Cultivate Your Essence (CYE) is a culturally responsive mental health and wellness company dedicated to helping Black women and women of color become Healed, Evolved, and Restored. Founded in 2018, CYE provides virtual therapy across Illinois and Georgia, creating affirming spaces where women can address their mental health, navigate life transitions, heal from difficult experiences, and cultivate healthier, more fulfilling lives. Beyond individual care, CYE extends its mission through corporate wellness, speaking, and educational programming designed to challenge cultures of survival and promote sustainable well-being. At its core, CYE exists because women deserve more than simply functioning—they deserve the support and space to truly thrive.

Lauren Michelle Jackson is a licensed mental health therapist, entrepreneur, speaker, and founder of Cultivate Your Essence, a culturally responsive mental health and wellness company created to ensure
Black women and women of color have spaces where they feel seen, supported, and empowered to thrive.

Since founding Cultivate Your Essence in 2018, Lauren has grown her vision into a multi-state practice serving Illinois and Georgia while expanding her impact through speaking, leadership development, and corporate wellness. Her entrepreneurial journey has shaped her belief that success should not require women to abandon themselves in the process.

Through her signature body of work, The Art of Becoming, Lauren blends clinical expertise, cultural understanding, entrepreneurship, and storytelling to help high-achieving women move beyond survival, reclaim their wholeness, and become Healed, Evolved, and Restored. A 2025 Tory Burch Foundation Fellow, she is building a broader platform that challenges women and organizations to reimagine wellness, leadership, and what it truly means to thrive.