Today’s Small Business of the Day features an interview with Allison Brownlee. Please find our conversation below.
We’re so inspired by the hard work and creativity of the small businesses that serve as the engines of our communities. Thank you so much for taking the risk and doing what you do. Before we go any further we’d love for you to tell our readers a bit about Stronger Together Community Services.
STCS is a nonprofit mental health agency. We provide a safe and inclusive environment for everyone on their journey to wellness. We understand the stigma that often surrounds seeking mental health services, and we provide individualized services to overcome the barriers so people in our community can reach their full potential. Through empowerment, growth, and building connections, we believe that together, we can thrive.
STCS fills essential gaps in the mental health field. The gap we fill is twofold: low fee services and therapy that is effective. We prioritize serving low-income and underinsured clients, which means they are given fees as low as $30/session, and we even see some clients pro bono. Often times community-based mental health agencies provide lower fees and unfortunately lower quality services – we bridge that gap in our community. Our clients see the benefit of therapy at STCS because their therapists are providing individualized, trauma-informed, and compassionate care from models of therapy that are shown to be effective. We help people lower their anxiety, reduce their symptoms of depression, build confidence, decrease relationship distress, and increase overall joy and happiness. Mental health should not come at a cost that people cannot afford; we should not have to exchange our financial stability for emotional wellness, and STCS supports that in our mission, vision, and practices on a daily basis.
What is your favorite service offering and why?
One of the parts of STCS that I am MOST proud of is our commitment to building safe spaces for women by reducing the power differential between women clients and their therapists. I developed a “Women’s Empowerment Retreat” that is held at least four times over the course of the year and has grown from a consistent group of three participants to a consistent group of 30 women who come together to heal in the community. We have two very unique aspects of the Women’s Empowerment Retreats: First, our facilitators lead and participate in the activities. This is a direct representation of our values in action. We come to this healing space in vulnerable ways, demonstrating that we are human too and that we understand what it is like to feel disempowered, anxious, and suffering from low self-worth. As we share, we co create a space where our participants feel validated, less alone, and comfortable to share their own experiences. We prioritize client healing through our own vulnerability, modeling healing practices, and providing hope for change.
The second unique quality of our retreat is our commitment to the mind/body connection and using our bodies in ways that may have been previously minimized, dismissed, or disowned. We challenge messages that “women are not strong” or “my body cannot do that” and “there is no way I can do that” by offering activities like stand-up paddleboarding in our local bay. At every event we have held at least one woman has had a healing breakthrough after learning that their body CAN overcome mental limits and they ARE stronger than their trauma told them they were. This is a magical experience and one that is so profound for our team, the group, individuals, and myself as a leader. I feel honored to be in this sacred space and heal WITH our clients as we encounter challenges and healing moments in the community. These moments embody my mission, vision, and passion for the work we do and to be able to offer a space for both the clients and therapists to heal is truly a gift.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://strongertogethersd.org
- Instagram: @strongertogether_sd
