Helping Overcome the Stigmas of Mental Heath

Helping Overcome the Stigmas of Mental Heath. Holistic wellness services

WRITTEN BY SARAH SMITH

Carve Your Own Path, Inc. envisions a world where mental health stigma is a non-issue. Individuals will seek wellness services without fear of judgment, therefore, being able to utilize skills to empower future generations with the autonomy to manage their own health needs.

Carve Your Own Path Inc. is a private, not-for-profit 501(c)3 providing evidence-based, trauma-informed, diversity-celebrating holistic wellness services and professional education and consultation services.

Founder and President Amanda Kostura, a supervising independent social worker, worked in nonprofit social service organizations for over 10 years throughout her social work education and licensing process.

Throughout this time, she experienced and witnessed very nonhuman-focused practices happening in a human service delivery process.

“I felt many of these workplace cultures and policies did not align with the values, ethics and standards of my profession, nor did they support healing through a traumainformed lens. With a long-time dream of opening a holistic wellness center and my lessthan-great experiences, I decided to become a founder of a nonprofit organization with a vow to do it differently,” Kostura said. “My hopes with Carve Your Own Path Inc. are to normalize mental health and emotions as part of the human experience. I want to de-stigmatize going to therapy for support when needed, making this as normal as going to your primary doctor when you’re not feeling well. We have made an impact on our community through education and validation of normal emotional responses to life’s transitions, celebrations and challenges.”

Founded in November 2018, the organization has three employees offering unique approaches to wellness and healing — from art therapy to yoga, and breathwork approaches.

The practice specializes in treating the whole person from a mind-body perspective for conditions including, but not limited to, anxiety, depression, trauma, chronic pain/chronic illness, life transitions, selfesteem and more. The group prides itself in being a traumainformed, LGBTQ+ affirming and anti-oppression-informed practice. Current service offerings include mental health counseling, consisting of talk therapy, art therapy and embodied therapy, professional training and consultation, community education and workshops, and holistic wellness services.

“We believe each person has capabilities to live a fulfilled life through empowerment and support,” added Kostura. “We believe in giving folks the emotional regulation, communication and other emotional wellness tools needed to manage a life they were not taught.”

“I have been working on and off with Amanda for over four years. She is incredibly knowledgeable and thinks outside the box more than any other therapist I’ve known. She has truly changed my life for the better. I struggle to put into words how profound I feel my personal growth has been over the past few years. She has helped to guide me through this journey, and I will forever be grateful for that.” (name has been redacted to protect client confidentiality).

Carve Your Own Path has strategically chosen not to accept insurance. The group finds it creates more barriers and challenges to accessing individualized and specialized treatment services to target root causes for symptoms. In alignment with its mission as a nonprofit to provide accessible, affordable services to all, the organization offers a sliding fee scale based on gross annual income and can also offer a superbill for clients to use outof-network insurance benefits.

Financial donations are the organization’s primary need. Donations can be made by check to Carve Your Own Path, Inc. or via Venmo: http://www.venmo. com/carveyourownpathofficial. Carve Your Own Path regularly requests specific items needed for upcoming community events, workshops, or services. Follow Carve Your Own Path on Instagram or Facebook or by joining the email list to be notified of these requests. The group also has a podcast, Grow Your Path to Wellness and a vlog on YouTube.

Carve Your Own Path, Inc., is located at 840 Rothrock Road, Suite 203, Copley. More information can be found at www.carvemypath.org or by calling 330-426-7885.