Founder's Note

"The name The Raft was born in my living room, during a late-night conversation with my best friend about the aching need to make mental health support more accessible to everyday people. Not those already fluent in therapy-speak or seeking clinical perfection but real people, navigating real pain, often silently. What started as a dream has, over the years, grown into a living, breathing space of care. And looking back, every client, patient, and team member who has walked through our doors has left their mark on this journey, each one offering us a quiet nudge, a lesson in trust, and often, a gentle pat on the back when we needed it most.

The Raft isn’t just a name — it’s a philosophy. A commitment. A lived ethic of holding space, especially when things feel uncertain, broken, or adrift. It stands for the quiet courage it takes to show up for another human being not with answers, but with presence. In our practice, “just being there” is never passive. It is one of the most radical, generous, and sacred acts of care.

Psychology has not only shaped my career, it has shaped the way I move through the world. It has softened my edges, deepened my self-awareness, and given me tools to love better, whether that’s showing up for my clients, leading my team, or understanding my pet Mr. Captain (who, by the way, is also our mascot). I owe this unfolding journey to those who believed in me even before I did — my mentors, my teachers, my grandparents ones who reminded me that while it’s human to stumble, it’s also human to rise again.

We do not see healing as a destination. We see it as a deeply human, often nonlinear process. We are not here to fix people. We are here to walk beside them gently, consistently until they feel safe enough to meet themselves. Sometimes, healing arrives in tears. Sometimes in silence. Sometimes in a burst of laughter that breaks through grief. Whatever shape it takes, we hold space for it with tenderness, with curiosity, and always, with respect.

For me, The Raft is not just what I created — it is my true north. It reminds me, every single day, why I chose this path, and my team a group of fiercely compassionate, deeply grounded, and relentlessly curious professionals who help me carry this dream forward. Together, we don’t just offer services. We offer presence, integrity, and the quiet assurance and reassurance that you don’t have to do this alone.

The Raft is my life’s work. It is also my life’s offering back to the field that raised me, and to every person who finds their way here.

So if you’re searching for your true north — welcome aboard. We’re here. We’re listening and we’re staying."

- Maya, Founder, The Raft