Dear Friends, 

As many of you know, the end of 2019 finds me nearly halfway through my graduate education in counseling psychology and on my way to becoming a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. As part of this vocational call to be of service to others, earlier this year I began clinical training at The Relational Center, a Los Angeles-based non-profit community counseling center. 

The Relational Center provides low-cost, sliding-scale counseling services for those who may otherwise be unable to afford such support, with over 85% of our members existing at or below the poverty line. As part of our mission to reduce isolation and foster meaningful social connection, we also offer low-cost group therapy, wellness classes like trauma-informed yoga, workshops, and civic engagement opportunities, all with accessibility in mind. Most of our members only pay $50 per month for access to weekly counseling plus unlimited access to our group offerings and our community space with a public computer and kitchen. All of our offerings are deeply moored in a focus on social justice, with this lens informing everything from our approach to one-on-one therapy work to how our group therapy culture is structured to the activist work our staff and members are doing together in the wider community.

I'm beyond grateful to be part of TRC's clinical training program, where I'm afforded the opportunity to develop as a professional with the guidance and support of incredible supervisors, trainers, and colleagues, and where I am honored to provide counseling for our diverse community members. 

I believe deeply in the power of radical empathy, authentic connection, and collaborative leadership to effect meaningful change in both our day-to-day lives and our larger social landscape alike. It's exceedingly rare to encounter an organization that walks the talk of its values the way TRC does, and it is precisely these values that make it such a gift in my life and to the Los Angeles community. 

As a non-profit, we rely on donations to keep our lights on and doors open, to offer exemplary training to new mental health professionals, and to continue providing deeply needed support to our clients and members. If you're able to make a financial contribution, no matter the size, please join me in supporting this rare gem of an organization. 

Lots of Love,
JJ

Every year we host a year-end appeal that offers our supporters one last opportunity to make a tax-deductible donation to The Relational Center before the end of the calendar year.  Please help us reach our 2019 goal of $35,000 before midnight on December 31st.  With your support, we can continue to provide counseling for social justice to embolden individuals to build stronger, more empathic communities that can change the world.