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About
Valorie Evans, LMSW, CST, CPS-M
Owner/ Lead Therapist
Ms. Valorie Evans, LMSW is the lead Clinical Social Worker/Therapist at Upsurge. Ms. Evans has worked with individuals, families, couples and groups over the past 20 years providing guidance and support to help resolve issues causing discomfort.​ Ms. Evans graduated from Marygrove College in 2005 with a Bachelors in Social Work and from Wayne State University in 2007 with a Masters in Social Work. She is a fully licensed Clinical Social Worker with the State of Michigan (License #6801089854).
Ms. Evans worked at a non-profit Organization in Southwest Detroit for 10 years as the Director of Prevention Services working with youth and families in various capacities. After recognizing that many Children and Families of Color mental health needs were not being met she decided to start Upsurge! Ms. Evans has been a faculty instructor at Wayne State University since 2015 helping to prepare future Social Workers. She teaches courses in Social Work Practice and Cognitive Behavior Therapy.
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Ms. Evans has also worked contractually since 2016 providing counseling to individuals and families with open Child Protective Services (CPS) cases, pregnant and parenting girls and women, and other vulnerable populations. Ms. Evans has been successful in helping alleviate symptoms with individuals experiencing addiction, depression, anxiety, trauma, grief and loss, hyperactivity, and much more.
Erin Lyons, LMSW
Therapist
Erin works with individuals, couples and groups providing a comfortable and calming space to work out life’s challenges. Many individuals come in with patterns of behavior that can be difficult to escape. The pressures of modern society creates unique challenges. Our clients need a space to work out these stresses, anxieties and addictive patterns. Many clients work on strengthening their identity, emotional balance, acceptance in relationships and individual growth.
Erin offers a variety of healing methods: holistic therapy, storytelling, spiritual work, family and cognitive therapies. Erin combines methods to support the clearing of anything that keeps you from experiencing your true self. Erin will work with you to heal the parts that have been holding you back. Great job reaching out for support, getting on your path of healing and growing your strengths! We look forward to working with you!
Erin Lyons is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker graduated from Wayne State University with an Undergraduate Degree in Social Work, 2019 and a Graduate degree in Social Work, 2020. Erin has a broad range of experience working in Community Mental Health, with children, families, and in recovery groups for a variety of addictions.
Jazmyn Bradford, LLMSW
Therapist
Ms. Jazmyn Bradford believes in the power of safe, compassionate, and authentic connection as the foundation for meaningful change. Her therapeutic approach is rooted in empathy, respect, and a genuine desire to understand each person’s unique story. She is committed to creating affirming, client-centered spaces where individuals and families feel heard, valued, and empowered.
Jazmyn is a social change agent with a passion for supporting individuals through life transitions, relationship challenges, anxiety, and stress management. Drawing from both professional training and lived experience, she understands that there is often more beneath the surface than what is immediately visible. This perspective allows her to work holistically, helping clients explore patterns, gain insight, and develop equitable, sustainable strategies for growth.
Jazmyn earned her Bachelor of Social Work from Michigan State University and her Master of Social Work from the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor. Her education and professional background equip her to see the bigger picture in complex situations while honoring each client’s lived reality. Whether clients are navigating daily overwhelm or longstanding patterns they wish to break, Jazmyn meets them where they are with compassion and clarity.
Beyond clinical practice, Jazmyn is a nonprofit consultant through J.B. The Resource Agency, co-founder of the nonprofit Project S.T.E.P., and a life skills coach for Wayne County youth. Her community-based work reinforces her belief that growth happens when individuals are given the tools, support, and understanding needed to recognize their own potential.
If you’re ready to take that first step toward meaningful change, Jazmyn would be honored to walk alongside you on your journey.
Fai Cheleuka, LMSW
Therapist
Ms. Fai Cheleuka, LLMSW is a multifaceted Social Worker with over 13 years of experiences working with individuals, families, couples, groups and organizations. She is passionate about serving, and advocating on behalf of, vulnerable and disenfranchised populations that are further marginalized by unjust processes and systems. Ms. Cheleuka graduated from Oakland Community College in 2008 with an Associate’s in Liberal Arts and again in 2011 with an Associate’s in Mental Health/ Social Work. She continued her education at Oakland University and graduated with her Bachelor’s in Social Work (BSW) in 2015. In 2020 she concluded her graduate studies at Wayne State University, earning a Master’s in Social Work (MSW) with a concentration in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Ms. Cheleuka currently possesses a Limited License with the State of Michigan (License #6801106990) and will be eligible for her full licensure in 2022. In addition, Ms. Cheleuka is the Ambassador of Health for Malawi with World Medical Relief, INC and an active member of the National Associations of Social Workers (NASW) and the American Society of Public Administration (ASPA).
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Ms. Cheleuka has been working with and managing Adult Foster Care (AFC) homes since 2008 and co-founded a medical and mental health clinic in Malawi Africa in 2013. Additionally, she has worked with the 43rd District court in Hazel Park, MI with individuals released from prison on probation, a shelter in Pontiac, Michigan to assist individuals faced with homelessness and other high-risk factors, and within an addiction treatment facility in Waterford, MI primarily with women struggling with a Substance Use Disorder.
Ms. Cheleuka has dedicated her life to serving people and this is where her comfort resides. She has been successful in advocating on behalf of clients, connecting clients to resources, and helping them to resolve individual and systematic problems that prevent them from obtaining their personal goals.
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