At In His Image Culinary Wellness, we believe the kitchen can be more than a place to cook — it can be a place to heal. What began as one mother’s journey through grief has become a community of hope, connection, and restoration.

 

   In His Image Culinary Wellness was born out of unimaginable loss. After losing two of her sons to suicide seven years apart, founder Chef LaShawnda Holmes walked through a season of grief that felt isolating, heavy, and at times unbearable. She often felt like a plague was upon her family, carrying shame, exhaustion, and the desire to give up.

 

   In the midst of her pain, she turned to cooking — at first as a way to stay occupied, sometimes overeating, simply trying to fill the emptiness. But over time, she discovered something unexpected: the kitchen became a place of comfort, peace, and even joy. Cooking transformed from survival into healing.

 

   Guided by both faith and formal training, Chef LaShawnda combined her culinary education from the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts with more than 20+ years of experience in child welfare and mental health, including crisis intervention, suicide prevention, and community-based support. Through this work, she witnessed the deep need for spaces that integrate emotional wellness with practical, hands-on healing.

 

   Today, In His Image Culinary Wellness exists to create safe, welcoming spaces where hurting hearts can heal. Through mindful cooking, therapeutic workshops, and shared meals, Chef LaShawnda and her team turn kitchens into places of hope, connection, and wholeness — proving that healing is possible, one meal at a time.