BIO
Lakshmy Parameswaran was born in 1948 in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, India. Tamil is her first language. She came to the U.S, in 1973 with her husband, first living in Detroit, Michigan; Flint, Michigan from '74 to '77, then Sandusky, Michigan from '77 to '81. Lakshmy moved to Houston in 1981, and has been living here for thirty years. She moved to Houston because of the oil boom, warm weather, cultural diversity, and the stellar reputation of the Texas Medical Center. She earned her Master's degree in Family Therapy at the University of Houston Clear Lake. Her first job was as a preschool teacher at Beth Israel Pre-School, which she began at age twenty-six. Today, she is a self-employed counselor, specializing in domestic violence and sexual assault. She works part time and is also a community volunteer. Lakshmy founded Daya, Inc., which serves South Asian victims of family violence. She is also a board member for Houston Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (HAMFT). She has held gender-based violence workshops, and published work in the Houston Chronicle and Texas Psychologist. She has also appeared on ABC TV programs to speaking about domestic violence. Lakshmy has two children.