Licensed Counselor and Certified Life Coach Nakia Austin understands that healing looks differently for everyone. As The Co-Founder of The Healing House in Charleston, Austin said she hopes to provide the tools women need to improve their lives after experiencing trauma.
The Healing House is a behavioral health program dedicated to serving and empowering women. The first of its kind in the entire state, the program offers women of color access to their unique path to healing through a holistic approach.
“We don’t realize the magnitude of what we’ve experienced,” Austin said, “because we are resilient and we moved on. I want to provide a new lens for women and men of color to see their trauma and their treatment. What do you as an individual need in your healing process?”
Although the Healing House is open to all women, at-risk and low-income women are priority. The program will pair women with case managers who can assist them all the way across what Austin describes as “the spectrum of trauma”.
“We want to help women not only heal but rebuild in all areas of life,” Austin said, “That can be through financial aid, parenting assistance or other services.”
Austin said the program is also looking to combat blockages between women of color and the treatment of substance use disorder. Some of these barriers include feeling alienated in recovery and also facing criminalization in their pursuit of seeking help.
“Cultural competency is very important,” Austin said, “There are a lot of disparities and gaps in treatment here,” Austin said, “SUD, trauma and beyond.
The Healing House hopes to be up and running by late summer or early fall, as Austin said the program still needs the community’s help with renovations and the donation of household supplies as well as monetary donations.
For more information, contact the Healing House at 681) 205-8661 or visit https://www.thehealinghouseinc.org/about-thh/.
