With over eight years of experience in clinical social work, I have dedicated my career to supporting children, adolescents, adults, and families through some of life's most challenging moments. My background spans outpatient mental health, family court services, trauma-informed care, custody and adoption evaluations, crisis intervention, and court-involved family services. As the founder of Cultura Care, I am committed to providing culturally responsive, virtual psychotherapy that empowers individuals to heal, grow, and thrive in a safe and supportive environment.

Our founder, Marilennis G. Cruz Tapia, LCSW-C, was born and raised in Montgomery County, Maryland and proudly embraces her Dominican and Puerto Rican heritage. Her culture has shaped who she is, influencing her values, resilience, and the way she connects with others. It is a source of strength, identity, and pride that she carries into every aspect of her work.

The title Cultura Care was chosen intentionally. It honors not only the traditions, languages, and stories that define us, but also the generations who came before us—those whose sacrifices, perseverance, and love created opportunities for us today. Their legacy deserves to be remembered, celebrated, and carried forward.

At the same time, Cultura Care is about every culture. We believe culture extends beyond ethnicity or nationality. It includes our families, values, beliefs, traditions, lived experiences, identities, and the communities that shape us. Every person's story is unique, and every story deserves to be honored with dignity, compassion, and respect.

Whether you come from a different country, a different faith, a different family structure, or a different life experience, you are welcome here. At Cultura Care, we celebrate diversity, embrace authenticity, and strive to create a space where every individual feels safe, valued, and empowered to heal.

Because healing begins when people are cared for—not despite who they are, but because of it.

Clinical Experience & Professional Highlights

• Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW-C) in the state of Maryland since 2018.

• Founder and Psychotherapist at Cultura Care, providing virtual, culturally responsive psychotherapy.

• 2026-2027: Chair on The Commission on Children and Youth; serving the Montgomery County Council & DHHS

• Nominated: 2026 Leading Women Award- WorldPress

• Program Coordinator and Juvenile Social Worker with the Montgomery County Circuit Court, collaborating with Judges, Magistrates, and multidisciplinary teams to support court-involved youth and families.

• Extensive experience conducting biopsychosocial assessments, diagnostic evaluations, treatment planning, and case management.

• Specialized in trauma-informed care, anxiety, depression, family conflict, life transitions, and relationship concerns.

• Experienced in custody evaluations, adoption home studies, supervised visitation, and providing expert testimony in court proceedings.

• Facilitator of youth conflict resolution, co-parenting, psychoeducation, and court-ordered intervention/psychoeducational groups.

• Clinical experience providing individual, family, and group psychotherapy in community mental health settings, including services for survivors of domestic violence.

• Bilingual in English and Spanish, providing culturally responsive care to diverse communities.

• Experienced in supervising and mentoring social work graduate interns and emerging clinicians.

  ALMA MATERS:

  • University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC); Class of 2016

    • Bachelors of Arts: Psychology

  • University of Maryland; Class of 2018

    • Masters Degree: Social Work; Behavioral Mental Health

      o   President of Tau Sigma Honor Society-University of Maryland Baltimore County 2015-2016

      o   Vice President of the Psychology Student Association-University of Maryland Baltimore County 2015-2016

      o   Presidents List Recipient-University of Maryland Baltimore County 2014 to 2016