals are built around training, mentorship, and advocacy in the counseling profession. Our first initiatives are focused on California based on the significant barriers to licensure that exist here. We are simultaneously building out our first continuing education program on health equity.
Resonant Equity is a tiny organization with big plans!
Our Board of Directors
We are lucky to have a team of amazing volunteers in these important leadership and advisory positions:
Lisa Wenninger (she/her), PhD, MBA – President
Dr. Lisa Wenninger has a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision from Antioch University Seattle with a research focus on antiracism and equity in counseling. She is a National Certified Counselor and is licensed in California and Washington, with a telehealth-only social justice counseling practice working with individuals with marginalized identities who are navigating a complex and difficult world. Lisa runs a consulting business offering continuing education trainings and telehealth/HIPAA technology guidance to mental health professionals. Lisa supports NARTIC, the Network for Antiracist Teaching in Counseling, with administration tasks, and has been a leader of student social justice clubs in both her master’s program at Northwestern and throughout her doctorate at Antioch. She has been on the Membership Committee of the national Counselors for Social Justice for five years, serving as co-chair since 2022.
Rose Jacques (she/her), MBA, EdD student – Treasurer
Rose Jacques is a results-driven professional with a strong financial background. She specializes in budgeting, financial management, and strategic planning. Her experience includes optimizing financial workflows, ensuring accurate financial reporting, and driving cost-efficiency across various roles. Rose holds an MBA in Strategic Leadership from Dominican University of California and is pursuing a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Organizational Leadership at National University. She is passionate about using her financial expertise to support community initiatives and contribute to the success of local organizations.
Keiko Sano (she/her), PhD – Secretary
Dr. Keiko Sano is a licensed Mental Health Counselor, National Certified Counselor, State Approved Supervisor and she has worked closely with her students and local community members. She was born and raised in Japan, and she worked in Japan, Australia, and Hong Kong to assist individuals and their families from diverse backgrounds before moving to the US. Her strong passion for counseling and counselor education in global contexts leads to her continued learning and services in culturally sensitive and equitable approaches by focusing on the diversity of counselors, counselors-in-training, supervisors, and counselor educators. As a core faculty in the Counselor Education and Supervision program at Antioch University, she values relationships and community and emphasizes student-centered learning and servant leadership. She mentors students within and outside of the institution, and she serves for the ACA Foundation, ACA’s International Committee, and Chi Sigma Iota’s Chapter Faculty Advisor Committee. As a counselor, she primarily works with expatriates, immigrants, and military populations, as well as their family members and friends in her local community.
Jared Lau (he/him), PhD – Director
Dr. Jared Lau is excited and humbled to join the board of Resonant Equity as a director. For over a decade Jared has been a university faculty member in counselor education and has served in several leadership roles both within the university and nationally. Jared is a nationally certified counselor and is fully licensed as a clinical mental health counselor in North Carolina and as a clinical professional counselor in Nevada. Previous counseling positions include serving as a counselor in a university counseling clinic, university career services, group and community practices, and as a 9th grade high school counselor. Jared is active in the American Counseling Association and its divisions and is a former President of the Western Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (WACES), Member of the Governing Council for the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES) and is the 2023 recipient of the ACES Locke-Paisley Outstanding Mentor Award. Jared is a founding member of the Network for Antiracist Teaching in Counseling (NARTIC), is currently the Secretary for the ACA division Counselors for Social Justice (CSJ) and is an editorial board member for the Journal of LGBTQ Issues in Counseling. Born and raised in Hawaiʻi, Jared loves the water, sports, music, and spending time with family and friends.
Thank you all for stepping up to do this work together!