Editor Note: This is the second part of a two-part series on Courageous Healing. Read the first part to learn about the start of the organization.
Everything Courageous Healing does, it’s done with intention.
Aaron and Janell Lane, Co-founders of Courageous Healing, knew they had to be intentional when they transitioned their attention from working full-time in corporate America to the ministry work they had been called to do.
“We are both problem solvers. I’m a strategic thinker and Aaron is a visionary. The creativity that exists between us is what led us to trying to solve these complex issues that we kept seeing play out in the community over and over again,” Janell said.
From the color of the paint on the walls, to the way they dress, to the way they interact with their clients, everything is done to eliminate any power differential and create a safe space for anyone to come to.
That intentionality was started from the onset of the organization. Janell and Aaron wanted Courageous Healing to be a place where even the most underserved, marginalized population groups feel welcomed, seen, heard, and valued. “For us, it was necessary to be creative and strategic with how we ensure that we meet people where they are and do right by the people we’re trying to reach,” Aaron said. “We decided to shift things from a for-profit to a non-profit in order to get grants and funding to close existing service gaps in our community.”
When an individual or family walks into Courageous Healing, they want them to feel their personal walls or barriers can come down. The Lanes’ approach to running their organization is centered on eliminating barriers, including everything from how people dress to where they are on their faith journeys. Janell emphasized Courageous Healing is not faith-based but faith-lead.
“As it pertains to faith, you can believe whatever you believe and still come here. We just ask that you be yourself and allow us to be ourselves, and we just so happen to believe (in God),” Janell said.
Clothing can also be an unanticipated and often overlooked barrier. For that reason, the staff is welcome to wear what makes them feel like their authentic selves. They want to represent what mental health services can look like and feel like.
Aaron shared, “It’s about just showing up authentically who we are. We wear sweat suits, Jordans, and Air Maxes because we know when clients come through our door, there’s a better chance of them feeling safe and building connection if we show them that we are just people, connecting with people.”
Aaron and Janell each carry their own caseloads to ensure they still have the pulse on trends in mental health and urgent priorities in our community. They see positive shifts in how mental health is talked about in our region.
“I think there are more people seeking services than ever because mental health has become a lot less taboo. I think a lot of the efforts that many of us in the industry have been making over the years to help decrease the stigma are working,” Janell said.
With more people seeking services, the demand for places like Courageous Healing has increased quite a bit over the last four years.
Courageous Healing offers a wide variety of services including, interventions, support groups for moms, family sessions, and spa services. They do community events like Therapist Night Live, an evening event where participants can engage with therapists, asking general questions about life, mental health, and therapy. They are planning on doing this event again this summer with an intentional focus on relationships.
While the organization continues to grow and is being pulled into different directions, the focus for this year is continued stabilization. They want to ensure their financial model is sustainable over time with an ever-changing field and social and political climate.
“For us, we want to make sure that we have a solid foundation at home because it’s home,” Janell said. “We want to make sure it’s done right.”
