Meet OUr
founder & facilitators
Nakeba O. McKoy - Founder
Certified Mental Health First Aid USA
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Nakeba founded Push Past Pain Past Support Group after receiving numerous comments, messages, requests, and suggestions to start a support group in response to her disclosure and display of traumas she encountered throughout her life, as well as the need for this platform for others to do the same. From her experience, she realized that there were only focused support groups and not just one that can adhere to or include multiple traumas one might of experienced.
Hence, the Push Past Past Pain Multi Trauma support group was born.
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Nakeba's story briefly touches on her fear-based disorder called Autophobia (fear of being alone), being a survivor of rape, dealing with long-term mental/emotional abuse from a relationship as well as a domestic incident, making the unavoidable decision to abort her pregnancy at 16 weeks due to her baby having a very rare disorder called Anencephaly, coping with the grief of loved ones, and finally figuring out what it meant to find herself again.
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Her story not only demonstrated to the public her ability to be strong, open, vulnerable, and bold, but it also served as a testament to the lessons she learned and the silver lining she discovered in her pain in order to heal. She hoped that her experiences would inspire and motivate others in similar situations. Most importantly, Nakeba wanted to honor her faith, which helped her get through it all, along with the support of her friends and family.
As a certified mental health first aid, Nakeba is trained to provide initial help to people experiencing mental health problems such as depression, anxiety disorders, psychosis and substance use disorders. Her day to day work includes her entrepreneurial pursuits and her 9-5 as a Financial Aid Counselor at Pace University, where she is also an alumna and received her Master's degree in Higher Education Administration and Student Affairs, class of 2022.
Nakeba enjoys listening to Soca music in her free time and serves as a music promotion ambassador as it relates to the West Indian/Caribbean culture. She also enjoys decorating, spending time with her dogs and friends, wining & dining at various restaurants, doing adventurous activities, traveling, helping people, and supporting her church where she is a member at Hope City Church in Brooklyn, NY.
3 words to describe me: Loving, Animated & Resilient
In her free time, Chantel enjoys taking part in outreach programs, traveling, and spending time with loved ones. After encountering her fair share of first-hand experiences with life's struggles and setbacks, she took the necessary steps to rediscover and renew herself. She aspires to expand her pursuits by helping others navigate through their own restoration process by focusing on the growth, healing, and empowerment of women as a Lead Facilitator at Push Past, Past Pain multi-trauma support group.
3 words to describe me: Fun-loving, Thoughtful & Affectionate
Chantel Peters — Lead Facilitator
Having had the opportunity to live in multiple different regions of the country, Chantel gained a deep interest in the patterns of human behavior and societal influence. As a Christian, she found peace and purpose in serving others since childhood. Her interests in human behavior and passion for people have culminated in over 10 years of volunteer experience with various organizations, including global missionary work.
In addition to serving others, she is passionate about healthcare. She plans to use her educational pursuits as a Bioinformatician to help develop and enhance healthcare treatment options for immunocompromised patients.
Tiffany Herbert — Lead Facilitator
Curator and Founder of BLACK WELLNESS AFFAIR ®
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Tiffany Herbert is a Black Mental Health Advocate. Through her initiative the “BLACK WELLNESS AFFAIR ®”, she aims to raise awareness and funds for the black community, whom lacks support from the majority of society in regards to black mental health & wellness. The goal is to have a safe space to help educate, fundraise, and donate to help those in need.
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“Talking about Mental Health is the new Black”, Tiffany looks to start those hard conversations and share stories that help grow and build up one another instead of suffering in silence.
With this platform, along with BWA, Tiffany hopes to shed some light & erase some of the stigma against mental health in the black community.
In pursuit of peace and happiness, Tiffany enjoys activities that will stimulate her growth and alleviate stress such as dancing, hiking, bike riding, painting outdoors and car karaoke. She cherishes spending time with friends and family whether it’s vacationing or celebrating each other’s lives. She strives to stay centered and maintain balance through this personal accomplishment called LIFE.
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3 words to describe me: Compassionate, Creative & Adventurous