"In isolation we suffer,
In relationship we heal"
 Heather Gerhart

When I got into this work, the profession of marriage and family therapy, all I wanted was to have a humble private practice where I could help people who want to be helped, encourage people who need and want encouragement, and be a bridge to healing for people who want that.

All I wanted was to do that quietly in a safe space, and then go home and spend time with my family, loving them well and continue creating a life that I wanted to be in.

My hearts desire is, was, and always has been to be a resource to people— an available and accessible resource. I have worked hard to provide therapy to the community at a rate that is affordable, keeping it accessible to anyone who needs and wants it. It didn’t take long for me to experience the massive hurdles that exist inside of that desire. So many times I would encounter people who were uninsured or under-insured. Beyond that, over and over again, I encountered people who were having trouble finding someone they knew they could trust. People who were referred to me but couldn’t pay. I found myself reducing my rate because if I didn’t, these people to put it quite simply, would not be helped. Not because I am the only one who can help them, but because they didn’t have the capacity to keep reaching out pursuing potential resources, they didn’t have an advocate to help them navigate the complexities that stood in between them and access to the  healing care they needed. They didn't have access in their own minds to the part of their brain that organizes, plans, and executes a plan because the impact of their trauma blocked that. It took all they had to reach out to me and I couldn’t let them go.

I began to realize through my own burnout that I could not survive doing this alone. I needed partners. I needed financial compensation that would allow for my own continued health, growth and development so I could continue to be there for others. I began to realize that my vision from the beginning was entirely too small. And to put it quite simply, not enough.

I was not willing to say No to the people I entered this profession to help.
Small was not sufficient.
Alone was not sustainable.
Quiet ceased to be an option.

My heart bled—

Start a nonprofit, God said
I was nauseated 

by my own fears and insecurities…
And yet, 

I could not stop lamenting 

over every person I noticed, 

this nonprofit is for them, 

though not ready yet.

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