Ariel Brooks is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who holds master’s degrees in both Social Work and Pan-African Studies. She believes that every client is an individual living within a larger system that impacts their well-being, and that change must happen on multiple levels to truly improve someone's quality of life. Though she enjoys working with all ages and presenting issues, Ariel specializes in work with adolescents, the LGBTQ community, and victims of racial oppression. She believes that improving a client's confidence and sense of safety is a crucial part of the therapeutic process.

She began her professional journey working with families experiencing homelessness, before doing state-level policy and advocacy work as an intern at the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky. Ariel then moved on to working with adolescent young men living in psychiatric residential treatment facilities and home-based therapy for families. Ariel managed the Outreach program for Louisville’s young adults experiencing homelessness at YMCA Safe Place Services. As a local expert, she partnered with multiple services within the city to identify, case manage, and house individuals and families who lacked a stable place to live. She is proud of her work on the 100 Day Challenge to End Young Adult Homelessness whose mission was to house 100 young adults in 100 days. Her primary role on the project was to locate and document a hundred youth ages 18-24 years old who desired a home in shelters, homeless camps, and on the streets. She returned to clinical social work to provide therapy to adolescents during inpatient psychiatric care.

Ariel joined Mandala House in 2020 to pursue her wish to work with a diverse range of ages, presenting issues, and clinical challenges in the outpatient setting. Though she specializes in the queer community, Black women, and animal care workers, she is excited to work with anyone that wants to rediscover their true and happiest form.

Ariel is a native of Radcliff, Kentucky, and moved to Louisville in 2011 to pursue her higher education. She earned a bachelor’s degree in American Sign Language interpreting at Eastern Kentucky University, followed by master’s degrees in Social Work and Pan-African Studies at the University of Louisville. She lives with her partner and 3 rescue dogs and enjoys collecting children’s books and paper crafting.