Meet the team.
At Anchor of Hope, we’re more than a group of therapists — we’re a team that sees you the same way, even as each of us brings a different focus. Whichever room you walk into — couples work, trauma, ADHD, anxiety, neurofeedback — you’ll meet the same lens: an understanding of what your brain and nervous system are actually doing, and how to help them settle, heal, and reconnect.
Different specialties. One roof. One way of caring for you.
Dr. Larthenia Howard, Founder
“Anchoring hope, healing hearts, and restoring connection”
Hi, I’m Larthenia. I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Florida and Washington, and the founder of Anchor of Hope. My passion for this work comes from my own journey through loss and healing. After walking through the pain of relational loss, I learned firsthand that while hurt is real, connection, trust, and restoration are always possible — and that so much of what keeps us stuck lives in the nervous system, not in willpower or worth. That’s the lens I built this practice around: helping people understand what their brain and body are doing, so they can regulate, heal, and reconnect. I believe relationships are the foundation of a flourishing life, and it’s my greatest honor to walk alongside people as they fight for healing — for themselves, for each other, and for the life they were created to live.
Credentials: LMFT (Florida & Washington) · Certified Neurofeedback Practitioner · ADHD Certified Clinical Service Provider (ADHD-CCSP) · Gottman Method, Level 3 · Trained in EFT, EMDR · Certified Sex Therapy Informed Professional · Two-time award-winning author · Adjunct professor
Member: AAMFT · Black Mental Health Alliance · Space Coast Mental Health Counseling Association · South Florida Association of Christian Counselors · Certified Coaches Federation
Ashley Polynice, Clinical Director & Intern Supervisor
Focus: Trauma & Transitions · EMDR
Ashley leads our clinical team and supervises our associate clinicians and specializes in helping people move through trauma and life’s hardest transitions with EMDR. She specializes in developing an understanding of your current path so that she can guide you while you explore new routes toward a better future. Whether you find yourself in a dead-end or a detour, Ashley takes pride in creating individualized treatment which will uncover optimal solutions within your journey.
Like everyone at Anchor of Hope, Ashley works from one lens — understanding the brain and nervous system beneath the struggle — to help clients regulate, heal, and connect.
Kendi Lambert, Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor
Focus: Trauma · EMDR · Parent Skills
Kendi believes that therapy should provide a deep sense of safety, allowing you to embrace your therapeutic experience with honesty and authenticity. She utilizes curiosity as a passageway to connection. Kendi understands that each individual’s story is sacred and unique, requiring gentle, yet purpose driven dialogue to open the door to healing. While leaning upon her training and clinical skills, she uses creativity to develop a customized plan to help you achieve your therapeutic goals. She collaborates with clients to ensure growth. After all, growth leads to change that allows you to heal, break unhealthy cycles, and discover a richer, more meaningful and purpose-driven life.
Like everyone at Anchor of Hope, Kendi works from one lens — understanding the brain and nervous system beneath the struggle — to help clients regulate, heal, and connect.
Dr. Meridith Gould, Founder of Let’s Make Peace
Focus: Girls and Adults - Groups & Workshops
Dr. Meridith Gould is a leading voice in girls’ social and emotional development and resiliency with more than 25 years of experience. She has expertise in psycho-educational support for girls and young women. She is dedicated to helping girls and young women through inclusive, trauma-informed, resiliency-based, girl-centered & culturally responsive care and support.
Clients (select list): UNICEF, USAID, Boys & Girls Club, The King Center, Cool Girls, Girl's Inc, White Buffalo Calf Women's Society, Private & Public Schools in DC, NY, FL, GA, SC, and WI, School Districts (Miami, PBC, Broward), Mental Health Counselors/Therapists.
Like everyone at Anchor of Hope, Kendi works from one lens — understanding the brain and nervous system beneath the struggle — to help clients regulate, heal, and connect.
Courtney King, Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern
Focus: Adults, Teens, Anxiety, Depression, Substance Abuse, On-line Only
Credentials: MA in Mental Health Counseling, Substance Abuse Counseling
Like everyone at Anchor of Hope, Kendi works from one lens — understanding the brain and nervous system beneath the struggle — to help clients regulate, heal, and connect.
However you come to us — and whichever clinician you meet — you’re not choosing between several different practices. You’re choosing one team, one lens, and one promise: to help you understand what your brain and nervous system are doing, so you can regulate, heal, and connect.
Regulate. Heal. Connect.