The Power of Community: Creating Connections That Matter
As a practice, we place a high value on meaningful and authentic relationships. Over the years, this effort has naturally evolved into finding and creating spaces for genuine community. These efforts extend into all kinds of relationships, including inter-professional networks, local neighborhood collaborations, training and workshop offerings, low-fee/easy-entry therapeutic offerings, and more. After a few years of particular investment in these areas of our practice, we have decided to officially add "community" to our list of core values. Here’s a little more about why…
Why Community?
Most of us know firsthand that loneliness is a common experience in modern American life. With the hustle of work, the pressures of digital connections, and the fast pace of society, it’s easy for people to feel disconnected. This sense of isolation can deeply impact mental health and well-being, often making the world feel vast and impersonal.
Being part of a group practice means that doing this work together is already important to each of us here at Spaces. As a team, we value knowing each other well. We check in on hard days, get coffee, consult, and root for each other's general well-being. Doing this work together makes the experience richer and more supportive.
Collective support fosters a sense of belonging—something that we recognize is essential for everyone. We’ve found that it does something extra for us to cultivate this kind of community beyond the walls of our practice too. Most simply, this means creating and maintaining spaces where individuals can find connection, share experiences, and grow together.
Community, at its core, offers us the opportunity to be seen and heard, to not only exist, but to thrive. By fostering connections that extend beyond the traditional client-therapist relationship, we create an environment where individuals can lean into shared experiences, form meaningful bonds, and collectively rise through challenges. This sense of togetherness is more than just support—it’s empowerment.
How Do We Foster It?
At Spaces, we make a deliberate effort to cultivate community in several key ways, both professionally and personally. We believe that strong communities are built on trust, empathy, and mutual respect. Here's how we incorporate that into our daily practice:
Professionally On a professional level, we are committed to hosting opportunities to gather, participating in collaborations, and supporting the work of our colleagues as often as possible. Here are some examples:
Healer’s Hang: Twice a year, we host an event called Healer’s Hang, where we invite anyone in the healing profession to come, grab a glass of wine, and connect. It’s a laid-back atmosphere designed to foster community and offer opportunities for networking, mentorship, and support.
Collaborative Workshops: We love participating in collaborative workshops and educational offering like “About Desire…” and “Wired for Connection: A Neurodivergent Couple’s Event.” These workshops allow us to work alongside like-minded professionals to provide deeper connections, insight, and healing for our clients and participants.
Continuing Education (CE): As a CE provider, we are dedicated to supporting therapists and trainers with professional development opportunities. By offering these events, we’re fostering a culture of growth and collaboration among professionals who are committed to their own journeys as well as the growth of their clients.
Spaces Wellness: Our sister-business, Spaces Wellness, has opened doors for even more community-building by bringing together various trauma-informed and consent-driven wellness providers to use the space and serve the community.
More Than Therapy: Accessibility and Connection
At Spaces, accessibility to services is something we care deeply about. We understand that for many, starting therapy can feel intimidating or out of reach. That’s why we’ve created offerings that are low-commitment, low-fee, and easy to try out, making it easier for individuals to step into something that could truly improve their lives.
We offer a variety of workshops, groups, and programs to meet people where they are:
Workshops: These sessions provide accessible, bite-sized ways to dive into self-development without the pressure of long-term commitments.
Groups: We facilitate support groups around subjects like ADHD, grief, anxiety, and motherhood. Groups are low-fee and create a sense of belonging and understanding, where people can share their experiences and heal together.
Good Mother: Our Good Mother initiative is one of our most beloved offerings, aimed at providing support and connection for mothers at all stages of their journey. This program provides a space for individuals to find solidarity and empathy as they navigate their own experiences of motherhood. We host a monthly meetup for moms and then another for dads and have a Substack and blog with additional support.
Final Thoughts
Community is more than just a support system—it’s a catalyst for growth and healing, it's a resource when times are hard, it’s a well of comfort, and a pillar of support. By fostering spaces where people can connect, we create environments that promote togetherness, understanding, and collective development. Whether it's a professional collaboration, a therapeutic group, or an event where individuals can just come together and chat, every gathering serves a purpose.
In the end, community is not just about being surrounded by others—it’s about truly belonging and being seen for who you are. We are proud to have community as one of our core values at Spaces, and we’re excited to continue creating opportunities that bring people together.