Affirming Wellness
Video Entry
Business Information
Female Founder:
Danielle Melia
Links:
How has the business been funded to date?
Bootstrapped
Tell us about your business:
I'm a holistic Psychologist in solo private practice who is Autistic and has ADHD. I'm wildly passionate about helping people who feel like misfits have wonderful relationships with themselves and others. I mostly work in the intersection of complex trauma/ PTSD, ADHD, Autism, gender diversity and the queer community. I do counselling and neurodiversity assessments for adults. I'm a supervisor for other Psychologists in these niche areas and I also enjoy working with more 'garden variety' mental health issues like workplace burnout, anxiety and depression. This is my way of leaving the world just a bit better than I found it; connecting authentically with people and their pain, helping to transform it to something lighter and more simple to bare.
How would $5k or $10k enable you to create more profit and impact in your business?
My business would stand out for going the extra mile regarding free and discounted assessments, plus a group as an alternative to therapy for people who need specific ADHD support (plus, there’s a gap in the market for this). Having the money to pay for my website to be rebuilt would be a dream. I was recently a victim of an elaborate scam which emptied my business account and I am still fighting the bank to refund me the stolen money. Currently, have a half made website, which isn't good for business.
Please outline what you would spend the grant on:
Advertising my niche areas to help complex clients find me ($700)
1 free ($1900) comprehensive Autism assessment for someone in need and 1 low-cost Autism/ ADHD assessment ($1500)
Funds to pay the bill for a new website ($4000)
Creating, marketing and running an ADHD group called ‘Doing Day,’ where clients receive practical support to do life admin tasks that ADHD’ers struggle with. They are also taught emotional regulation skills and motivational brain and body ‘hacks’ that actually work for neurodivergent brains. ($820)
Paying a psychologist contractor to assist me in the 6 week group ($1080)
