Hi, I’m Dr. Lushanya Echeverria, Practice Manager.
Refuge resonates with the core of who I am, where I come from, and what I have dedicated my life to.
As an Indigenous, Two-Spirit, trauma-informed educator and community leader, I’ve spent the last two decades creating spaces where marginalized people feel seen, valued, and empowered. Refuge’s commitment to BIPOC healing, LGBTQIA2 inclusion and holistic community care, aligns deeply with both my lived experience and my lifelong work.
After years of building programs, navigating systems, and stewarding community healing through crisis and change, I am ready to root my work within an organization that embodies the values I practice—slowness, accountability, cultural grounding, and collective care. Refuge feels like a natural next home for my leadership and service.
Ultimately, I work for Refuge because it represents the kind of community I believe in: intentional, relational, culturally resonant, and rooted in dignity—a place where healing is lived, not just envisioned.
My Role
What's the most important "thing" you will do/cultivate/instill as Practice Manager?
As Practice Manager, I nurture the relational and operational practices that make care, accountability, and shared healing real in daily work. Refuge’s relationship-centered approach resonates with my belief that health is safety, belonging, dignity, and cultural grounding. I am committed to fostering trust and connection with clients and practitioners, dismantling systemic and insurance barriers, and holding space for healing that centers the voices of those most impacted. My goal is to ensure care is not just delivered—but felt, shared, and transformative.
What does liberation mean to you?
For me, relationship-centered, culturally anchored practice is a form of liberation—cultivating the self, honoring identity, and nurturing agency. Refuge embodies this vision: intentional, relational, culturally resonant, and rooted in dignity—a home where my skills, teachings, and experience can contribute to shared healing and thriving for Vermont communities.