“Our inability to coexist in the looong range of emotions is unfortunate. We’ve told people that anxiety is not good. Actually, it serves us really well as human beings and we’ve needed a degree of anxiety to be able to function and evolve. There is GOOD anxiety that exists.” —Brooke Buys. In this episode, Brooke and I discuss mental health, the challenges and the stigmas in the “traditional” model and her innovative and personalized approach that is getting clients better results, faster. Brooke has over 20 years in the field with experience in clinical outpatient therapy, residential treatment, and school counseling. She created BLND as an alternative to traditional, one-size-fits-all wellness models, with the vision of offering personalized, authentic support that works in real life and drives real change. Brooke studied English at Kalamazoo College and received her Master’s Degree in Social Work from The University of Michigan. Currently Brooke is completing a Ph.D. in Social Work and Psychology with her research focused on gender responsive approaches to addiction. She also serves as a part-time graduate instructor for the School of Social Work teaching course work in interpersonal practice, group theory, and trauma informed care. Many early experiences directly shaped her journey, from piloting reproductive health care services in Guatemala to guiding her social work career as a home-based interventionist, serving the community as a medical social worker, school-based counselor, and clinical therapist at a dual-diagnosis residential treatment program. Each experience offered reflective opportunities that eventually contributed to the BLND model, values, and mission to deliver accessible, yet personalized mental health care services. Show notes for this episode can be found at https://scottwelle.com/blnd. Brooke’s website is https://blndhealth.com/ and you can follow her on Instagram @blndhealth. Enjoy!