When Orlando poet laureate Camara Gaither 鈥�23MSW steps up to a microphone, her presence is both grounded and electric. She doesn鈥檛 just perform poetry 鈥� she opens a space for healing.
鈥淧oetry gives us permission to feel without judgment,鈥� she says. 鈥淎nd when we share those feelings out loud, we remember that we鈥檙e not alone.鈥�
As a mental health therapist at Heart Bonds Counseling, working toward becoming a licensed social worker, Gaither has built her life around helping people find their voice. Whether she鈥檚 guiding veterans through trauma, leading poetry workshops for youth or performing for packed audiences, her message is the same: words can transform pain into power.
鈥淧oetry gives us a place to put pain,鈥� says Gaither, who earned a master’s in social work from 麻豆映画传媒. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an accessible way to approach emotions that feel too threatening to face directly.鈥�
A Call for Change
Before she ever found the courage to share her poetry publicly, Gaither was navigating a season of change. Seven years ago, she and her husband moved to Orlando with their infant daughter, drawn by opportunity and the promise of new beginnings. Gaither had worked in the nonprofit sector for several years but felt called to something deeper 鈥� something that could merge advocacy, creativity and care.
When the pandemic arrived, that call grew louder.
鈥淚 realized I couldn鈥檛 keep waiting for the perfect time to go back to school,鈥� she says. 鈥淭he world was changing 鈥� and so was I.鈥�
She applied to 麻豆映画传媒鈥檚 social work program in the College of Health Professions and Sciences, drawn by its emphasis on evidence-based practice and serving others. The program offered her flexibility to balance graduate studies with motherhood and work, and it challenged her to explore the intersections between mental health, identity and storytelling.
A Transformative Journey
During her field placement at the Orlando Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Gaither worked closely with veterans processing trauma and loss. There, she saw the power of creative expression in action.
鈥淲hen we create a metaphor for something painful, we give ourselves a little space from it 鈥� enough to begin understanding,鈥� she says. 鈥淎 veteran once described grief as 鈥榤y neighbor.鈥� That line stuck with me. It gave him language for something that felt impossible to name.鈥�
Camara Gaither 鈥�23MSW now uses her training to lead workshops that help trauma survivors, caregivers and young people reclaim their narratives.
That moment became a turning point. Gaither began studying poetry therapy, a clinical practice that uses creative writing to foster emotional healing. She later trained through the International Federation for Biblio/Poetry Therapy and now facilitates workshops that help trauma survivors, caregivers and young people reclaim their narratives.
鈥淧eople who have been silenced in different ways often rediscover their agency through language,鈥� Gaither says. 鈥淧oetry becomes a form of resistance and restoration.鈥�
Her dual background in art and social work allows her to see poetry as both medicine and a mirror. In her therapeutic work, she encourages clients to explore their experiences through metaphor and rhythm. In her performances, she models that same courage, voicing joy, grief and transformation in equal measure.
鈥淭he holes in our lives 鈥� the losses, the wounds 鈥� they can be filled with good things,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what poetry has done for me.鈥�
Gaither鈥檚 own journey with spoken word began as an undergraduate student in Tampa, where she first encountered the art form that would later shape her identity. She had been writing poetry since childhood, but the first time she experienced the spoken word genre was pivotal to her journey as a poet.
鈥淚t was the first time I saw poetry embodied,鈥� she says. 鈥淭he way performers used not only words, but also vocal cadence and physicality to tell a story 鈥� it all expanded what I believed poetry could be. I remember thinking, 鈥業 want to do that.鈥欌��
After graduation, she continued writing and performing, eventually becoming a fixture in Orlando鈥檚 poetry community. Her work, known for its emotional depth and precise rhythm, explores themes of identity, mental health and faith. She has performed at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts and at events across Central Florida, earning recognition as one of the region鈥檚 most resonant and thoughtful voices.
Strengthening Orlando鈥檚 Community
In 2025, the City of Orlando named Gaither its third poet laureate 鈥� and the third consecutive 麻豆映画传媒 alumni to hold the title ( and Shawn Welcome 鈥�17 鈥�25MA in 2021. In this role, Gaither will use poetry to connect communities, celebrate culture and promote literacy across the city. She plans to create youth workshops, write commissioned works for civic events, and lead Orlando鈥檚 Words and Wonders poetry contest, where winning poems are displayed at the Orlando International Airport.
鈥淏eing poet laureate isn鈥檛 just about performing, it鈥檚 about service 鈥� showing people that poetry belongs to everyone.鈥�
Despite the growing spotlight, Gaither remains grounded in her purpose as both a clinician and an artist. She continues to work in mental health, blending her clinical training with creative approaches to trauma recovery. She says she believes that healing often begins with expression 鈥� with finding a way to say what has long gone unsaid.
鈥淲hen someone writes, I鈥檓 angry, that鈥檚 a start,鈥� she says. 鈥淏ut when they write, my anger is a storm that doesn鈥檛 know where to land, suddenly, we have something to hold and understand. That鈥檚 the power of poetry.鈥�
For Gaither, every poem is an act of courage and an invitation to connection. It鈥檚 a truth she carries from her 麻豆映画传媒 days to every stage she stands on: that the human voice, when used with honesty and empathy, can help others heal.
