Twin Cities Mental Health Company Brings Therapy to Public Spaces for Mental Health Awareness Month
Key Highlights :
Mental health is an important issue that affects many people, and in May, it is especially important to recognize Mental Health Awareness Month. In the Twin Cities, one mental health company is doing its part to bring attention to the issue by bringing traditional therapy office space to public spaces throughout Minneapolis.
Ellie Mental Health is a Twin Cities-based mental health company that is taking part in an outreach effort to bring therapy to public spaces. As part of the program, dubbed “Therapy Couches in the Wild," the company has already visited Walker Sculpture Garden, Lake of the Isles, and the Kingfield Farmers Market. According to Erin Pash, the company’s Founder and CEO, the goal of the program is to make mental health resources more accessible and to provide a safe and welcoming space for anyone who needs it.
Pash explains that despite increased mental health awareness in recent years, actual resources can be difficult to come by in some cases. In other instances, it’s hard to know where to begin. “Whether it’s stigma preventing them from feeling like they can ask for help, maybe it’s miseducation – they don’t know what it means," Pash said. "Maybe they just don’t have resources and can’t find a place that covers their insurance. People don’t reach out for a lot of various reasons.”
In addition to setting up traditional therapy couches in public spaces, Ellie Mental Health also brings mental health professionals to discuss outreach and resources to anyone interested. This gives people the opportunity to learn more about mental health and to get the help they need. The company will continue to host “in the wild” events throughout the month, with a couch set up outside First Avenue in downtown Minneapolis Tuesday from 5-8 p.m.
Mental health awareness is an important issue, and it’s great to see companies like Ellie Mental Health taking steps to make mental health resources more accessible. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues, reach out and get the help you need.
