SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Update March 14:
A Different Path announced all of its free therapy session slots for the month of March have been booked. Founding director Ahisha Lewis said people can check back in April for low-cost pricing.
Original Story:
A Sacramento-area nonprofit is fighting mental health stigma, one free therapy session at a time.
During the month of March, A Different Path, a Black women-led nonprofit, is offering up to three free, 45 minute sessions to those who sign up, according to its Facebook page.
Ahisha Lewis, the founding director of the organization, said she hopes the zero-cost sessions will encourage more people to seek support for their mental health needs and overcome their own personal barriers.
"There's this stigma in our communities- Black and Brown communities, underserved communities- that mental health is wrong," Lewis said. "We have to purge a lot of these traumas because in our older years, it comes out in strokes, in high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer."
A Different Path serves to educate people on topics surrounding mental health, addiction and trauma experiences that impact low-income and underprivileged populations that are currently or possibly at risk, according to its page.
Lewis said in addition to mental health stigma, she's aware of the lack of access to mental health resources in many communities across Northern California. She even experienced her own struggles seeking therapy as a mental health specialist.
"I have the vocabulary, the knowledge and know-how. And I still faced challenges navigating the system," Lewis said. "It should not be that hard for us to get something that we need that is so important to our survival."
Through the free therapy sessions, Lewis said people will be able to learn coping skills, understand triggers and bias, and narrate their own story.
"That's the outcome of therapy, giving power to yourself. Because somewhere along the line, it's been taken," Lewis said. "So take it back. That's all therapy teaches you. To take it back."
If you're interested, you can fill out a Google form that requires basic information, such as your name and phone number. You will then be able to schedule your first session. The sessions will be provided through March 31.
A Different Path also provides other services such as life coaching, which covers topics such as relationships, financial awareness, parenting and legal matters.
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