IOME (pronounced I-Owe-Me) began as something that founder Becky Lauridsen needed in her life at a time when she hit burnout in her career. This concept of guilt free self-care came about because of her own healing journey. She had completed her master's in 2013 and landed what she thought was her dream job working full time in a group counseling setting. Just 3 short years later she was completely burnt out; so much so that she quit her job and let her license expire with no intention of staying in the field. During this hiatus, she began focusing on her own mental health and addressing her own self-care. In her self-explorations, she began to heal both internally and externally and found this incorporated so much more than what is available to clients in traditional therapy settings. This discovery re-ignited her passion for mental health and her own healing journey prompted her to want to do things differently. As a sort of motto for IOME, they lovingly say that they are disrupting the traditional mental health scene because they feel like it’s broken. Their approach to mental health is preventative, which is pioneering a new path to offer clients an authentic approach to their mental health with accountability and a whole-body healing mindset.
Since its creation about 5 years ago, Becky and the amazing IOME staff have become innovators in opening new doors based on the needs that they know are out there and that clients are searching for. One of the biggest values at the center of their establishment is authenticity. Everyone has good and bad days, and they bring a “what you see is what you get” approach to that. This encourages authenticity and gives their clients permission to be seen and to feel heard. “We want to make therapy very relatable because we don’t have everything figured out, no one does. So just giving people a space to feel like it is okay to be seen and heard and practicing what we preach gives us a genuine space to help others” she said. Their program is different because outside of the therapy, they offer a holistic approach that incorporates accountability and authenticity at its core. Becky and her staff take a lot of pride in creating a community for their clients; so that when they walk through the door, they feel welcomed and comfortable. Even the design of their space incorporates the environment they wanted to embody. Focusing on the whole body is a huge part of their practice, offering breathwork and even infrared sauna into their sessions. This allows a client to come in for a traditional talk therapy session and then sit in the sauna afterward; literally sweating out the toxins while pondering the purpose they worked on in that session. They know the physical support is just as important as the mental support because trauma is also stored in the body and needs physical release as well. They have a yoga certified therapist and in house massage; offering a way to release toxins through those modalities as well. They want to meet people where they need, offering walk and talks or hikes if a client is needing that grounding. Their approaches are individualized for each client’s needs and healing. Becky shares “We are here to help them get the most out of their sessions We want to hold them accountable to whatever it is that they need, want, or desire in order to find the best way to help them.”
It is never too late to get therapy or support, and as IOME is modeled towards a preventative approach, they want to target clients that are probably doing “fine” but have maybe lost themselves a little bit and they just don’t have the zest or the enjoyment that they once had. They want to be able to support clients in a way that prevents burnout and breakdowns.
The legacy IOME hopes to leave is twofold. They believe in growth for themselves both personally and professionally, not only to model the “practice what you preach” approach but because there are so many more people out there that need the quality mental health and mental wellness services they are providing. That’s the long-term legacy they see and of course, there is the legacy that affects them as individuals as well as their families directly. They want to set good examples for their children and spouses. To model that authenticity and share the good and the bad. To share the journey and to let them know that things take work and bravery and to share what boundaries and a healthy balance look like.
The individual must come first, and IOME offers a service unlike any other to support what their clients are needing. Everyone’s healing journey is different and IOME allows you the opportunity to create the best possible outcome for yours.
Their approach to mental health is preventative, which is pioneering a new path to offer clients an authentic approach to their mental health with accountability and a whole-body healing mindset.