Our Story
Just Us; We All Struggle Inc. offers barrier-free therapy and mental health programming. We don't turn any New Brunswick residents away from getting the mental health care they need.
Recognizing the need for a system where no one is turned away, she initiated a low-cost therapy program through her counselling intern.
It seemed like a win-win; to graduate, students required an internship to gain practical experience, and Laura could leverage the interns to provide ongoing free and low-cost counselling services.
The need for accessible mental health care continued to grow and it demanded more attention. One intern turned into five interns, which led to the creation of Just Us; We All Struggle Inc, to sustain operations and leverage support from community members. Just Us was incorporated as a registered non-profit in late 2022 and received registered charity status less than 6 months later in February 2023.
Just Us is doing everything possible to change the narrative around mental health. In addition to providing free and low-cost counselling, the non-profit destigmatizes mental health struggles through education and advocacy work.
Since its fruition, the organization has partnered with countless interns. Every working relationship presents an opportunity for future therapists to learn a new way of performing meaningful, fulfilling work in mental health.
Just Us is much more than a clinic. The non-profit serves as a movement to build trust in the healthcare system, destigmatize struggles, and ensure mental health care is accessible to all.
Simply put, Just Us is changing the future of mental health care in New Brunswick – one session at a time.
Just Us was founded in 2022 by Saint John therapist and social worker, Laura Gatien.
In her previous role as a government social worker, she grew frustrated at seeing the daily fallout of a disjointed mental health system.
There were so many barriers preventing individuals from accessing care, like lack of insurance, lengthy wait times, and a complicated referral process. When individuals did get support, it was more reactive than proactive.
She knew there was a pressing need for a more effective approach to mental health. And in 2018, she set out to make it happen. She opened her own therapy practice and quickly grew her team to five associates.
Yet despite employing a radical, non-traditional approach to mental health, they still struggled to improve access to mental health care. Clients and referrers couldn’t navigate the mental health system, financial barriers continued to impede access, trust in mental health professionals was still lacking, and stigma persisted.
This led to the birth of the “No Us & Them” campaign – an advocacy campaign that reinforced the message that mental health is a shared human experience where there’s no ‘us’ and ‘them.’ We all struggle with mental health. It is something that affects everyone.
Around the same time, Laura was approached by a student looking for an internship at her practice.
Partner With Us to Be the Change
Want to help?
Our sponsors play a crucial role in enabling us to provide barrier-free mental health therapy, making a significant difference in our community. For as little as $20, you, too, can support our goal of providing mental health care for everyone. Join the ‘There Is No Us and Them’ movement!
